Your Usage Style vs. Dust

I wanted to make an interesting poll that we may learn from. During my year with a 30D, I noticed very little dust problem and summed it up to my shooting style. (or, storage style, if you will)

Please choose the shooting/storage style that describes you best. While I think its common sense that the longer a lens stays on the camera the less possibility for dust is assumed, I hope that this fun poll will help other forum users who may choose to store their camera in a different way.

For the purpose of this poll, "dust service" will be defined as "needing cleaning within 6 months".

You may choose more than one, but please be as accurate and honest as possible.

If I have missed a choice or you have something to add that others can learn from, please feel free to reply with helpful information.

Personally, I store with a particular lens and never have a dust issue. (maybe visable at f/32 after a year shooting straight white board) I always change the lens face down out of air movement and rarely use my rocket blower.

You should add "use zoom lenses" or "do not use zoom lenses" instead of the bit about the dust cap. Some zooms really pump in the dust.

I'm not sure what you mean by replacing the dust cap - do you mean the cap on the end of the lens or the camera body? I can't imagine not keeping a lens on my camera at all times.

I also think a word about environment would be in order. Someone who shoots mostly indoors is subject to a radically different environment than someone who shoots outdoors in dusty areas. I would guess someone who shoots indoors all day and changes lenses every 15 minutes would have a much cleaner sensor than someone who shot outdoors on a dusty day with the good ol' dust pump 100-400.

Maybe I missed it among the many choices, and I hate to suggest more, but how about:
I shoot with multiple lenses and leave whatever lens i was using last on the camera body when storing it. Some dust service needed.

That would be my vote.

Hmm… had to think about some of the options. I choose the last one as it’s closes to what I do. I don’t really replace it with a particular lens, but leave the last used lens on the camera. I am also really picky about dust and clean the sensor about every other month or so.

I voted the second to last option as I wouldn't consider a once or twice a year cleaning an issue.

gjl711 wrote in post #4154239
Hmm… had to think about some of the options. I choose the last one as it’s closes to what I do. I don’t really replace it with a particular lens, but leave the last used lens on the camera. I am also really picky about dust and clean the sensor about every other month or so.

I also use several lenses, do mosly outdoor shooting and changing lenses as I see fit, and I end up either leaving the last lens on or, if I have a big telephoto on changing to a smaller lens.

And, due to the "outdoorsiness" of my shooting, I do have to clean my sensor!

None of the above describes what I do!

Tony

Yea, there were more that I wanted to add, but I thought 16 choices was pushing it.

Julie, good point about zooms. You are right that they are probably the foremost consideration for dust entering. I guess I'd have to go into push-pull, etc then... again, the 16 choice thingy.

gjl, what do you use when you clean that often?

Yes, but dust cap, I mean cam body cap.

MCB wrote in post #4154226
Maybe I missed it among the many choices, and I hate to suggest more, but how about:
I shoot with multiple lenses and leave whatever lens i was using last on the camera body when storing it. Some dust service needed.

That would be my vote.

Gets my vote as well ..

tonylong wrote in post #4154309
I also use several lenses, do mosly outdoor shooting and changing lenses as I see fit, and I end up either leaving the last lens on or, if I have a big telephoto on changing to a smaller lens.

And, due to the "outdoorsiness" of my shooting, I do have to clean my sensor!

None of the above describes what I do!

Tony

The last one is very close. Thats the one i picked.

amonline wrote in post #4154312
...gjl, what do you use when you clean that often?....

I am basically following the Copperhill method. I use a sensor wand and pec pads. I have been cleaning my 5D that way for over a year and a half. I also had a XT, and an XTi and now a 40D which all get the same treatment. I am still on my first pack of pec pads maybe ½ through them or so.

MCB wrote in post #4154226
Maybe I missed it among the many choices, and I hate to suggest more, but how about:
I shoot with multiple lenses and leave whatever lens i was using last on the camera body when storing it. Some dust service needed.

That would be my vote.

I agree with this one the most except no dust service for me.

But I voted for this as it was the closest:
I shoot with many lenses, but replace a particular lens each time I store the camera. No dust service needed.

I actually have never needed to clean my sensor on my 300D or 30D. I do not use it as much as some around here, but I still do a fair amount of shooting and lens changes outdoors and indoors between my Wide Angle and Standard Zoom (and soon Telephoto Zoom )

I shoot with many lenses and clean dust from time to time when I feel like it.

too many choices and they all started blending.

Always keep a lens on my camera and quite often change lenses several times when I am out shooting. I always prepare myself though to change a lens, open my bag and get the next lens standing up and loosen (but not remove) the dust cap. Turn off my camera, hold it upside down and remove the lens swiftly, placing the loosened dust cap from the next lens on the removed lens and immediately fitting the next lens. Tighten dust cap and zip up bag. I rarely shoot above f/16 when out and have never experienced visible dust issues.
I managed to overcome the paranoia of shooting blue skies at f/22! Its pointless, in practical terms it takes a lot of dust to become noticeable on shots unless you do a lot of macro. I only use a blower if I can.

Simon

^I shot above F9 for the first time today. It may not be the first, but first I can recall. I still clean my camera and lenses, I just hardly shoot super-sharp pics. But yeah, shot at F16 for a few landscape and insect shots and I was like, hm...dust.

Can't beat Fla sun! I think the SS was still like 1/500.