Camera care

Published On: February 28, 2020 12:15 PM NPT


Cameras have a mandatory presence in almost every household today. Whether you’re a professional photographer or an accountant, whether you’re capturing small bits of everyday life like a pretty sunset or monumental moments like your child leaving for abroad studies, whether they’re in regular use or collecting dust in some corner of a closet—their existence is surprisingly broad and strangely necessary.

So it’s about time we educate ourselves on how to keep them in top notch shape for a long time.

Loop the strap around something 
Make sure that when you are using your DSLR camera the strap is always around your neck. And if you find that a bit uncomfortable, then at least loop it around your hand—the wrist. This way if you happen to accidently drop the camera, it won’t hit the floor. 
The other advantage of looping straps, especially when you are traveling, is that no thief will be stupid enough to steal it when it’s wrapped around your neck. Is it impossible? No. But it does make the job a lot harder. 
The best part about the strap is that it’s changeable. Colors, lengths, shapes and sizes—go to a camera shop and have them altered. Buy new ones. Wrap them around your wrist, your waist or your shoulders, whichever makes it easier to capture that perfect shot.

Don’t clean camera lens with any random material
We can’t stress on this enough but never use your t-shirt or any random cloth you find to clean your smudged lenses. This includes paper towels and tissues that aren’t good for optical glasses. They usually scratch and often times leave permanent marks. Instead, go for microfiber cloth, lens tissue or an air blower. Avoid compressed or canned air. Despite what you have heard, they actually aren’t good for lenses. 

Also avoid typical liquid cleaners for cleaning the lens. Instead, opt for vouched for cleaners made specifically for camera equipment that you can easily find in the market. Remember, lenses are one of the most important parts of the camera. Damaging it will be costly to fix.

Caps, caps, CAPS!
Another way to protect your camera lenses is by using the caps that came with them. They keep your lenses from getting unnecessarily dirty in the first place. They protect the glass surface from collision and severe damage. 

They’re an essential part of having a camera. And they’re worth all the hassle. You lost it? Buy another one. You broke it? Fix it. You keep losing them, forgetting where you kept them because they’re so small? Have them attached to the camera. Stop making excuses and start making good choices.

Temperatures matter
This is something that you might not hear often. But in the world of photography, it plays a crucial role. Shifting temperatures can be very harmful for your camera. And so does improper displacement. Cameras cannot handle random disastrous weather circumstances. So be careful.

If your camera is in the sun for too long, the plastic starts melting. The same applies for places with extreme heat. This includes heated cars, factories and cooking equipment. The damage is usually permanent and expensive to repair. On the other hand, when you place it in a cold place, the LCD screen gets damaged.

In order to help with temperature surges, you can put the camera in sealed plastic bags to prevent condensation. Waterproof bags are highly recommended. Bags with silica desiccant packets also reduce moisture and prevent water from getting inside the camera.

Use the camera bag that came with the camera
You know what’s easier than carrying your camera looped around your neck for hours? Carrying a camera bag. But it’s not fashionable, you say? You’re right. But you know what else is not fashionable? Broken cameras. Scratched up pictures. And, worse, cracked lenses. So stop throwing your camera into whatever thin bag you have, with god-knows-what objects rubbing against it on all sides and do what you’re supposed to: Use the perfectly sized camera bag that came with it and do yourself and your camera a huge favor. 


Store it right
Many of us only take out our cameras from the hidden corners of our closet during special occasions. But sometimes, we tend to store them so carelessly that they stop functioning. To prevent this from happening, you need to store your cameras right. 

First of all, pick the right spot—somewhere with no sunlight, somewhere where the temperature is cool with less humidity. Similarly, capped lenses are one of the best ways to keep the lenses safe. If possible, store the camera inside its own bag so that other things that you store with the camera won’t squeeze or put any pressure on it.

If you don’t intend to use the camera for a long time then it would be a good idea to remove the batteries to protect the camera or flash from battery leakage. And keep the batteries in a cool, dry place away from heat or humidity.

And, lastly, if you can, take out the camera once in a while to check if everything is okay.


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