Basic Camera Care 101
by Chuck McKern
Many people have asked about sending their cameras to a
service center for cleaning. This can be more expensive than people
realize. Most service centers define a cleaning as a "Clean, Lube,
and Adjust". This involves dismantling the camera and cleaning all
gears and moving parts as well as adjusting the light meter and timing
of the shutter. This would normally cost about the same as a major
repair, which for most SLRs starts in excess of $100 and increases
depending on model and complexity.
Most manufacturers and reputable service centers do not recommend this
kind of service. Most of the cleanings that people want are external and
can be done easily. Lets take a look at what you can do to clean and
maintain your equipment.
Lenses and Filters
Probably the most important part of your equipment to keep clean is the
lens. Any dirt, film, or fingerprints that get on the lens can degrade
the quality of the image. All you need to properly clean your lens is a
blower brush, lens cleaner, and a lens cloth. There are two basic types
of cloths available today: traditional lens tissues and micro-fiber
cloths. I prefer micro-fiber cloths since they don't leave lint behind
like lens tissues do. Micro-fiber cloths are also washable so they can
be reused (hand wash, no detergent).
In order to clean your lens, use the blower brush to remove any large
particles of dirt or loose dust. With the micro-fiber cloth, wipe off
any "fresh" fingerprints or smudges. Be sure to wipe gently in
a circular motion. For older, more stubborn smudges, put a drop or two
of lens cleaning fluid on a cloth and wipe in a gentle, circular motion.
It's also a good idea to check the rear element of the lens. If needed,
you can clean it in the same manor described above. Don't forget your
filters. They should be cleaned the same way.
To help keep your lenses clean when not in use, be sure to put a lens
cap on the front of the lens. This will help keep debris from getting on
the lens. If you have lenses that will be stored off of a camera, be
sure to use a rear lens cap to protect the rear element to keep it
clean. As for your filters, use those plastic holders that came with
them to keep them protected when not in use. You can also get filter
wallets, which can hold up to several filters in one handy case.
Mirror
The mirror of the camera is not as critical to keep clean, but it will
make viewing more comfortable. Dirt on the mirror will not show up on
photographs, but can be distracting. Be very careful when cleaning the
mirror. This is a delicate area in your camera. After removing the lens,
use the blower brush to gently brush off the mirror. You can also clean
the under side of the focusing screen while you are doing the mirror.
Don't use a liquid cleaner in this area, as that would require you to
physically put pressure on the mirror which we want to avoid.
When you are storing the camera without a lens on it, be sure to use a
body cap (which came with the camera) to close the opening.
Focusing Screens and Prisms
On cameras with removable focusing screens, you can remove the screen
and dust it off with the blower brush. After you have the screen out, be
sure to use the blower brush to dust off any of the glass at the bottom
of the prism that you can get to.
You can also clean the viewfinder eyepiece using a lens cloth and lens
cleaning fluid. It may be difficult to get into the corners of some
rectangular viewfinders. If so, use cotton swabs with lens fluid to get
into the corners.
Film Chamber
Although it is not often that the film chamber needs to be cleaned, it
is important to discuss how to safely clean this area due to the
delicate nature of most shutters. If you get some loose dust/dirt in the
camera, use a blower brush to brush out the section were the film
cartridge sits and also brush off the take up spool. Very carefully
brush off the sides of the shutter box with your blower brush,
especially in the areas where the film travels across the shutter. Be
sure not to touch or brush the shutter curtain itself. The shutters in
most cameras are very delicate and are expensive to repair.
While you're checking out your camera, check the pressure plate on the
film door. This is the flat piece on the inside of the film door that
keeps pressure on the film to keep it flat across the shutter opening.
Besides making sure it is free of build up, check the edges of the
pressure plate for any kind of nicks. If a nick occurs on the edges of
the plate, it could easily scratch the film as it is pulled across it.
If you find damage, pressure plates are relatively inexpensive to
replace.
Battery Chamber
The battery compartment is another location that typically does not need
a lot of maintenance. Periodically check the contacts to make sure they
don't have a build up on them and also check for any signs of battery
leakage. If you find a small amount of build up, a standard pencil
eraser will remove small amounts of film from the contacts. Heavier
build up or corrosion can be removed by gently rubbing the contact with
a very fine sand paper or emery board. After cleaning the contacts, be
sure to blow out any debris left behind.
Camera Body
The external body of the camera is pretty easy to clean. Use a couple of
drops on a cleaning cloth and wipe down the body. Do not pour lens
cleaner, or any other liquid, directly on the camera body. This could
allow the liquid to run into the body and get into the electronics of
the camera. Shorted electronics are very expensive to fix. Do not use
the liquid cleaner on the hot shoe.
Hot Shoe
The hot shoe on cameras seams to be an area that causes more problems as
a camera gets older. Usually the problem is that flash units may fire
intermittently or not at all. This kind of problem is often caused by a
build-up of corrosion on the contact of the shoe. You can keep the
contacts clean by gently rubbing the contacts with a fine sand paper or
emery board. This should only be done when years of build up interferes
with the functions. Contact cleaner (available at Radio Shack) on a soft
cloth can remove light deposits.
Flash Body
Flash units are pretty easy to take care of. The battery contacts can be
checked and cleaned in the same manner as in the camera. Also check the
contacts on the bottom of the flash shoe and make sure they are clean.
If they need to polished-up, clean them the same way you cleaned the
flash shoe contacts. To clean the flash body, wipe it down with a little
lens cleaner on a lens cloth.
Following these easy steps, you can keep your camera in top performance
without breaking the bank. The supplies needed to do all of this can be
purchased for under $20 and it takes only a few minutes to do. If you
haven't been doing this, try it. Your camera will be grateful.
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