Tips & Tricks | How to clean a lens correctly image

Tips & Tricks | How to clean a lens correctly

Lens cleaning is not a particularly difficult task, and it’s one we’ve all done on a regular basis.

Of course, if you’ve been following our Tips & Tricks series, you’ll have seen our recent post about keeping a UV filter on the front of your lens (where possible), and if you followed our advice then you’ll be minimising any potential damage to the front element anyway!

Either way, when you’re cleaning a lens, with or without protection on the front, certain precautions should be taken to avoid any accidental scratches.

There is a wealth of choice when it comes to lens cleaning materials. Our workshop technicians swear by disposable tissues rather than microfibre cloths, but if you keep them clean and wash them regularly, you shouldn’t have any issues

The most important thing to look out for is that there are no pieces of grit or sand on the front of the lens. If there are any, and you start to clean the lens, you’ll be grinding these into the glass and simply asking for scratches. Use a blower or hurricane brush – or if you’re very careful, compressed air – to remove these before you start.

The next step is to apply a few drops of lens cleaning fluid to the surface. There are a multitude of these liquids available, and any reputable brand will do. Using a soft lens tissue, carefully wipe the solution around the lens in a circular motion. many fluids have a high alcohol content and will evaporate almost immediately. Don’t worry if you see any smearing at this stage; the fluid is designed to dissolve any grease and once this is removed, you’ll often see light wipe marks on the surface.

The final stage is to polish the lens. Take a new lens tissue and lightly breathe on the lens surface. Wipe in a circular motion again and you should end up with a smear free surface. If any small pieces of fibre have come off the tissues, these can be removed with the blower.

Pretty straightforward really – just be careful to remove any grit before you start!

Tips & Tricks | Camera maintenance image

Tips & Tricks | Camera maintenance

For over 30 years we have been providing professional photographers with an unrivalled service facility from our London workshop. Our large team of dedicated technicians have been professionally trained with many of them repairing cameras since the days of film. We’re keen to share our nuggets of information, gleaned through years of servicing top brand equipment and in this article we’ll focus specifically on looking after your camera’s sensor.

Sensor care

The sensor on your digital camera is arguably the most necessary, the most fragile and the most expensive component, and should therefore be looked after with care.

As we’re all painfully aware, dust is the bane of all digital photographers and it seems that no matter how careful you are when changing lenses, dust will creep in while you’re least expecting it.

In many cases, these dust marks are hidden by busy backgrounds and detail, but a good way to check is to photograph a white sheet of paper or a clear blue sky. Shoot using a mid to small aperture and even better if the shot is out of focus; you’re trying to capture the dust on the actual sensor, so a lack of detail in the image will actually help.

Dusty sensor result from a Sony A7R IIA shot from a Sony A7R II, clearly showing a hefty build up of dust

Professional sensor cleaning is just one of the services we offer at our London workshop (and Manchester and Leeds service counters), and although we don’t actively discourage photographers from cleaning their own sensors, we do see a lot of cameras that have suffered from less than perfect DIY efforts. And replacement sensors don’t come cheap.

A scratched sensor on a Canon EOS 5DAn actual repair that arrived in our workshop recently | Canon EOS 5D with a clearly scratched sensor

We’re not trying to scare anyone off here, but we offer a professional sensor cleaning service that in many cases can be turned around in less than a day. Our team of technicians have had many years experience and can guarantee a thorough result.

If you are going to try and clean your sensor at home, please bear in mind the following precautions.


Compressed air

Under NO circumstances should you use compressed air on the sensor. It’s perfect for blowing dust off the exterior of your camera and lenses (although be careful near the glass), but pointing it near a sensor is asking for trouble.

A good reason why you should never use compressed air to clean a camera sensorA good reason why you should never use compressed air to clean a camera sensor. To get this shot, we tilted the can slightly, depressed the trigger and then expelled some more air with the can completely upright!

If the can is tilted even slightly – especially when full – propellant will be expelled and will land on your delicate sensor. Removing this gunk is not a task for the faint-hearted… We’ve even seen a case where the end of the nozzle was loose and actually hit the sensor with such force that it cracked the surface!


Dust prevention

There are some basic rules you can follow that will go some way to avoiding dust for as long as possible:

  • Always change lenses with the camera pointing down. Any larger pieces of dust that have collected in the mirror box should follow the rules of gravity and not end up on the sensor. It’s not a guaranteed solution but it will certainly help.
  • Make sure the rear elements of your lenses are free from dust. If any lens that you mount has dust on the rear element, you’re simply asking for it to end up on the sensor. The same rule applies to camera body caps.
  • Attach a double-sided sticky tab on the inside of your body cap and rear lens cap. If any large pieces of errant dust are floating around on the back of your lens, or in the mirror box, they will stick to the tab and not the sensor. We sell low-tack tabs, sourced specifically for this purpose, at just £5 for 10. They’re easy to apply and simple enough to remove when the stickiness has exhausted.

Sticky tabs on the inside of body and lens caps will help attract unwanted dust.Sticky tabs on the inside of body and lens caps will help keep unwanted dust off the sensor

  • Vacuum your camera bag. It may seem obvious but a dirty camera bag can have a knock-on effect with dust issues. A bit of housework every couple of months can make a huge difference to keeping your kit spotless.

A clean camera bag will help reduce dust collecting on your lenses and sensorA clean camera bag will help reduce dust collecting on your lenses and sensor

If you have any questions regarding sensor cleaning, or indeed any other repair related questions, speak to a member of our admin team on 020 7582 3294 or email admin@fixationuk.com

Tips & Tricks | Resetting your camera image

Tips & Tricks | Resetting your camera

Our workshop receives quite a few cameras for repair that don’t actually have anything wrong with them! More often than not, users have inadvertently set custom functions on their DSLRs that disable operations such as AF and shutter release from working correctly.

Of course, if your camera is behaving erratically, it may well have a genuine fault, but it’s definitely worth wiping any custom settings before you send it in to us.

If you’ve been following our Tips & Tricks series, you’ll have seen a post recently that described a simple way of backing up and restoring your camera settings on a spare memory card. This is, of course, a great way of getting your DSLR up & running after a full reset, but make sure you’re backing up and restoring a fully ‘working’ set of parameters!

Fortunately, resetting the camera settings back to a factory standard is a fairly straightforward process.


Nikon

On many Nikon DSLRs, there is handy shortcut accessible from a couple of exterior buttons that are marked with a small green dot. Pressing these two buttons simultaneously for a second or so will reset many of the camera settings back to factory standards. The position of these buttons does vary from model to model though:


D5
The [DRIVE] & [WB] buttons below the smaller rear LCD.

D4, D4s
The [ISO] & [WB] buttons below the smaller rear LCD.

D850, D810, D800 & D500
The [+/-] & [QUAL] buttons on the top.

D750, D610, D600
The [+/-] button on the top of the camera and the [ISO] button the rear.

What we tend to find is that any custom functions will not be reset using the above procedure and you’ll need to go into menu to wipe these. Again, it varies from camera to camera!

On the high-end Nikons (D800 and above), you’ll need to reset the 4 Custom settings banks individually. Select the [A] bank and press the [DELETE] button. Repeat for [B,C & D] banks.

You’ll also need to reset the 4 shooting banks, following the same procedure as above.

The D750, D610 & D600 only have one custom settings bank so resetting is much easier, and again, only the one shooting bank.

Interestingly, the D5 & D4s seem to be the only cameras with a master reset option in the menu, but again, not all custom settings are cleared.


Canon

Canon users have it a bit easier when it comes to clearing errant settings. On the majority of professional grade bodies – certainly the 7D upwards – there are just two menu controls to access.

Activating these two options through the menu should return your Canon DSLR to its factory settings.


Sony

Sony users have it the easiest with the A7 & A9 cameras. A single menu option takes care of either wiping the camera settings, or performing a full factory reset and clearing absolutely every setting back to factory standard.

‘Camera Settings Reset’ will restore the standard shooting menu, whereas ‘Initialize’ will reset the entire camera back to factory standards. Unfortunately, Sony have not yet provided a facility for backing up and restoring settings, so be aware that you’ll have to sit down and go through every parameter, especially if you opted for the ‘Initialize’ option.

If anyone has any further suggestions for performing a camera reset, please feel free to share below.

Tips & Tricks | Don't leave cameras in the sun image

Tips & Tricks | Don’t leave cameras in the sun

It’s all too easy to cause accidental camera sun damage. Picture the scene: it’s a lovely day outside, the sun is shining. You’re getting some great photos with amazing natural light. You decide to take a break and grab some food – leaving your camera on the table outside.

You come back and your camera looks like this:

Luckily there was no damage to the camera sensor; it was the mirror box that took the brunt. The repairs still amounted to around £350, but all things considered the photographer got off lucky. If they’d been using a mirrorless camera, or had left the camera in the sun for longer, the damage could have been significantly worse.

And it could have easily been avoided.

Let me explain the above picture a bit more – and what happens when a camera is left out in the sun.

This digital camera, a Canon EOS 7D Mark II, was left outside with the lens still attached, but no lens cap on. It was left for a few hours in direct sunlight. When the lens was removed, this damage was seen.

Think of it this way. What materials are cameras often made from? Plastic and metal. Plastic may have a high melting point, but it can and will reach this point if it’s left in high heat conditions for long enough. Shutter blades are made from extremely thin metal, and exposure to intense heat can cause them to sag or become twisted, resulting in permanent damage.

Some cameras are equipped with failsafes to prevent overheating in use. If they detect the internals getting too hot, they will initiate a ‘safety shutoff’ to try and reduce the temperature. This is useful to have, but is no defence against prolonged sun exposure, which can damage a camera whether it’s on or off.

Does taking pictures of the sun damage your camera?

This question doesn’t have a straightforward answer. It depends on the camera, how long you’re shooting the sun for, the position of the sun, and numerous other factors. But when it comes down to it: yes, when your camera is pointed directly at the sun, it can suffer damage – especially when the sun is at its highest point. This is because the lens acts as a magnifying glass and multiplies the intensity of the sun, which can be too much for the sensor.

In many cases, aiming your camera at the sun can cause a temporary ‘blooming’ effect – whereby the sensor becomes overloaded, and the light source may seem to give off the image of horizontal or vertical streaks of light.

This is not necessarily causing damage, and usually fades away. However, with older models, it may cause a slightly more permanent effect.

Now, you can take pictures of the sunrise and sunset as much as you want; this won’t cause any damage. However, if you are taking photos of the sun at any other time, try not to point your lens at the sun until you are ready to take the picture. Ideally, make sure your settings are pre-prepared. The longer your lens is pointed at the sun, the longer your sensor is being exposed. Pointing your camera at the sun for half a minute will be significantly safer than pointing it at the sun for a full minute. And when the sun is at its highest, I would avoid taking photos of it completely.

What about the solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse can be incredible, and is definitely photo-worthy. However, even with the moon blocking it, the sun’s rays are still immensely powerful. Shooting an eclipse could cause solar damage to your camera if you focus on it for too long, so it’s worth fitting your camera with a solar filter.

Be aware, however, that using a solar filter does mean that your shutter speeds will need to be slower, especially when using a long focal length. It would therefore also be worth using a tripod for stability. You may have heard some recommend using a neutral density filter, but solar filters are the only filters that are specifically designed to sufficiently dim the sunlight and protect the camera and your eyes from the sun.

On that note, I would avoid looking through the viewfinder if you can, as it may damage your eyes. Use Live View and the LCD screen to compose your image instead.

Ways to protect your camera from the heat

Cameras really don’t like performing in the heat, so you need to get creative in protecting them from it. This is especially true if you’re planning a long, active shoot outdoors. Here are a few quick tips for protecting your camera on an outdoor shoot:

Camera bag: Keep the camera in your camera bag when you’re not using it. This will give it a break from the sun and a chance to recover from the heat.

Towels: If you don’t have a dedicated camera bag, wrap your camera in a towel or a blanket. Even some clothes will do in a pinch! If your camera is just sitting in the car, cover it with some extra protection. Any way you can shelter it from the heat is recommended.

Umbrellas: If you’ve got a big setup and can’t move your camera, it may be worth investing in a couple of umbrellas (the shading kind, not the light modifying kind) to give your camera some protection.

Fight internal heating:  Another way cameras can overheat is if they’re pushing themselves to do too much. You can help them with this by using an external battery, or a faster memory card.

To summarise

Cameras can severely struggle with the sun and with overheating, both internally and externally. However, there are many ways you can help with this and protect your camera.

The points to remember are

  • Try not to point your camera at the sun (but if you have to – be as quick as possible).
  • Do NOT leave your camera in the sun without protection.
Tips & Tricks | Memory card maintenance image

Tips & Tricks | Memory card maintenance

Memory cards are an inescapable piece of kit in any photographer’s arsenal and it’s ironic that in many cases, these small squares of plastic and silicon that we entrust with our hard earned images are often the cheapest item in our camera bags!

And it’s probably fair to say that a lot of us have also experienced that panic when the word ‘Error’ shows on your DSLR’s screen and you can’t access any of your images.

Memory cards, in all shapes and sizes, are built on a solid state architecture and despite having no moving parts, there are certain housekeeping processes that will ensure you minimise the risks of your cards failing.

Please note that the following processes are based on our experience with handling memory cards over the years and there are many opinions on how to correctly look after memory cards. We’re simply relaying information that we know works for us and has worked for many of our customers!

Regular formatting

Rather than deleting images, format the card on your camera (once you’ve checked that your images are backed up elsewhere). Even deleting single images as you’re shooting can cause problems with the database structure on the card, and can lead to card errors. Memory cards use the FAT32 or exFAT format, depending on the size of the card. Both these formats can be deployed on a Mac or PC, but it’s generally safer to format the card in the camera itself.

Our Nikon workshop manager, Barry Edmonds, has also come across issues in the past when customers are formatting cards on a Mac: “I’ve had customers reporting the storage space decreasing over time, even though they’re formatting their cards regularly. It seems that in some cases, the cards will retain ‘Apple .Trashes’ files on the directory, despite the cards being formatted in the camera. Formatting the cards on a PC seemed to clear the problem.”

Keep space on the card

The golden rule for computer hard drives is to always leave around 30% of the space free, and exactly the same principle applies to memory cards. The performance of the read/write speed will start to suffer as the card becomes full and you run the risk of data corruption as the remaining space becomes fragmented.

Don’t use cheap cards

Despite some common misconceptions, not all memory cards are created equal! There are different qualities of flash memory and controllers out there, and if a card’s cheap, it’s a good indication that perhaps that manufacturer isn’t using the highest grade materials. Yes, the likes of Sandisk and Lexar are more expensive, but do you really want to run the risk?

Use a card reader

However careful you are when the card is in the camera, when it comes to transferring your images to your computer, don’t use your camera. If your battery doesn’t have much juice left and it depletes halfway through the transfer process, there’s a good chance the files will be corrupted. A good quality card reader is a much safer option and is much more convenient too.

I’m extremely careful with my memory cards but I’ve still been on the receiving end of an error and now I can’t access my images

Unfortunately it’s a fact of life that no matter how careful you are, there will undoubtably be a time when you experience data loss. In that situation, your only option is to try and recover your images using a dedicated recovery application. AnySoftwareTools have some recommendations on image recovery software for both Mac & PC.

You’ll have all noticed the little light that blinks every now and then on the back of your DSLR; red on a Canon, green on a Nikon.

It’s there to indicate that the camera is accessing the card, either to write data when shooting or read data when previewing images. Something important to bear in mind though, is that you should never attempt to remove the card or the battery while the light is on.

If you’ve taken a large burst of images and your memory card isn’t particularly fast, you’ll notice the light on while the camera’s buffer writes the data to the card. If this process is interrupted you stand a very good chance of corrupting not only the images the camera is currently writing, but the entire contents of the card! The same principle applies if you remove the battery during the same process.

Nikon cameras have a green lamp

 

Canon cameras have a red lamp

Yes, there is software available that can access corrupt data, but it’s not a 100% guaranteed operation.

It’s perfectly safe to turn the camera off while the light is on; the camera’s power will actually stay on until the writing process is complete so there’s no danger of losing anything, just don’t get carried away and pop the card out early or remove the battery.

If you feel we’ve missed out any important tips, or would like to add anything to our suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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