Jon, The Elder
13th of August 2005 (Sat), 09:19
External Cleaning
A lot of threads regarding sensor cleaning but no results on external cleaning of gear.
I shoot horse events and the environment is often pretty dirty and dusty.
I use LowePro backbacks which are very weather resistant, but over time the insides get collections of dirty residue.
The following is how I go about cleaning gear and seems to be adequate for me.
1) I use a water filter vacuum but any good machine should work (use a clean filter bag to start with)
2) Leave gear bag closed and use the soft brush attachmt to go over all the exterior, especially the seams and zippers.
3) Open your bag/backpack and remove all of the gear (including small stuff like lens/camera caps, CF card wallets, QR plates etc.
4) Using the crevice tool, get in the seams and tight spots of the bag. Then swap tools to the brush and get the sides of the compartments and the inside surfaces of the bag cover. Get the zipper crevices and flaps too.
5) Now (with the brush attachmt) do each lens cap, plate, and other small stuff. Return it to its spot in the bag.
6) Take a lens and remove the hood and front cap. Carefully go all around and back over the barrel. Get the inside of cap and replace it. Zooms that extend should be fuly extended and gone over (around and back again). Replace caps and hoods.
7) Repeat for all other gear, Card wallets, extension tubes, filter cases etc.
Obviously you want to protect all your front and rear glass elements, so take off lens caps and vacuum them AWAY from the lens itself.
8) I use a Q-tip and alcohol (rubbing) to clean the viewfinder. Careful, the alcohol can soften some rubber eyepieces. Don't use more than a drop or 2.
9) PecPads and Eclipse fluid for FRONT lens elements/filters. Couple drops ON THE PAD, start from center and work outwards. Don't scrub ! wipe gently.
10) Sensors? - Well, I use Sensor brush and Giotto blower.
Now the next time I do a search for 'external cleaning' i'll at least have this to start with.
Jon Ferguson
A lot of threads regarding sensor cleaning but no results on external cleaning of gear.
I shoot horse events and the environment is often pretty dirty and dusty.
I use LowePro backbacks which are very weather resistant, but over time the insides get collections of dirty residue.
The following is how I go about cleaning gear and seems to be adequate for me.
1) I use a water filter vacuum but any good machine should work (use a clean filter bag to start with)
2) Leave gear bag closed and use the soft brush attachmt to go over all the exterior, especially the seams and zippers.
3) Open your bag/backpack and remove all of the gear (including small stuff like lens/camera caps, CF card wallets, QR plates etc.
4) Using the crevice tool, get in the seams and tight spots of the bag. Then swap tools to the brush and get the sides of the compartments and the inside surfaces of the bag cover. Get the zipper crevices and flaps too.
5) Now (with the brush attachmt) do each lens cap, plate, and other small stuff. Return it to its spot in the bag.
6) Take a lens and remove the hood and front cap. Carefully go all around and back over the barrel. Get the inside of cap and replace it. Zooms that extend should be fuly extended and gone over (around and back again). Replace caps and hoods.
7) Repeat for all other gear, Card wallets, extension tubes, filter cases etc.
Obviously you want to protect all your front and rear glass elements, so take off lens caps and vacuum them AWAY from the lens itself.
8) I use a Q-tip and alcohol (rubbing) to clean the viewfinder. Careful, the alcohol can soften some rubber eyepieces. Don't use more than a drop or 2.
9) PecPads and Eclipse fluid for FRONT lens elements/filters. Couple drops ON THE PAD, start from center and work outwards. Don't scrub ! wipe gently.
10) Sensors? - Well, I use Sensor brush and Giotto blower.
Now the next time I do a search for 'external cleaning' i'll at least have this to start with.
Jon Ferguson