Do you turn off your camera when changing lenses?

[Tapeman]

My dealer says that turning off the camera helps reduce the dust on your sensor when changing lenses because there is no static when the camera is off.

Does your experiance agree?

[glangston]

That's what I've been told too. I changed a lens recently and got a nice little spot on the sensor (which easily blew off) and have since made sure to turn it off before changing lenses. Makes sense to deal with electronics this way.

[griff2]

Always. I don't like the idea of shorting the pins on the lens mount when the camera's switched on..

[PacAce]

Always try to but every once in a while, I forget to do that.

[scottbergerphoto]

Always.
Scott

[Deckyon]

I have always turned off the camera when changing lenses, more from nervous habit than anything. The other thing I do is to keep the camera face down when changing lenses. Again, more from habit than anything else. I do not think it will hurt the cameras (with the correct firmware) to change lenses without powering down, but it is probably not best practice.

[Belmondo]

I do it whenever I think of it.....which is seldom. :o

[steven]

I try to remember, not 100%
Manual (1Ds) states to turn it off to change lenses.

[pierrot]

I have always turned off the camera when changing lenses, more from nervous habit than anything. The other thing I do is to keep the camera face down when changing lenses. Again, more from habit than anything else.
So do I. ;)

[RichardtheSane]

I don't very often turn the camera off.

camera still works - ho hum!

[pcasciola]

There's an on off switch? :lol:

I'm not sure I've ever switched my camera off. Maybe this explains why I have some dust on my sensor.

[S230]

Turning off the camera when removing or adding things is recommended for most electronic devices. I do forget from time to time and not experience problems yet. But if I do the same with the external flash (Removing from hotshoe), I sometimes get the error99.

[CaseyScofield]

Always off. Though my reasoning is more from habit (I actually never knew about the sensors)…Good to know that there is a reason for my madness! :D

[mbze430]

I never do....too much motion. I am so used to shooting with film. I don't even pay attention on the dSLR.

[Alan Neilson]

I switch off every time

[darkdrakon]

sometimes

[neil_r]

I forget more often than I remember.....

N

[Jon]

If I think of it. But I never had to on my F-1; why should I on the 20D? I thought they were supposed to be improving these things!

:{)#

[Chris1le]

I turn it off most of the time but sometimes I forget. How about Canon adding a feature that turns the camera off when you press the button to release the lens. Good or bad idea?

[RogCincy]

My dealer says that turning off the camera helps reduce the dust on your sensor when changing lenses because there is no static when the camera is off.


I'm not sure what the manual says but from everything I have read if the sensor is charged while the camera is on then you should switch it off in order to change the lens. That way the dust doesn't get attracted to the sensor.

[René Damkot]

Never . . . The only thing I switch off before mounting / dismounting is the 550EX
I try and remember to power off before changing CF cards, that's difficult enough for me. ;)

[Phil V]

I turn it off most of the time but sometimes I forget. How about Canon adding a feature that turns the camera off when you press the button to release the lens. Good or bad idea?

Bad idea, what if the camera is in the middle of writing to the CF card.:o

I usually switch off to change lenses, sometimes I forget.

[Cadwell]

I'm not sure what the manual says but from everything I have read if the sensor is charged while the camera is on then you should switch it off in order to change the lens. That way the dust doesn't get attracted to the sensor.

This would be the sensor that's safely tucked away behind the closed shutter at this point, would it?

[Belmondo]

This would be the sensor that's safely tucked away behind the closed shutter at this point, would it?

Yeah, I've never bought into that argument either.

[robertwgross]

Whether the sensor is powered or not, it is not going to attract dust that is on the opposite side of the shutter.

I think we are all in agreement that dust gets into the outer chamber whenever you change lenses. Then dust can get past the shutter only when the shutter is opening or while it is open.

---Bob Gross---

[CyberDyneSystems]

I found with my 10D that by turing off the camera I had much less dust getting on the sensor. Since finding this to be the case I allways turn it off when changing lenses.

[KevC]

Always turn off before changing lenses. But... I hardly change anymore, lol. My nifty-fifty is like permanently attached :D

[cactusclay]

I usually do, lest I forget. I read somewhere a year or so ago that the new Cmos were not as succeptable to dust from static as the older ones and that it wasn't quite so important anymore, but I try to turn it off anyway.

[Raj]

I do, but when I brought my 20D to office, one of my collegue who is antique film camera collector just took out the lens & started analyzing "oh it has a mirror too !" and stuff, then tried to put the lens back but couldnt so I took the camera & put the lens on & then realized power was ON :-( #@#$#
I quickly took a few shots to make sure camera is working but havent done any shooting after that so I am not sure if I got dust. Hopefuly not ...

[Mills]

Always.

[Pekka]

I turn off the power. I can not possibly tell if there is static charge on AA filter surface or not, but when lens is removed the camera internals are exposed and it is full of electrical parts so there is a good possibility that there is something static. Dust inside camera is always bad - it moves around and it may affect AF or exposure or shorten life of moving parts. Turning power off and on is not a big deal. I do it daily anyways the other way, at least once. In any case my camera stays quite clean this way, I need to get it cleaned once a year or so (now I have one weak spot which shows at f11. And I change lenses a lot.

[gulogulo1970]

Never.

I treat it just like a film camera.

[rfreschner]

Always, but with my advancing absentmindness, it's just a matter of time before I forget. :)

[TammieO]

Always

[Tom W]

I always turn it off - more concerned about somehow shorting across the energized contacts of the lens mount, or confusing the camera's computer rather than getting dust in there.

[aam1234]

I always turn it off - more concerned about somehow shorting across the energized contacts of the lens mount, or confusing the camera's computer rather than getting dust in there.

I turn it of for reasons Tom mentioned above not because of dust.

[zzpza]

i treat it like my film EOS's and change with it switched on if i'm using it or with it switched off if it was in my bag (stored with bodycap). one thing i always do is have a lens or body cap ready to put on the camera BEFORE i remove the lens that's already on there. i've been shooting with my 10d for about a year now and have never had to clean the sensor or mirror, and my camera isn't a 'show and shine' - it's out with me in all weather and all conditions.

j.

[thomascanty]

I always turn it off, too. It's a force of habit for me.

[roanjohn]

Hmmm..........I never turn it off.........maybe I should start doing it.........

Ro1

[Bruce Hamilton]

I guess I might fall under both always and never. :lol:

For my normal recreational shooting, I put a lens on the camera with power off before I leave. Since I like to travel light when shooting, I rarely carry extra lenses with me. The lens I started with stays on until I get home.

[DocFrankenstein]

The sensor is behind:
1) the AA filter about 3 mm thick
2) a shutter, which is metal in some cameras...

I don't think turning off the cam will make that much difference. BTW: anybody know for a fact that the sensor is actually "grounded" when turning off the camera?

Canon tries to make profits, I highly doubt they'll go an extra step to get rid of the charge. Why not just leave it there?

Always. I don't like the idea of shorting the pins on the lens mount when the camera's switched on..
HEHE :D

Do you know how you can leave an EF stopped down when removed from the camera?
Press DOF preview button
Remove the lens... the diaphragm will remain in the same place.

Cheers. :lol:

[johneo]

My dealer says that turning off the camera helps reduce the dust on your sensor when changing lenses because there is no static when the camera is off.

Does your experiance agree?

When I first got my 10D I had all sorts of problems with dust. Someone had asked the same question and the suggestion was turning the camera off when changing lenses. It took a few times to remember to shut the camera off before changing the lens.

The only time I've had trouble with dust since is when I don't turn the camera off before removing the lens. I'm thinking the sensor must suck that dust right to it when the lens opening is exposed to the outside world.

[Edgar in ATL]

Yes, but in fairness, I rarely change lenses in midstream of a photo outing where I might forget and do so.

[Jim_T]

I imagine if there were any danager of damage from changing lenses with the power on...... If there were the remotest possibility of damage from this practice.......... I'm certain it would say so in the owner's manuals :)

My 10D manual has all sorts of warnings, but there is nothing about turning off power when changing lenses..

I don't think there is any power on the lens contacts anyway.. Not until the shutter is half pressed or pressed all the way.

And as far as dust being attracted to the sensor.. As others have mentioned.. The shutter is closed, so the sensor isn't eposed.

I don't shut the camera off when I change lenses :)

[René Damkot]

I don't think there is any power on the lens contacts anyway.. Not until the shutter is half pressed or pressed all the way.
Then how does the camera know the aperture of the lens :p

[Jon]

Then how does the camera know the aperture of the lens :p

When you partially depress the shutter release, or otherwise activate the metering and/or focussing mechanism, the camera supplies power to the lens. Otherwise it's dead. That's why you have to depress the shutter release for a bit to allow IS to get up to speed as well.

[Phil Hall]

I forgot to turn off the 1Ds once outside at Reno. It resulted in a veritable dust storm inside. Took a while to clean up. I had never had to clean the sensor before. I have always been very careful when changing lenses.

Phil Hall

[KenW]

Opps

[Chris1le]

Bad idea, what if the camera is in the middle of writing to the CF card.:o

I usually switch off to change lenses, sometimes I forget.

Okay how about a CF that de-energizes the lens contacts and CMOS when the lens release is pressed. That would seem doable. :)

[ron chappel]

I never turn the camera off-the sensor is covered by the shutter anyway...DOH!

I get tired of this whole 'the world is ending,i may get a spec on my sensor' thing.:rolleyes:
So far over 14 months use ,14000 pics and hundreds of lens changes i have only removed about 20 dust specs from my sensor
...and i only did that because i was bored.It's doubtfull half of those needed removing

[Pekka]

I get tired of this whole 'the world is ending,i may get a spec on my sensor' thing.:rolleyes:
So far over 14 months use ,14000 pics and hundreds of lens changes i have only removed about 20 dust specs from my sensor
...and i only did that because i was bored.It's doubtfull half of those needed removing

Gimme five! Does anyone have a photo which is really RUINED because of dust (no remedy by clone tools in post process)???

[thomascanty]

Gimme five! Does anyone have a photo which is really RUINED because of dust (no remedy by clone tools in post process)???

I think I have had maybe five. Those were all on my old Olympus C-4040Z, though. Since that camera can't be opened, I had to learn to live with the dust that somehow found its way onto that sensor. I've never really had a dust problem with my DSLRs. I've only cleaned the sensor on my 10D (with a Rocket blower) two or three times. I only had to do it once for the 20D so far, when I first got it.

[René Damkot]

Gimme five! Does anyone have a photo which is really RUINED because of dust (no remedy by clone tools in post process)???
Nah, but I'ld rather clean my sensor than clone out dust spots in, say, 25 packshots . . .
By the way: just recieved my 'Visible Dust' sensor brush: Highly recommended!