Quick Tip: Avoiding Camera Damage

A camera is the most important asset of any photographer. It’s your defining piece of equipment, and well worth protecting carefully from any damage, or wear-and-tear. Today we’re going to take a look at a few suggestions and tips for avoiding camera damage!

Disastrous Dust

Dust is your digital camera’s worst enemy. You should always take care that dust or sand doesn’t find it’s way into your lens – it can quickly ruin equipment, and also cause damage to internal parts of your camera. Always be careful when changing lenses, and ensure that you swap them in a clean environment (wherever possible!)

Getting Rid of Dust

Even after taking all the precautions in the world, a certain amount of dust is bound to get into your lens and camera from time to time. If it’s causing major problems, try giving your camera a clean:

• Disconnect the battery or power source from your camera
• Clean the camera gently with soft dry brush and cloth (or a specialist cleaning kit)
• Take out removable parts (like battery, memory cards, filters, and your lens) and blow out any dust or dirt with something such as this. Don’t touch or wipe any internal components with your hand!

Shocks are Shocking

Although all manner of gadgets are starting to incorporate shock absorbing tech, digital cameras very rarely do. Not only does knocking or dropping your camera damage the external body, it can also dislodge and move internal components that are far more costly to repair!

Avoiding Bumps and Collisions

• Always wear the neck strap of the camera. This way, even if it slips from your hand, it won’t fall crashing to the ground. Obvious, yes, but it’s an easy rule to ignore from time to time. You can guarantee that will be the one time you lose your grip!
• Camera bags come really cheap, but they provide a wealth of protection. It will not only provide protection from dust and liquid, but also save your camera from accidental shocks and jerks.

Not Made to Get Wet

Even a very small amount of water or any liquid is enough to damage your camera to a significant degree! Electrical circuitry and liquid don’t mix well, so don’t leave your camera lying around on the restaurant table while you’re enjoying a glass of wine…

If you do spill something on your camera, don’t panic. Just disconnect all the power sources, batteries and memory cards and leave the camera to dry. After few hours (or days, if you want to be really cautious), clean it with a soft dry cloth and re-assemble all the parts

Nettuts+ recently posted a tutorial on how to recover from water damage in your laptop, and much of this advice also applies to your camera.

Patience is a Virtue

Often, we’re most likely to damage our camera when we are in a hurry. Changing lenses without taking proper precautions, leaving a battery compartment open, not bothering to fasten a strap properly…

Slow down, take a breath, and think carefully about you handle your camera – especially if it cost you a few thousand dollars!

Do you have any other disaster stories or cautionary tales for handling your camera? Let us know in the comments!