How often do you clean up your camera?

I lug my cameras around everywhere and set them down everywhere...on the ground, on the floor board of the car, etc. and they get dusty...I'm all about using the gear if you have it and using the crap out of it at that. For the past couple of years I have been buying these lens wipes from the local drugstore and every few weeks or so I'll use about 3 or 4 of them to clean up each of my cameras and all of my lenses...I also use a poop can of compressed air to "dust" them if you will every few days...I take extreme care when changing lenses to make sure the face of the camera body is pointing down when I do the exchange and I am a big believer in caps...body caps, front, and rear lens caps...interestingly enough I keep my cameras wrapped up in t shirts...I don't have any never ready cases or sling bags or backpacks or doctor bags or any other kind of casing other than a hard lens case for my 135 which doubles for my 105 also...so I am into cleaning crap up...

What about you?

I'm ANAL about keeping my cameras clean! I keep them in my Lowepro CompuTrekker pack when I'm not using them. When I use the D200, I keep it on my BR strap, ready to shoot. I'm a big believer in lens caps, too....front and back. I'm not afraid to use my cameras, but I want them to last me until I die!

Dang I forgot to post the picture I was going to post...anyways I cleaned up the 5000 last night and blacked it out...it is pretty bossy looking now!

Did you realize that the upside down red rubber triangle on all modern Nikon DSLRs is a direct reference to the eyelevel finder on the F? The triangle, square, and circle are very very important to Nikon camera designers...

I just bought my camera in November. I honestly think I am obsessed with cleaning my lenses more than the actual camera body but I still clean it often. This isn't my first DSLR but it's the first DSLR that I love and actually use. I had my other DSLR for about a year and did not clean it as much as I do my D7K. I clean the body less than my lenses. I clean the body every few weeks, maybe once a month. I clean my lens about once a week or whenever I notice that it's dirty. I was paranoid in the beginning. I actually decreased how often I clean everything. I am also very detailed about putting on the front and back lens cap whenever needed.

I have 5 microfiber cloths that I collected over the last few months. I have 1 lenspen. A cleaning kit with the hand air pump and a brand new make-up brush. I read it somewhere on the forum. My favorite cleaning product is the bottle on the bottom called Krystal Clear. It's a wax that works wonders. It prevents scratches from lint and dust. You just put a small amount and wipe it off in a circular motion. When I say I clean my lenses often, I am typically using the Krystal clear.

Every time after use. A quick rubdown is mostly what is needed.

photojazz said:

Every time after use. A quick rubdown is mostly what is needed.

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Same here. If I'm going on vacation, a photowalk or event, I'll take extra time to make sure everything is in working order, clean, etc. The hardest lesson to learn is to put the camera away in the same manner every time. I make sure that the D300 is in Program mode, ISO 200, Exposure comp set a zero, focus setting to continuous so that if I grab the camera I know what to expect.

Funny you should ask this question. The 400mm sigma lens I borrowed a few weeks ago was handed to me with no end cap. I went ahead and wiped it down. after a few pics I noticed a large question mark looking streak . I did a few more shots and hit the clean sensor. No luck!! The particles wouldnt come loose. I went and bought an ear wash bubble and proceeded to squeeze air on the sensor as directed to loosen the items. Well, after about 30 minutes of air, cleaning sensor and picture test,everything came out. So, yes clean your lenses.

Ya'll make me feel more normal now. I thought I was going overboard with how often I clean it.

Eduard said:

Same here. If I'm going on vacation, a photowalk or event, I'll take extra time to make sure everything is in working order, clean, etc. The hardest lesson to learn is to put the camera away in the same manner every time. I make sure that the D300 is in Program mode, ISO 200, Exposure comp set a zero, focus setting to continuous so that if I grab the camera I know what to expect.

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Yes a very good habit to get into.

Claudia! said:

Ya'll make me feel more normal now. I thought I was going overboard with how often I clean it.

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You're assuming we are normal? :highly_amused:

I put my cameras in the dishwasher make sure you have the "Jet Dry " topped up so no spots, also make sure the lens caps are on run the "lite" cycle presto in the morning you have nice shinny bodies.

salvatore said:

I put my cameras in the dishwasher make sure you have the "Jet Dry " topped up so no spots, also make sure the lens caps are on run the "lite" cycle presto in the morning you have nice shinny bodies.

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LOL!

Just a thought here: run the machine on quiet mode, so you can hear yourself cry after you realize what you've done!

We're supposed to clean them?

Eduard said:

Same here. If I'm going on vacation, a photowalk or event, I'll take extra time to make sure everything is in working order, clean, etc. The hardest lesson to learn is to put the camera away in the same manner every time. I make sure that the D300 is in Program mode, ISO 200, Exposure comp set a zero, focus setting to continuous so that if I grab the camera I know what to expect.

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This is my big new learning curve....too many mistakes recently having forgotten to reset the menus. Holiday beach photos at ISO 6400 anyone?

For the past six years, MY D40 had the sensor cleaned by the camera store just once (a few months back @ 22K clicks)
Aside from that, when it was not in use, it was in the case in the closet. Never really cleaned it otherwise. Still looks new

OK .. please excuse the 'dufas' look :hopelessness:, but when cleaning, what do you use besides the 'blower brush' for lenses and sensor. What about the camera body itself .. just a plain microfiber cloth?

I understand that you don't want any liquid getting inside the body, so what else could you use to get a good cleaning .. elbow grease? And the lens body?

Michael

My sensors on both my D800E and D600 are getting cleaned next week. The humidity here is a killer and at $75 per camera its not bad

MPSanSouci said:

OK .. please excuse the 'dufas' look :hopelessness:, but when cleaning, what do you use besides the 'blower brush' for lenses and sensor. What about the camera body itself .. just a plain microfiber cloth?

I understand that you don't want any liquid getting inside the body, so what else could you use to get a good cleaning .. elbow grease? And the lens body?

Michael

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I have allways cleaned my camera and lens externally with a new soft paint brush,i allso do things with buttons on like the dvd recorder ect the same way.

MPSanSouci said:

OK .. please excuse the 'dufas' look :hopelessness:, but when cleaning, what do you use besides the 'blower brush' for lenses and sensor. What about the camera body itself .. just a plain microfiber cloth?

I understand that you don't want any liquid getting inside the body, so what else could you use to get a good cleaning .. elbow grease? And the lens body?

Click to expand...

For typical, every day-type dust on the body and lens elements I re-purposed a cheap makeup brush. For heavier dirt and sand on the body I use a repurposed 2" paint brush. The body gets wiped down with a microfiber cloth, damp if need be when it needs it but the inside of the camera body really doesn't get cleaned unless I take the camera in for a sensor cleaning, which it gets once a year regardless. I think you can wind up doing more harm than good by over-cleaning and I certainly don't muck about inside the camera body; that's just no bueno unless you really know what you're doing in my opinion.

I don't clean anything. If it's dirty, I just toss it out and buy a new one.




j/k.

I clean everything just before I go out on a planned photo outing, and sometimes I'm just bored and clean it all for something to do.