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10-21-2013, 07:57 PM   #1
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"After shoot" tips

Hi all - I really love all the great information on this site.

I recently got started in photography with my K30. I'm wondering if there are any standard things I should be doing with my camera and lenses after a day of shooting to keep them in good condition. Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

10-21-2013, 08:31 PM   #2
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I think a lot of what you may want to do would depend on what you were doing (and shooting) that day. If you were not in any wet weather or dusty environments, personally I wouldn't be checking my camera / lenses over. My usual drill is the day before or morning of a big shoot. I will make sure the batteries are charged, inspect the lenses for dust, potentially inspect the sensor / mirror for dirt / dust and clean.

If I'm out in wet weather I'd make sure that things are wiped off and set out to dry. If I've been in dusty environments, I'll inspect the lenses/sensor for dust and clean if necessary.

Those are the main things of what comes to mind.
10-21-2013, 08:35 PM   #3
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I only have two good habits in that area. I wipe off any moisture right away and reset all the peculiar settings I used, often when I'm importing the shots into the computer. That's after many times picking up the camera the next day and discovering the 2 second timer ruining my first shot. Someday I might even add making sure the battery charge is OK and reinstalling an empty SD card.

Some laziness is OK. I've seen more old lenses with scratches from cleaning than usage scratches. The focus screen and mirror surface are delicate and probably best left alone.
10-21-2013, 08:43 PM   #4
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Camera Care?

Hello rentonj7, Welcome to the Forum!
That's a pretty good question, I don't believe I've seen it asked before.
Depending on your post-processing app, you can either download to your PC directly from the camera or remove the SD card and transfer the photos. Either way, there's two operations that are normally done once the photos are safely loaded. One, delete the images from the card and second, format the card. I've heard you're supposed to re-format the card regularly, so I do both together. On the Setup menu (wrench icon) near the end, there's a 'Format' function. Insert card in camera, highlight Format and press 'OK'. It will warn you that all images will be deleted. Press OK. Card cleared and formatted.
Next, I pull the battery and charge it. If you have a spare battery, put it in and save the one you're charging for next time; In other words, rotate their use.
Next, I wipe the camera and lens (not the front glass) barrel with an 'LCD Cleaning Wipe', available at most computer or office supply store, then a soft rag, old T-Shirts work well for this.
A 'Rocket Blower' is used to clean the front element, stubborn dirt or oil may need a lens pen.
Last, a sensor clean. Make sure you have a charged battery installed, go to Setup menu, then 'Mirror Up For Sensor Clean', use the rocket blower, check for any leftover dust, if I see any, it's time for the sensor brush. Since the lens is removed to access the sensor, I blast the rear of the lens with the blower also.
Then I replace the lens, lens cap, turn off the camera/grip power and pack the camera safely in a padded camera bag. Ready for the next shoot!
The entire operation (except for battery-charging time) takes about 15 minutes.
Just about all the camera/lens tools I've mentioned are easily available online, eBay, B + H, Adorama.
Good Luck!
Ron

10-21-2013, 08:56 PM   #5
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Wow - a ton of great tips I really appreciate the advice. I feel better knowing that it's okay if I just put it away (excepting moisture). Thanks too, Ron, for the tips on being a little more thorough.

It's funny - I saw a link in the forums to a one day deal on one of those Rocket Blowers, and just got one. I hadn't yet taken the time to figuring out what I'm supposed to use it for!
10-22-2013, 06:57 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by rbefly Quote
transfer the photos. Either way, there's two operations that are normally done once the photos are safely loaded. One, delete the images from the card and second, format the card.
May I strongly recommend that you make sure you have at least 2 copies of your photo files, on separate disks and preferably offline backup, before you wipe them from your card. Call me paranoid, but better safe than sorry
10-22-2013, 07:14 AM   #7
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The Lens Pens are a great little tool to have in each of your bags. The soft brush for removing dust from your front element and a little soft scrubber for more stubborn stuff.

Just keep it clean. I will clean the weather-seal gaskets when I open doors occasionally. That's just with a cotton swab and water.

Oh, backups - the above comment is vital. Keep copies on at least 2 HDDs.

10-26-2013, 09:48 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Just1MoreDave Quote
Some laziness is OK. I've seen more old lenses with scratches from cleaning than usage scratches.
This is true. There's a greater chance of doing more harm to your gear by over-cleaning it than by leaving it alone. That only applies to normal use, though. If you've been out shooting where you've gotten sea spray on your gear or maybe been out shooting on the sand dunes, you might want to spend some time cleaning it afterwards. Even in those situations, you want to be careful with the lens surfaces. The general rule of thumb is that first you try to blow off any dust particles. Use something like a Rocket-blower, as the others have said. Don't used canned air because it can do more harm than good by blowing the dust back up into the lens. It's too much pressure. If there's any particles left, the next step is to use a soft brush. You can buy lens brushes, but what I've started doing is gathering the extras that my wife gets with her make-up. Don't use her old ones that she's already used!!! lol But certain make-ups come with new brushes that work pretty well as lens brushes. Depending upon the size of the brush, I either put it in an old film cannister or in a ziplock baggie so I can have one in each of my camera bags. What I do as a last resort, if there's any dirt that can't be removed by a blower or brush, is use lens cleaning fluid and lintless tissues. But I'm an old-school guy. Most folks would use a lens pen these days, I suspect. Unless I've been out somewhere that I know I was likely to have gotten things on my gear, I usually just use a little bit of caution and common sense out in the field and just put my gear away when I get home. I'm like blackcloudbrew in that, the times when I usually clean my gear is before big shoots. I just give everything a once over to make sure it's in good working shape and ready to go.
10-28-2013, 03:10 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by rbefly Quote
... I blast the rear of the lens with the blower also.
Sorry, bad advice. If it is a zoom lens never ever under any circumstances do this, you will blow dust through the gaps deep into the lens barrel !!
There can't be much of anything there a dedicated lens brush can't remove, and if it is a fingerprint you want to remove use a lens cloth or a lens pen. This goes for the front and back of the lens.

Greetings.

Last edited by Schraubstock; 10-28-2013 at 04:06 AM.
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