Changing Lenses, Dust On Sensor and Equipment Question

[rysangalang]

Hi Guys. I was wondering, is it just me or do you ever worry about changing lenses outdoors and getting dust on your sensor?Other than the normal “safe” way of changing lenses, that’s sited on the internet, do you know of any products that help minimize the introduction of dust?

 

[EIngerson]

I change my lenses outdoors all the time. It's unavoidable. I make sure to hold the camera so the lens mount is facing down. I change the lens as fast as possible and cap the removed lens quickly. I do try to get to a location thats somewhat protected when doing it though.

 

[tecboy]

I switch lenses inside the camera bag. I use a rocket air blower very often.

 

[Trever1t]

Dust is going to happen no matter how careful you are. Cleaning is really very simple. A rocket air blaster is a required part of anyone's camera bag.

 

[480sparky43 42]

Dust is going to happen even if you never remove the lens from your camera.

FIFY.

 

[orb9220]

Yep reason I got a dslr was to change lenses. I see way too many making optical & Image IQ sacrifices using Do it All Zooms. Usually more do with the sake of convenience then concerned with dust on sensor. A good not cheap blower. I use the Giotto Rocket blaster which is good for 90% of the time ridding the sensor of dust.

The other 10% of the time a wet clean of the sensor is required. So learned to wet clean my sensor maybe once or twice a year. Or you can have a shop do it for you for $40-$50.

As pointed out good to know the best ways and practice to minimize dust and time changing lenses. Pointed down and a few seconds to change lens in a a preferred protected space like camera bag or at least back to the wind using your body as a wind break. A lot of lens changes then a good blow when home to top off the day.

I don't worry or look for dust until it impacts by showing up in an image. As dust is always there but the majority of times is totally invisible to the sensor at the wider apertures f1.8-f8 and doesn't begin to be seen by the sensor untill f11 or f16 kind of thing. Unless dealing with larger dust particles that can show at the wider apertures like f5.6,etc.
.

 

[KmH]

As alluded to in several posts, there are lens changing practices that minimize how much dust can get in the mirror box area of a DSLR camera when a lens is changed.
The image sensor is covered by the shutter curtains, plus the main and secondary mirrors will attract some amount of any dust that gets in the mirror box area.
Using a rocket blower to blow dust out of the mirror box is just one part of doing routine maintenance of a DSLR camera.
Just be mindful the mirror assembly is very lightweight and easily damaged.

 

[480sparky43 42]

.......

Geez. I've been doing it wrong for years. I've never looked off to the side and flashed my 'girly' eyes.

 

[Derrel]

I swap lenses ALL the time. Some dust gets on the sensor no matter what one does. The whole point the camera downward thing made me laugh. W!hat a freaking joke!!! How about just waiting until you can get to a clean room, then wear a bunny suit, and camera-condom the body, and put an extra-sized Trojan (non-lubricated, ribbed) on the lens, and then swap lenses ONLY after blowing the entire perimeter of the room off with compressed, purified, de-ionized air that has been certified Kosher by an Orthodox rabbi...

I mean, jeebus...just put the fricking lens on FAST. "dust"??? As if holding the camera body upside down is going to mitigate against dust!!! For cripe's sake..."dust" floats upon the air...take a look inside a backlighted room with window light streaming in...there must be 1,000 dust particles per square yard...

I just had to laugh at that kid's video!!! He failed to sanitize his hands before he touched the lenses!!! He didn't have his hair covered!!! He had no respirator, and was breathing through his grubby, filthy nose!!! He had no bunny suit on! He was not in a clean room! That camera is gonna be RUINED!! RUINED,I tell you!!! RUINED!

 

[EIngerson]

I swap lenses ALL the time. Some dust gets on the sensor no matter what one does. The whole point the camera downward thing made me laugh. W!hat a freaking joke!!! How about just waiting until you can get to a clean room, then wear a bunny suit, and camera-condom the body, and put an extra-sized Trojan (non-lubricated, ribbed) on the lens, and then swap lenses ONLY after blowing the entire perimeter of the room off with compressed, purified, de-ionized air that has been certified Kosher by an Orthodox rabbi...

I mean, jeebus...just put the fricking lens on FAST. "dust"??? As if holding the camera body upside down is going to mitigate against dust!!! For cripe's sake..."dust" floats upon the air...take a look inside a backlighted room with window light streaming in...there must be 1,000 dust particles per square yard...

I just had to laugh at that kid's video!!! He failed to sanitize his hands before he touched the lenses!!! He didn't have his hair covered!!! He had no respirator, and was breathing through his grubby, filthy nose!!! He had no bunny suit on! He was not in a clean room! That camera is gonna be RUINED!! RUINED,I tell you!!! RUINED!

Get over your self dude.

 

[Derrel]

Aye,aye skipper!

"You so funny!"

 

[tecboy]

One time, at the camera repair shop. A clerk took the lens off, and the body set on the counter. A little boy grabbed the camera body without the cap on and dangled around. The mother didn't overreact or seemed to be care. The mother took the camera body with no cap on and headed outside to her car.

If I was her, I would cap the body as soon as possible or put it in a ziplock seal bag.

 

[480sparky43 42]

I change my lenses in the vacuum of space in low-earth orbit. No chance of dust sneaking in for me.

 

[Overread19 7]

Dust happens - you'll never stop it happening short of modification of the camera to a fully sealed unit (and doing that in a dust free and sealed room). By which point you've got a DSLR with one single fixed lens - which mostly defeats one of the best things about a DSLR for most average users doing photography (most who need a single lens single purpose camera are doing science or single projects).

Aiming the camera downward is designed to help avoid the larger dust particles from falling into the camera; it helps a little and certainly that combined with changing lenses over quickly and with the new anti-dust shake thingies that most modern DSLRs come with should help keep most dust out.
Some will get in and it will build up over time so the other part is learning to clean the DLSR sensor yourself. Just like learning to pump up your tyres or check your breaks, you have to clean the DSLR sensor.

Also learn how to use the spot heal tool in editing, one to a few clicks and you can fix most dust spots with little effort (and if you're shooting near wide open on the aperture chances are you won't see much if any dust anyway).

 

[Overread19 7]

I change my lenses in the vacuum of space in low-earth orbit. No chance of dust sneaking in for me.

You, shouldn't do that. Even at low orbiting heights you'll likely increase the radiation from space and the sun onto your camera. As a result you've probably lost a lot of pixels in the camera. If you keep at it you can lose whole Megapixels! Suddenly your 24MP camera is 23 or even 22!