The amount of time I see people with expensive (and not so expensive) D SLR cameras without lenscaps or filter lens scares me. Let me give you a tip. You have shelled out your hard earned money for your digital slr, and you go out with it swinging round your neck/shoulder. Someone bangs into it or you knock it into something and scratch the lens glass. What can you do? Nothing really, you have to throw that lens away.

For some reason, which I do find moderately amusing most of the people that don’t look after their cameras and I see them with no lenscap on just stuffed into their camera bags are using Canon Just saying.  Protect It Please!!

Buying A Cheap UV Filter Does The Trick

On average a new Digital SLR Lens probably costs anywhere from £150 up to thousands. For £10 – £15 you can buy a UV filter and screw it onto the lens. Hey presto sacrifical victim…you bang into something and scratch this filter and you just throw it away and get another one filter.

I got told this twenty years ago. I have never ever scratched a lens and had to get rid of it.

Dust and Lens Caps

Lets move on to dust and lens caps. The reason why you have a lenscap is to protect the lens from elements whilst in transit. This could be anything, dust, grease, moisture etc.

Anything on the lenses causes a less than perfect image. For those of us that use our cameras in the studio, shooting at very high resolution and low ISO dust is evil.

But, hair, dust, grease etc should never get near your lenses. Keep your lenscap on.

Also, because I work in a Studio mostly I just simply take the lenscap off and put it somewhere. If you are shooting outdoors or landscape or sports its easier to attach it to a string or elasticated element so you can take it off and put it back on. However, some of the ways of doing this are a bit daft so please think before buying these attachments.

On the left here you can see a lenscap with string attachment to the camera body. fine if you only own one lens. Stupid idea if you have multiple lenses with different diameters.

My personal preference when I was taking landscape photos was for one of these ones where its elasticated to fit round the lens and so can be removed completely if required. Also, if its windy you can kind of tuck the lenscap under the elasticated element.

Cleaning Cameras

Before i do a photoshoot I clean my cameras, go through the lenses and body removing dust etc. I find this therapeutic. Its especially calming to do before weddings. Having a routine for taking photos is important. Having a routine for preparing to take photos equally as important. Buy a cleaning kit for your camera, including dust blowers, wipes for lenses etc.

In Conclusion

So…apologies, you or someone else has spent money on your camera and here is me telling you to spend more. before I forget… EVERY lens needs a UV filter on it. (unless you are blessed with only shooting in the studio…but still..its a false economy not having them on).

Quick Note:

• Buy a UV Filter for each of your lens.
• Make sure each lens has a lenscap.
• Buy a cleaning kit and use it.

Tip #2 Camera Bags  – Coming Soon!

For Buying Camera Bits I Find Warehouse Express and 7DayShop and Ebay best points.