Caring for a 35 mm Camera | |
If you treat a good camera and its lenses with respect, it will reward you with years of faithful service. Store a camera that won't be used for several months with the meter and flash batteries removed, because an old battery can leak causing damage to the interior of the camera. Dirt is the greatest enemy of any camera. Inside the camera dirt causes spots in pictures and can eventually work its way deep inside and gum up the mechanical parts. On a camera lens dirt degrades the image quality. Keep the camera exterior (not including the lens) clean using a dry and clean soft rag. When you clean the exterior, have the lens on the camera body to prevent any dirt from getting inside. Purchase a blower brush, which is a small camel hair brush attached to a rubber bulb, at your local photography store. This is handy for cleaning difficult-to-reach crevices around the camera controls. Dust and dirt also collect in the viewing window so dust it off with the brush and clean the glass surface with a soft rag. When the exterior is clean, open the camera and clean its interior. Inspect it for film chips left in the winding mechanism. Carefully clean the film guides and pressure plate on the back of the camera. Don't attempt to clean the shutter; just blow off any dust or dirt with a blower brush. Close the back of the camera. Remove the lens and use the blower brush to remove dirt from the reflex mirror. Do not touch the mirror with your fingers. Unlike a standard mirror, it has a silver mirror surface applied to the top surface of the glass and your fingerprints can damage this coating. The secret to keeping lenses in top shape is to protect the coated glass surfaces of the lens with an inexpensive UV or daylight filter. This filter screws into the front of the lens and prevents anything from getting on the actual lens glass. When you clean the lens you actually clean this filter and not the lens element. Before you clean any glass surface, blow as much dirt off as possible with the brush blower. Use a piece of lint-free lens tissue to clean any glass surface. If you must dampen the lens surface, breathe on the glass so your breath will condense and form a light haze. Avoid using lens cleaning fluid if possible. If you do, apply it to the lens tissue to dampen it and not directly to the lens element. written by the editors of HouseNet Copyright HouseNet, Inc. |