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Changing lenses in the field..how do you do it?

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Don_D

Don_D

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OK, I'm a bit paranoid about getting dust and dirt onto my 20D sensor and lenses. It's easy to change lenses in the car or inside a buliding, but I don't have a good method when I'm outside in a "hostile environment" where there's no place to set down the second lens.

How do you change lenses under these circumstances..ie in the woods, in a field, when it's muddy, when it's misting?
Any techniques people have developed and/or tips on keeping things clean?
--
-Don

'Where do we go when we die?' said Billy.
'I don't know', the old man said, 'Where are we now?'
.....Cormac McCarthy
 
Lens One on camera, Lens Two waiting to get there.

1. Extract Lens Two from camera bag and leave it on top. Twist the back cap so that it's just lying on top of the lens.

2. Put front cap on Lens One, detach it from the body, and put it next to Lens Two, and hold the camera facing down.

3. With the other hand, move back cap from Lens Two to Lens One.

4. Pick up Lens Two and twist onto the camera.

5. Twist back cap on Lens One into place, and stuff it into bag.

I omitted the bits about the front caps because that's so "bleedin' obvious," as the Brits would say.

Petteri
--
My flickr page: [ http://www.flickr.com/photos/primejunta/ ]
Me on photography: [ http://194.100.88.243/petteri/ ]
Me on politics: [ http://p-on-p.blogspot.com/ ]
 
I got my 20D in June and had no experience with DLRs previously. Had to have the sensor professionally cleaned in August (changed lenses on a fishing boat in Alaska as we clipped out to the ocean .. how dumb was that? ... really gunked things up). I'm having a clear light, plastic pouch made by a friend's mom ... with flapped ends and a neckstrap ... something that will act as an incubator for lens changes in questionable situations, and can be wiped clean and easily stored. Maybe not the perfect solution, but better than nothing. Or, how about a small light trash bag, that can be stuffed in a pocket until needed?

Anxious to see replies from others.
--
http://www.pbase.com/bullpooches
 
I follow the same regimen as Petteri does when changing lenses. One thing that I do to control the dust as much as I can is to vacuum the exterior of my lenses and backpack after a field trip. You will be surprised how much dust and pollen etc. that can accumulate on the surface of the lenses and backpack.

--



Those who like it, like it a lot.
 
It's easier if the camera is tripod mounted (and you can probably just swap out the lenses quickly in that case), but regardless, as a lens leaves a body the body cap is secured immediately, leaving time to deal with the other lens and caps.

--
...Bob, NYC
http://www.pbase.com/btullis

 
discusjoe said:
I follow the same regimen as Petteri does when changing lenses. One
thing that I do to control the dust as much as I can is to vacuum
the exterior of my lenses and backpack after a field trip. You will
be surprised how much dust and pollen etc. that can accumulate on
the surface of the lenses and backpack.

--



Those who like it, like it a lot.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea. I was shooting in an abandoned textile village today, overgrown, lots of pollen and 'other stuff' and was considering this. Since I was shooting out of a Domke canvas bag, it was bound to get lots of pollen infiltrating into the canvas--and the corners, etc. I'll try that.

Diane
--
Diane B
http://www.pbase.com/picnic/galleries
 
When I move the back cover from the new lens to the old lens, I twist it on vs. just laying it on top and coming back to it later.

I also turn the camera off before starting the process - I've heard that it can help prvent dust from being attracted to the sensor through an electic charge. But holding the body facing downward should minimize that already.
 
Change the lens any way you want, quickly but in a calm and controlled way (you don't want to drop the body or either lens just because you're in a hurry). Sure there's some dust but that's dSLR life for you, just clean the gear as needed.
 
rdspear wrote:
[snip]
rdspear said:
I also turn the camera off before starting the process - I've heard
that it can help prvent dust from being attracted to the sensor
through an electic charge.
Click to expand...
This is a myth. The sensor is only charged during and immediately after an exposure; it's discharged after the image is read. It doesn't even receive any power other than while it's being exposed (by converting light to electricity) and while it's being read. Flipping the power switch does not change its state in any way.

Petteri
--
My flickr page: [ http://www.flickr.com/photos/primejunta/ ]
Me on photography: [ http://194.100.88.243/petteri/ ]
Me on politics: [ http://p-on-p.blogspot.com/ ]
 
I take one lens off. Then I put the other one on.

The only precation I take is to not point the lens mount towards the wind.
 
Petteri Sulonen said:
This is a myth. The sensor is only charged during and immediately
after an exposure; it's discharged after the image is read. It
doesn't even receive any power other than while it's being exposed
(by converting light to electricity) and while it's being read.
Flipping the power switch does not change its state in any way.
Click to expand...
It doesn't matter in any case. Only a few volts sets up such a weak field that it can be ignored. Dust collectors use thousands of volts.
 
FretNoMore said:
Change the lens any way you want, quickly but in a calm and
controlled way (you don't want to drop the body or either lens just
because you're in a hurry). Sure there's some dust but that's dSLR
life for you, just clean the gear as needed.
Click to expand...
You hit my nail on the head. All of this dust paranoia is going to cause folks to drop things and wet themselves and so on.

This minor problem is currently being blown way past any reasonable proportion and ... mountains out of molehills?
 
Petteri Sulonen said:
Petteri Sulonen said:
I also turn the camera off before starting the process - I've heard
that it can help prvent dust from being attracted to the sensor
through an electic charge.
Click to expand...
This is a myth. The sensor is only charged during and immediately
after an exposure; it's discharged after the image is read. It
doesn't even receive any power other than while it's being exposed
(by converting light to electricity) and while it's being read.
Flipping the power switch does not change its state in any way.

Petteri
Click to expand...
but Petteri or someone else whose opinion I value mentioned this about a year ago and I stopped turning my camera off to change lenses (and I change quite a lot sometimes). I've noticed no more dust than previous-- as stated--my camera is 'always on'--except when I remove a CF card.

Diane
--
Diane B
http://www.pbase.com/picnic/galleries
 
I hedged my bets with "I've heard" as I had not heard any compelling proof of it either. But I suppose it doesn't hurt....

And I probably forget half the time anyways. I won't worry so much about it going forward.
 
--I use a square of padding (it came with the camera) about 30 cm square to put the camera and lens on.

Lens 1 on camera, Lens two laying horizontal beside camera.
Loosen lens 1 on camera, and loosen rear cap on lens 2.

With one hand on lens 1 and one hand on rear cover of lens two, put cover on lens 1. Put lens 2 on camera.

I keep them horizontal to avoid falling debris, dust, leaves, rain etc from entering the opening.

Jim Rickards
 
I don't worry about it. The sensor sits behind a shutter, which sits behind a mirror. So when you're changing lenses, it's not like a piece of dust is going to take a bee-line directly to your sensor. I've changed lenses on the upper deck of a double-decker bus speeding through London. Typically, dust that gets onto your sensor is dust that falls into the mirror box (which is why I always point my camera downward when making lens changes), or results from particulate matter originating in the mirror box.
Don_D said:
OK, I'm a bit paranoid about getting dust and dirt onto my 20D
sensor and lenses. It's easy to change lenses in the car or inside
a buliding, but I don't have a good method when I'm outside in a
"hostile environment" where there's no place to set down the second
lens.
How do you change lenses under these circumstances..ie in the
woods, in a field, when it's muddy, when it's misting?
Any techniques people have developed and/or tips on keeping things
clean?
--
-Don

'Where do we go when we die?' said Billy.
'I don't know', the old man said, 'Where are we now?'
.....Cormac McCarthy
Click to expand...
 
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