Tips for Avoiding CCD Dust Problems

OhioNikon said:

After numerous CCD cleaning sessions over the past year and a half
with my DSLR I have learned a couple of tricks to avoid dust in the
first place.

1. CCD's are electrically charged when the camera is turned on, which
means they are dust maginets if on with the lens removed. Always
turn the camera off when changing lenses.

1A. This goes double or triple when outside.

2. Check for dust around the base of the lens and don't take
a lens off if the camera is dusty.

3. Change lenses as quickly as possible

4. Keep the rear protective cap on lenses when off camera.

5. Check your lenses and lens caps! for dust. Use an air bulb
to keep dust away.

6. Always keep the camera lens area covered either with
a lens or the blank that ships with the camera. Don't
forget to keep the lens blank clean as well.

Click to expand...

OhioNikon said:

1. CCD's are electrically charged when the camera is turned on, which
means they are dust maginets if on with the lens removed. Always
turn the camera off when changing lenses.

Click to expand...

Matt F said:

OhioNikon said:

1. CCD's are electrically charged when the camera is turned on, which
means they are dust maginets if on with the lens removed. Always
turn the camera off when changing lenses.

Click to expand...

Isn't it kind of odd that the camera has to be turned on for mirror
lock-up dust cleaning mode? If the sensor is attracting dust
because it is charged, doesn't that make it harder to blow it away?

-- Matt
Gallery - http://www.imageevent.com/pmattf

Click to expand...

Matt F said:

OhioNikon said:

1. CCD's are electrically charged when the camera is turned on, which
means they are dust maginets if on with the lens removed. Always
turn the camera off when changing lenses.

Click to expand...

Isn't it kind of odd that the camera has to be turned on for mirror
lock-up dust cleaning mode? If the sensor is attracting dust
because it is charged, doesn't that make it harder to blow it away?

-- Matt
Gallery - http://www.imageevent.com/pmattf

Click to expand...

edmundblackadder said:

Matt F said:

OhioNikon said:

1. CCD's are electrically charged when the camera is turned on, which
means they are dust maginets if on with the lens removed. Always
turn the camera off when changing lenses.

Click to expand...

Isn't it kind of odd that the camera has to be turned on for mirror
lock-up dust cleaning mode? If the sensor is attracting dust
because it is charged, doesn't that make it harder to blow it away?

-- Matt
Gallery - http://www.imageevent.com/pmattf

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

1. 1. The ccd does not attract dust when it is active. It takes many more volts of static electrical charge to attract and hold dust than a ccd uses.

OhioNikon said:

After numerous CCD cleaning sessions over the past year and a half
with my DSLR I have learned a couple of tricks to avoid dust in the
first place.

1. CCD's are electrically charged when the camera is turned on, which
means they are dust maginets if on with the lens removed. Always
turn the camera off when changing lenses.

1A. This goes double or triple when outside.

2. Check for dust around the base of the lens and don't take
a lens off if the camera is dusty.

3. Change lenses as quickly as possible

4. Keep the rear protective cap on lenses when off camera.

5. Check your lenses and lens caps! for dust. Use an air bulb
to keep dust away.

6. Always keep the camera lens area covered either with
a lens or the blank that ships with the camera. Don't
forget to keep the lens blank clean as well.

Click to expand...

Tim Chakravorty said:

I always hold the camera with the lens mount facing down when changing
lenses, so nothing settles on the CCD under gravity.

Click to expand...