What's the proper way to change lenses?

I'm afraid of getting dust in my sensor, or damaging something inside. WHat I do is hold it upside down to prevent dust from floating down and then putting the lens in quickly. I've heard of people that swear by an aerosol can that they spray inside to blow anything out, but isnt there the chance of the liquid in the can spraying inside making matters worse?

You are correct in that the propellant in aerosol cans can leave a residue on your mirror or sensor... Just do as you do & point the body downward when changing lenses to keep the problem to a minimum....Remember that a lot of dust floats, so it won't negate the problem entirely. Many of the newer cameras have a sensor dust removal system now a days, I'm not sure how effective that is since mine doesn't have one...I change out lenses a lot, but don't have too much of a problem with dust....BTW, I like your avatar. I'm dog sitting my oldest son's Westie this week...

Thanks Scott. I didn't want to go first because I was unsure if I'm doing it correctly. It sounds like I might be though. I would add to this that I try to seek shelter instead of the sandstorm...

I have a sensor cleaning camera. I notices a few spots on my shots with sky in them. I used the cleaning option and lo and behold the spots moved. A second cleaning and they disappeared completely. I think they are just hiding though...

On the spot replies but don`t forget to turn off the camera first.

robbie wrote: On the spot replies but don`t forget to turn off the camera first.

This is a good idea, however I have swapped out lenses hundreds of times with the camera on, and never had a problem from it. (I'd knock on wood, but would probably injure a knuckle or two)

Don't use a spray can blower. It can spray stuff into the camera. Use a bulb blower or something like that. I have one of those foot pump blowers that I keep sealed in a plastic bag (to keep it from getting dusty), and I only bring it out to blow out my cameras occasionally. I think it cost about $12.

Don't stick anything in the camera (unless you are cleaning it) and the sensor will be fine.

Don't worry too much about dust. It's always been a problem for photographers. It gets in the lens, the camera, on the film, in the enlarger, the enlarger lens, and on the prints, so dust on the sensor is really nothing new. Except it's much, much easier to clean up dust spots in Photoshop than it is to spot a neg or individual prints. I worried about dust when I was first making the transition from film to digital, but soon just sort of forgot about it. I'm using cameras everyday and changing lenses all the time. Yes I have to spot some of my files, but it's easy. I blow out the cameras about once a month, and wet clean about once a year. My newer DSLRs have the self cleaning feature, and it does seem to work somewhat. I still have to spot some files. I'd say it almost doubles the time I can go between cleanings (blow them out every 2 months or so, and wet clean every 18 to 24 months).

To me juggling two lenses is a bigger concern when changing the lens. Sometimes there's not a good place to set one down, and I've almost dropped them before.

I don't worry about turning the camera off when I change lenses. I've heard the theory that by powering down the sensor it's less likely to attract dust. But as I understand how my Canon DSLRs work the on/off switch only disables the buttons. The sensor and most of the camera is still powered up so that it's ready to go as soon as you flip the switch.

chasrich wrote: Thanks Scott. I didn't want to go first because I was unsure if I'm doing it correctly. It sounds like I might be though. I would add to this that I try to seek shelter instead of the sandstorm...

I have a sensor cleaning camera. I notices a few spots on my shots with sky in them. I used the cleaning option and lo and behold the spots moved. A second cleaning and they disappeared completely. I think they are just hiding though...

I have a D70 that has more nooks and crannies then an english muffin for stuff to hide in. The only way I was able to get the body clean was to hold it face down and use compressed 'air' to blow out the body.

The trick is to hold the can vertical and don't shake it. Before pointing the tube towards the mirror, give a couple short bursts to clear any fluid that may be in the tube.