Cleaning your equipment?

[Karebear98]

I, like everyone else, want to maintain all this expensive gear I have been slowing trying to acquire and would really like to know what YOUR cleaning routine is.

I would like to know:

1. How often do you clean your camera body, how and what with?
2. How often do you clean your lenses, how and what with?
3. Do you perform any other maintenance on your camera, lenses, or other equipment?
4. Anything else you'd like to share about cleaning, storage and/or maintenance or any tips?

[Tom]

Clean it all weekly with a giottos camera cleaning kit.

Professional Camera Repair on Richmond can clean things and if you ask nicely, they may help teach you how to clean as well.

[jfoureyes]

I shoot nature out in the woods, usually blow, and wipe my camera after every trip. I clean my lenses with lens fluid and micro cloth once a year if they need it, but most of the time a blast with the rocket blower keeps them in shape.

[Jim Boyd]

I shoot mostly sports venues, and I clean my lenses and cameras before every shoot. I clean the lenses with brushes and microfiber, and my sensors and chamber with Visible Dust products. In my opinion, and it's only my opinion, Visible Dust makes the best products to clean sensors. Their new Mini Quasar loop is incredible.

[tc95]

I have a delkin cleaning kit...does most of everything I need...



Now a few things I have changed too..I use the Ziess lens cloths..the one use paper type..just be careful when applying pressure...also, for the sensor I use my wifes make-up brushes the foam disposable type...you use one per direction for-wet and dry so you use a total of 8 per sensor cleaning...

Camera once a year if it needs it...
Lens only if it gets really bad...

Rocket blower everytime I am going to use something...

Just don't rush...like cleaning a gun...take your time...and all is good...rush it and you usually screw something up...!!!

[AllenOwen]

Originally Posted by Tom

Clean it all weekly with a giottos camera cleaning kit.

Professional Camera Repair on Richmond can clean things and if you ask nicely, they may help teach you how to clean as well.

I'm about to drop mine off with them for some much needed sensor cleaning.

D300:


D80:
A hair!

[BeccaJ]

Originally Posted by Tom

Clean it all weekly with a giottos camera cleaning kit.

Professional Camera Repair on Richmond can clean things and if you ask nicely, they may help teach you how to clean as well.

i do it myself every now and then...but have used Professional Camera Repair and they were wonderful!

[z-monster]

I let my camera's clean itself.

[jfoureyes]

This is what I use for the sensor and seems to work fine for me. Copper Hill Images - CCD/CMOS Cleaning Tutorial - Introduction

[J Eddington]

Originally Posted by Karebear98

1. How often do you clean your camera body, how and what with?
2. How often do you clean your lenses, how and what with?
3. Do you perform any other maintenance on your camera, lenses, or other equipment?
4. Anything else you'd like to share about cleaning, storage and/or maintenance or any tips?

1. I wipe it down after each use. I use a lightly damp(with lens cleaner) micro cloth.
2. I clean my lens after each use, that way they are always ready to go.
3. I clean my sensor monthly if I am using the camera indoors, if I am outside and change my lens then I will do it after the session. Sometimes just a blow other times a full clean, it depends upon the weather condition.

[Karebear98]

Great stuff guys....I really needed this. I have had this camera since 2007 I believe and have only cleaned my lenses a few times and never cleaned my sensor! Yikes! :(

[Abel]

check this thread for some more before and after shots.

Filthy sensor got a bath.

[Karebear98]

Thanks Abel...those pics are great.

[Ricco]

To revive this thread, this is what I have started doing, and since my camera is still new, this might evolve as time goes on.

Since I don't change lenses very often, I just use a UV filter to keep dust from landing on my primary lens.
Before every shoot, I inspect the lenses and filters with a bright LED and clean appropriately and use the microfiber and a light blow to get any specs off.

Since I plan on purchasing new lenses in the near future, I think I need to have a protocol and how to handle that, esp if I'm going to do lens changes in the field.
<shudder>