There comes a day when you are using your new digital SLR, taking photographs, and you get home and find that there are little specs showing up in the same places on all of your images. But this is a brand new camera? How can this happen? goes through your head. Well, it is a fact of life that dust is everywhere, and it is going to get into your camera one way or another no matter how careful you are being. Here are some tips that can help you to keep dust from getting into your camera.
Be aware when changing lenses – Prevent dust in the first place
So you are out in the field and you need to change your lens to get the shot. Dust and debris are the enemy here, so make this snappy.
- Before you even think about changing your lens, have your next lens ready with the cap already loosened on the back.
- Next hold your camera so that the lens is pointing down. Dust and debris follow the rules of gravity and in a typical situation are moving downward. If you hold the camera with the lens pointed down you alleviate the risk of dust just floating down through your open lens mount and into your camera.
- Now you are ready to take the lens off, so take the lens off the camera and set it next to your “on deck” lens.
- Move the loosened cap from your “on deck” lens to your “just used” lens.
- Now quickly, but properly, mount your “on deck” lens to your still pointed downwards camera.
If you followed all those steps properly you just minimized the amount of dust getting into your camera body. Besides from the actual lens changing protocol, plan for where you are going to change lenses. If it is windy out, find some shelter. If you don’t have anywhere to stage your lens change, find a table or a bench stage your change. The bottom line is to be aware when changing your lens.
Turn on the automatic sensor cleaning on startup
The Pentax K-x is nice in that it has an automatic sensor cleaner that you can setup to run every time you turn your camera on. Basically what it does is shake/vibrate the sensor for a second while you turn your camera on, to loosen dust and have it fall of the sensor. It is still in the camera, but at least it is not on your sensor and will not show up in your photographs. So turn on this feature.
Get a cleaning kit/blower
A blower will help you to remove stubborn pieces of dust that just wont fall off the sensor. There seems to be an online debate as to whether or not it is safe to use “compressed air” or “duster” (the kind you buy to clean your computer equipment), on your camera. I don’t know if it is safe or not, but I spent a lot of money on my camera gear, and I don’t want to accidentally damage it with improper cleaning, so I recommend purchasing an actual SLR blower kit. I bought the Giottos Cleaning Kit with Small Rocket Blaster
Keep your gear in a camera bag and keep that bag clean
A lot of people don’t think of storage as a method of dust prevention. Camera bags are made specifically so that your camera is in a padded, dust sealed environment. So I would recommend keeping all your gear in a camera bag when not in use, and keep your lenses in their cases that they come with. Also be sure to keep these bags clean!
Dust is the enemy
Remember, dust is the enemy. Keep it out of your camera gear.
These tips will help you to keep dust out in the first place, and to remove it if it is there, but you will still get dust and debris on your gear. On one of my recent trips I pulled my camera out of my bag one morning, framed a shot through the viewfinder and to my surprise saw a giant black spec on the viewfinder! I took the shot anyways, and the spec of course wasn’t showing up on the exposure, just the viewfinder. I took the lens off, and tried to blow the spec away with a rocket blower but had no luck. Reluctantly, I decided that I would just have to get used to seeing a large black spec through the viewfinder for the rest of my camera’s life. Hey at least it wasn’t showing up on my photographs. It bothered me, but I could deal with it. Well, after total acceptance of the black spec, a week later I grab my camera, frame a shot, and to my surprise the spec was gone! I don’t know where it went, but it fell off of wherever it was and is now living in some other corner of my camera.I was thrilled. 
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Beware of changing your lens when there might be salt spray. Even tiny aerosols that you can’t see or feel can drift into your camera, land on the sensor and dry, leaving a residue of salt adhering to the sensor.