How to Best Change a Lens on Your Digital Camera to Minimize Getting Dust on the Sensor

Magnolia Mobilegas Service Station, Shamrock, Texas (click to enlarge)

On my recent road trip, and while traveling through the dusty and windy southwest of the United States, I found myself consciously worrying about sensor dust when changing lenses in such an environment.  In those conditions especially, as well as in most other conditions, I employ my best technique in changing lenses so as to minimize the opportunity for dust to land on the camera's sensor.  Here is what I do.

First, be aware of the environment.  Is it windy, dusty, damp, etc.  Even inside, if you have ever looked at a backlit sunlit room, you will see dust in the air.  Move, if you can, out of the wind, dust or dampness to a place where the air is still.

Try to have your lens off the camera for the shortest amount of time. To do that, have a plan and practice.  Have everything out and ready to go.

Make sure your camera body is turned off.  No power to create internal static electricity.

If you can't get out of the adverse conditions, keep the wind at your back and the camera as close to your body as possible.

Take out the lens that you want to attach and set it down with the lens flange up.  If you can't set it down, hold the lens you want to attach in a way that it is readily accessible.  Again, try holding it out of the wind and close to your body also.

Take the rear lens cap off the lens you want to attach but keep it close at hand.

Remove the lens that is on the camera body and set it down quickly.  Pick up the lens you want to attach, but before attaching it to your camera body, give the rear of the lens a gentle blow to remove any dust that may have settled on it from your rear lens cap or the environment.  A Rocket Blower or even gently blow with your mouth will suffice.

Put the lens on the camera quickly.  Blowing off the rear of the lens and attaching the new one can be done in less than five seconds.  Really, it can, with practice.

Take the rear lens cap, blow out the inside with a gentle blow to remove any dust, then place it on the lens you just removed.

NOTE:  one of the areas often neglected that causes dust on the senor is the inside of a rear lens cap. Dust will transfer from the cap to the rear of the lens to the inside of the camera.  Blow it off before placing it on a lens, always.

Put the lens you just took off in a safe place.

Now you can turn on your camera

That is about it.  Simple, yet thoughtful and effective.  Will you get dust on your sensor?  Absolutely. But you can minimize how much gets in there and how often you will need to clean it.

If you have any further suggestions, let me know.  I'm always looking to improve my techniques and pass good information onto others.  I certainly don't have a lock on how to do things.

Thanks for looking.  Enjoy!

Dennis Mook

Many of my images can be found at www.dennismook.com.  Please pay it a visit.  I add new images regularly.  Thank you.


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