Digital Camera Maintenance 

General Digital Camera Cleaning Guide

We all love our digital cameras and really want to take good care of them, but time flies and regular cleaning and maintenance can sometimes get overlooked.

In this article I am going to discuss general digital camera maintenance and cleaning. By following these guidelines you can be assured that you are taking good care of your beloved digital camera!

I have written about many different topics in photography over the years, and when one of my students asked me how to clean a camera, I realized I have not covered the basics of digital camera cleaning yet! So here we go for Part 1.

Digital Camera Cleaning Part 1: Camera body

Your camera and lenses can easily get covered in dirt and sand during the summer, so there’s no better time than now to give them a clean. When cleaning delicate photographic gear, it’s important to remove dirt or grit with a brush or air blower before using any sort of cloth or tissues. This will help to prevent dirt getting trapped in the cleaning cloth, which can potentially scratch the surface that you’re trying to get clean. Read on for a step-by-step guide to clean your camera in a safe and efficient manner.

Compressed gas aerosols need to be used with care. Unless they’re held perfectly upright the spray can contain propellant, which can cause damage, plus the high pressures can be difficult to control. Try a good size blower (like the one in this photo) or a soft brush instead.

With a lens attached to avoid getting dust inside the camera, start by removing any dust or dirt from the outside of the camera and lens using a soft brush or blower. Pay attention to the more inaccessible areas like memory card slots, where dirt is likely to accumulate. And for final touch wipe the camera body with soft moist cloth. Do not use any cleaning liquid material as they can cause damage to the rubber or plastic parts of the camera body.

Been on the beach or in a dusty location? Then give your bag a clean too, as loose sand or dust can quickly undo all your hard work. Use just a vacuum cleaner and vacuum inside the camera bag.

Now let’s clean the viewfinder.

If possible, remove the rubber eyecup, and again gently brush off any dust. You can then use a soft cloth or lens-cleaning tissue (not one you also use for lenses, though) and carefully clean the glass of the viewfinder itself.

Even with a screen protector, LCD screens can become covered in dust and smudges.  If you’ve left it uncovered you’ll find that marks and fingerprints can make it tricky to view your images clearly on screen. Clean it using the same type of tissue or cloth as you used for the viewfinder. Just apply the lens cleaner liquid to the cloth and start cleaning the screen.

That is the process for camera body cleaning and maintenance…easy, right?

In Part 2 I am going to talk about cleaning the lens and properly storing photography equipment.

Check our Upcoming classes and Digital Camera Bootcamp. I will cover more tips on Digital Camera Cleaning in this bootcamp. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Ted and the Omnilargess Team

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