|
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
01-06-2019, 07:51 PM
|
| |
Wow....
(1) first the easy one-there are lots of aftermarket batteries for all digital cameras on amazon. Some are actually better designed than the original ones and some are not worth even putting into your camera. Some can be purchased a few at a time with an included charger. Pricing can be 1/2 or 1/4 the price of the originals. One simply has to read the customer comments to figure out which ones to stay away from. The better ones usually have a return policy at N/C. Never had a bad one yet.
(2) problems with lenses as they get older....dust inside...usually does not effect the final photo but can affect the price if selling. Some lenses have problems with the glue-"balsam" separation...usually from older lenses....but some report it also on newer digital lenses. And last fungal growth-humidity + darkness. No one knows if a filter will prevent dust from entering the lens due to where air can enter the lens. Balsam separation has not been shown to be preventable. Fungal growth is a killer. The belief is that if dust gets into the lens, it carries fungal spores, and with the right moisture level and darkness it can grow...and then spread to the rest of the camera equipment. It was recommended in the past to reduce the chance of fungal growth....clean the outside of the camera and lens....keep it away from dust.....control the humidity ...and do not keep it in the dark for long period of times. Up until digital cameras, we were taught to flash the lenses both on and off the camera body with a flash unit set to full power. Once your lens or body has fungal growth on it, it is not worth much in resale due to the effect on your photos and you do not want a chance it will spread to other equipment. So prevention...+/- filter?? use of dehydrators-chemical packs or electronic cabinets, and store camera body and lenses not in the dark for long periods of time.
(3) filter debate... not enough lifetime that this will ever be settled one way or the other. A good read even if it is on an unpopular website
Should You Use a UV Filter on Your Lens?: Digital Photography Review (see comment section for a lively discussion)
Biggest problem with these discussions is (a) how many superficial scratches does it take to degrade a photo, and how deep do they have to be?? Only thing that is known is that it will affect resale value of the lens. Over the years I have only had 2 filters crack while on the camera lens but the lens was intact after the filter was removed. Did it prevent a bad scratch or severe damage to the front of the lens-unknown. Does it prevent scratches to the lens or damage to the AR surface- all I can say is that all my lenses after many years are damage free after filter is removed. Are there differences in filter quality? Absolutely. Quality of the glass material, the AR quality, and whether it was designed for a digital lens or not. It is interesting that most discussions regarding filters and how they degrade photo quality usually never state any info about the brand of filter or its qualities. Even using a cheap variable ND filter and a better quality one can result in 2 entirely different photo results.
So these debates will go on forever. But at least if one is a newbie to photography or a digital DSLR, then a camera store should discuss extra batteries, lens cleaning kits, and possible filter use. Unfortunately finding these types of stores and sales people are getting harder to find...especially when many DSLR sales are now on the internet.
|
|
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
01-05-2019, 04:42 PM
|
| |
Congrats
The only thing that will protect that lens is a ...filter. If you bought it from a photo store and they did not give you one or offer one at a discount...then go back and get one. There are ones made for old camera lenses and are thicker and newer digital ones. Get the proper one and then look at the lens with a flashlight or your cell phone light. Clean the lens if it needs cleaning- dust, smudge, fingerprint. Then look at the backside of the filter and it may need cleaning. Screw it on , not too tightly, and look st the front and now leave it on. Which means..,you also need a lens cleaning kit...little air blower with micro cloth and cleaning solution...or you can spend more on newer carbon cleaning pens.
Always leave lens on to prevent dust and debris getting into camera.
Dust on sensor. Do not worry about it for now. If you bought it from a store then they can show you how to set the camera so you can see the sensor and then one day if it is dirty you can buy a cleaning kit ( buy a good one, check amazon prices) or pay someone to clean.
So for now....buy a filter, lens cleaning kit, and a small camera bag. Otherwise your next purchase is likely extra batteries and charger (amazon/great choices and cheap prices).
Enjoy and post photos!
|
