Tips and tricks for Avoiding contamination when changing lenses

[Manfred M]

I never pay all that much attention to how I change lenses in "normal" environments. I'm more concerned about not dropping the camera body or either of the lenses! Normally I find that cycling the cleaning function in the camera a few times after changing a lens does a reasonable job of getting rid of the worst of the contaminants I have introduced. I also have a "rocket" blower as well as the Arctic Butterfly systems. I've never actually had to resort to wet cleaning my sensor.

If the conditions are a bit more risky (rainy or dusty environments), I tend to pick a lens and stick with it, doing the lens change in a relatively "clean" environment, like in a building or in a car.

Don't forget that unless your less is equipped with a real seal (an elastomer gasket on the lens mount), you will definitely introduce some dust into the camera body while zooming and focusing. The lens manufacturers have omitted these as a cost saving measure on a lot of less expensive lenses.

[DanK]

I don't avoid changing lenses outdoors. I am often a long way from indoors, and it would be too limiting not to change lenses. However, I do avoid changing them in bad conditions--e.g., if there is dust being kicked up by wind. I try to remember to turn the camera off but often forget. I do hold the camera lens-down, and I do it fast.

I find that I rarely have to clean the sensor. I have been shooting digital for years, and I would guess that I have had to do a serious sensor cleaning at most half a dozen times. I have never sent a camera in for sensor cleaning, but I do agree with Dave--it's nerve-wracking the first time or two. My drill is this:

1. Use a rocket blower, lens opening down. Most of the time, this takes care of it.
2. If the blower fails, I use a static brush. Mine is from Copper Hill (which may not still be in business). It's a cheap alternative to an Arctic Butterfly.
3. When that fails, I do a wet cleaning with swaps. it's this step that I have only done a few times.

Lenspen also makes a tool (SensorClear) that is an alternative to a wet cleaning. I bought one but haven't tried it.