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How to avoid dust on CCD when changing lenses?
I’m wondering what advice, tips or tricks folks here recommend on how to avoid or minimize getting dust on a video camera’s image sensor when changing (completely removeable) lenses?
I understand that you’d probably put on the camera’s lens mount cap when the lens is off for more than a few seconds, and if possible avoid changing lenses in a dusty environment, but what else?
For example, do you use a special (or not so special) “lens changing” bag?
Since less expensive video cameras with removeable lens capability are becoming more common, this might be timely advice.
Comments appreciated.
– Peter
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3 Replies
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I guess that the idea is to do the changing in a controlled environment. We’re in dusty Arizona and most often, we do the lens change either indoors or in a vehicle. The entire process of actually changing the lens takes all of about 4 seconds. However, I was changing one once and a mouse ran in past the filter wheel and it took 20 minutes to shake his little butt out of there. Haven’t had a problem with dust though. It wouldn’t hurt to give the lens area a shot of canned air to blow out the dust and mouse hairs.
On the serious side, before changing any lens, blow out the areas around where the lens mounts before taking anything loose.
SW
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Thanks for your suggestions, Steve; much appreciated. I currently work primarily with “fixed” lens DV camcorders, but lens changing is likely to be more common for me in the near future.
Is dust a “bigger” issue (so to speak) with relatively high-density, high definition CCDs compared to similar-size standard def CCDs?
For example, 2/3″ SD CCDs have pixels which are often bigger (less dense) than the pixels in 2/3″ HD CCDs, so I’m curious to know if dust is commonly more of an issue in this regard?
Or does a speck of dust on a CCD (or I guess I should say the prism’s face) tend to leap out at you pretty much equally when looking at the video, whether it’s SD or HD?
All the best,
– Peter
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If you can point camera down wind, all movement from crew should stop. People walking 20 meters away can stir dust. Get your body as a wind block too. Have a grip open a floppy around you to give you a sheltered area. Have your lens changing sorted so the lens is out of the port for the shortest time possible, ie. inspect the ends of the incoming lens before the old comes off , etc. Or you can just move the camera instead of changing the lens.
Hope I haven’t told you something you already know. Just to add , I was told never to blow into the lens port, you may stir a bigger monster.
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