[Not a Number]

If I'm not mistaken the User Manuals all say to turn off power before changing the lens. That said, as many others have mentioned I've changed the lens on my K10D more times than I can count without turning it off first.

One advantage of turning the power off is the sensor dust removal action (if so set) when powering on the camera. The cameras may do other things on the power up cycle - definitely to determine if it an autofocus lens by polling for a datachip on the lens. However since it seems to do this periodically that may not make much of a difference overall.

[Bob 256]

This is kind of like Deja Vu. I recall a thread almost identical to this one from about two months back but all these posts are recent and mine is missing so it must be a re-run of the same topic.

I'll say what I said then - having the sensor "charged" means that it may have current flowing through it and be active electrically, but that doesn't necessarily attract dust any more than when it's off (does an electric iron attract more dust when it's plugged in?). As others have stated, better to have the camera turned off, but other than a few initialization issues (reading lens data, shaking the sensor, etc.), it probably doesn't cause problems. I've forgotten at least twice since I've had my K-1 and no ill effects so far, but I otherwise always choose to turn it off when changing lenses just to be safe. There is a possibility of electrical transients as the contacts slide along live, which could result in issues so no harm in being cautious.

[Cthulhugan]

With modern lenses there is more data read from the lens than focal length -- e.g. correction profile. If focal length is not read from the lens after a "hot swap", then I expect nothing else is either. It would be best to ensure things like distortion correction, vignetting correction, etc. are all off if hot swapping lenses, and do any correcting in post. Your fifties are probably close enough, but other lenses may have visible issues.

I always shut down (well, ALMOST always -- I sometimes miss it if the camera is asleep) when swapping lenses, to reduce dust accumulation and to trigger dust removal.

[Fcsnt54]

I usually always turn it off before removing the lens, but is it any different when you need to get the mirror out of the way when you need to clean the sensor?

[pschlute]

I usually always turn it off before removing the lens, but is it any different when you need to get the mirror out of the way when you need to clean the sensor?

Are the sensor and other components charged during mirror-up cleaning mode ? I would have thought not.

I always turn the camera off, but am sure i have on occasions swapped a lens with it on. The only situation where I would say it is foolish to do so deliberately is during LV operations

[joergens.mi]

About what charging is talked about? What will be the difference on the electric charge. Will it be removed by swithing off or on?
It's not a sony. There is a mirror and the closed schutter in front of the sensor.

There are a lot of urban tales around.

The camera gets every lens change without any problems. I had no fault to that type of unknown error. There may be a problem with fully manual lenses, and the SR system. This can be corrected in the menues.

[BruceBanner]

Well, I might start practicing my lens swapping between my FA 50mm and Pentax-A 50mm whilst it (k-1) is on, for the strict purpose of being able to go CIF when required, seems to be something that carries a low risk of adding extra dust on the sensor and that seems to be the only risk. I do intended to be fast at doing this also, so the amount of time the camera body is exposed I want to minimize greatly, so there's that too (2-3 seconds tops). Until I get a prime portrait shooting lens with a AF/MF switch on it, I think I'll have to do this, and if I can carry on shooting with minimal reconfiguration the better.

[pentaxus]

I change lenses with the camera on all the time. When I put a new lens on, the camera knows that a new lens is on the camera, reads focal length properly and adjusts the image stabilization appropriately ( at least my slow speed shots are sharp). Changing lenses when the system is on will attract dust and I check the sensor regularly. Maybe us old folks are just used to changing lenses at will but turning the camera off and on with every lens change just seems like a time suck.

[leekil]

In the K-1 manual, under "Attaching a lens"

1. Make sure that the camera is turned off.


As others have said, I haven't had any ill effects while switching lenses with the camera on, though I think I generally turn it off when I am switching. But in the past few days I had a couple cases where I was switching lenses, and with the new lens, it wasn't exposing correctly -- it didn't seem to stop down the lens. I turned the camera off and on and then it worked fine. I am only thinking now, after reading this thread, that perhaps there was something that didn't get read/initialized properly in that situation.

[funktionsfrei]

Were the camera designed in a way that it could be damaging by changing a lens without explicitly turning the camera off, that would be a severe design failure.

As for things in the camera being "charged", thus attracting more dust - to actually attract dust, you'd need forceful electrostatic fields, which in turn are created by really high voltages. There are no high voltages inside a modern camera besides the flash unit (should there actually be one).

The actual voltages in a camera are usually much lower than the battery's voltage (somewhat around 8V), modern electronics (the processor, memory etc.) ususally operates in the 3.3V-range or even below that. To create electrostatical fields forceful enough to attract dust, you'd need several hundred volts at least.
Besides the flash unit, nothing inside a camera does need voltages in that range. No motors, solenoids etc., they all operate at much lower voltages.

And even if there were voltages sufficiently high to create eletrostatic fields powerful enough to attract dust, these fields would not simply dissipate by turning the camera off.

Thus those claims are clearly bogus.

[BruceBanner]

In the K-1 manual, under "Attaching a lens"

1. Make sure that the camera is turned off.


As others have said, I haven't had any ill effects while switching lenses with the camera on, though I think I generally turn it off when I am switching. But in the past few days I had a couple cases where I was switching lenses, and with the new lens, it wasn't exposing correctly -- it didn't seem to stop down the lens. I turned the camera off and on and then it worked fine. I am only thinking now, after reading this thread, that perhaps there was something that didn't get read/initialized properly in that situation.

I think I've had that before, even when non lens swapping, like turning the camera on with the lens cap still on, remove cap, press the green button and it still cannot sort itself out (blinking red info etc). Turn off and on again, fixed.

Were the camera designed in a way that it could be damaging by changing a lens without explicitly turning the camera off, that would be a severe design failure.

As for things in the camera being "charged", thus attracting more dust - to actually attract dust, you'd need forceful electrostatic fields, which in turn are created by really high voltages. There are no high voltages inside a modern camera besides the flash unit (should there actually be one).

The actual voltages in a camera are usually much lower than the battery's voltage (somewhat around 8V), modern electronics (the processor, memory etc.) ususally operates in the 3.3V-range or even below that. To create electrostatical fields forceful enough to attract dust, you'd need several hundred volts at least.
Besides the flash unit, nothing inside a camera does need voltages in that range. No motors, solenoids etc., they all operate at much lower voltages.

And even if there were voltages sufficiently high to create eletrostatic fields powerful enough to attract dust, these fields would not simply dissipate by turning the camera off.

Thus those claims are clearly bogus.

Sounds very sciency, so prolly the truth lol.

[MJKoski]

No, powered sensor will not suck dusties, but it will help them stick if they fall on the sensor when changing the lens. I have tried to clean A7r2 sensor without going to sensor cleaning mode (just used long exposure) and all the dusties which were there did not go anywhere when using a rocket blower. They just moved a bit on the sensor but did not leave the sensor area. In sensor cleaning mode rocket blower was enough to blow most of them off happily. If you pour sand onto the sensor that will not stick :O

[BrianR]

I've done it many times with my k100d and k5iis, but I've developed the habit to switch it off. Mostly for the dust removal activation.

I guess you're trying to keep your settings the same during the lens swap? Have you checked the "Memory" options in the menu system? They might let the camera keep the settings you need during a power off cycle.

You mentioned changing lenses fast, check out this video:

You Tube

You Tube

It's MikeSF's from this thread, but the embed there no longer works. Changing Lenses in the Field - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com

[joergens.mi]

nice video for short lenses without a hood, but no 15-30 with lens hood, no 70-200 no 150-450.

[BruceBanner]

I've done it many times with my k100d and k5iis, but I've developed the habit to switch it off. Mostly for the dust removal activation.

I guess you're trying to keep your settings the same during the lens swap? Have you checked the "Memory" options in the menu system? They might let the camera keep the settings you need during a power off cycle.

You mentioned changing lenses fast, check out this video:

Changing Lenses on a Pentax - YouTube

It's MikeSF's from this thread, but the embed there no longer works. Changing Lenses in the Field - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com

Yes, this was the main reason. And indeed Memory options can help retain some 'last settings used' rather than resetting them etc. The main idea stemmed from the idea of setting up a User mode to being 'Portrait' and specifically geared towards shooting with my K-1 + FA50mm, but also to have CIF enabled (even though it won't work with the FA50mm, but that I could do a quick lens swap to a Pentax-A 50mm 1.7 for those moments where CIF are advantageous. Same focal length etc, same settings being used, but just essentially toggling to manual focus on a different lens for the purpose of quickly taking a few CIF shots where AF.S or AF.C are not quick or efficient enough with the FA50mm to capture effectively. Therefore I was looking at quickest least messing around lens change without needing to delve into menu items again.

Neat video! I found this one however;

You Tube

You Tube

I'm interested in 'in the field' lens swaps as opposed to kitchen swaps with a nice convenient benchtop to which to place the discarded lenses lol, although he does illustrate a very good technique. But I want the entire process taking into account, lens caps, hoods, rear caps (if they are even being placed back on) etc. I won't have a lens bag when I shoot, I will have a Lowe Pro Sports Sling however and an empty compartment where the K-1 would normally reside that I could bump a lens into quickly Or an empty belt pouch. I also have those double sided Optech lens caps that might make the transition more fluid, really I just need to practice. I'm still waiting on some hoods to come in the post for the FA50mm which are likely to be indefinitely attached to the lens, I'll have to factor that into the great swap also lol.

EDIT: I also noticed she was swapping without a strap on the camera, that is impressive to me, if I could do away with the camera strap that would be quite a sense of freedom!