Digital Cameras : Cute Camera Cases & Bags

To capture best photographs and quality images cameras are required to be properly maintained. Here are some useful tips.

Lens Cleaning - Dust reduction systems and dust cleaning systems are main topics here. The possibility of dust entering a DSLR camera body can’t be ruled out which can reduce image quality, and make it necessary to clean the sensor. "Dust cover" filter right behind the lens mount, a built-in sensor cleaning facility and dust reduction systems in one form or the other are becoming common among DSLRs manufacturers. Using a cotton swab or a microfiber with various fluids or blowing with compressed air are popular at user level. Some users prefer to clean the sensor themselves while others send their cameras for service.

If you are cleaning camera yourself take care to blast dust off the lens with the blower or canned air. Finger prints can be removed with a circular wipe of a fresh cotton swab/microfiber cloth. Dirt, if any, can be removed with a reliable lens cleaning fluid. Take a few drops of fluid onto the cloth and then wipe the lens. put fluid directly on the lens. Regular lens surface cleaning will continue to provide best quality images. If you are using an expensive lens in a dusty or wet environment keep a suitable UV filter on the lens and replace the filter every year or two.

SLR mirrors cleaning -Mirrors have very fragile surfaces. Don't even think about cleaning the mirror in your SLR. Experts/Technicians at camera clinics/shops/repair shops clean mirrors with some kind of special viscous fluid. Contact them. They often do it for free.

Flash Contacts -Clean Flash system contacts every now and then, either with a pencil eraser or otherwise to avoid intermittent failures.

The Camera Body Sensor -During lens changes there is a risk of dust falling "onto the sensor". As the CMOS or CCD sensors are covered by a color filter or a clear glass plate, the dust falls on something that is covering the sensor. No doubt thus sensor remains safe yet any scatch on covering surface will affect your image quality. At this point consult your owner's manual for your camera. Make sure that the battery is fully charged and then follow the instructions to flip up the mirror for "sensor cleaning mode". If you can't understand the instructions properly or resources/tools mentioned in it are not available contact a camera repair shop.

The Camera Body Exterior - Camera and lens bodies are fairly well sealed against dust and moisture. Most of them are waterproof also. So you need not bother too much about cleaning the exteriors of your equipment. Simply wipe off the body with a soft cloth/slightly dampened cloth with plain water will suffice the purpose.

These simple methods are only a collection of users experiences, collected in good faith from here and there. Don’t try them if they do not comply with the instructions in your user/instructions manual of your camera.

Secondly these may only be suitable for general purpose cameras. These methods may not be suitable for special purpose cameras such as underwater cameras, infra red cameras and spy cameras.