Taking Care of Your Digital Camera
Always wear a helmet when you’re riding a bike. Always wear a seatbelt when
you’re in the car. And always observe the following practices for keeping your
camera in tip-top shape:
? Get yourself a camera bag. This doesn’t have to be fancy, although
something water-resistant with a little soft padding that snugly fits
your camera and gear is better than a recycled plastic bag from the
grocery store. Look for pouches, preferably closable ones, for storing
accessories such as memory cards and power adapters.
? Clean the lens when it gets dirty. But go gently, gently! The lens
often has a fine outer coating that improves the performance of
the camera, so don’t touch the lens directly with your fingers, and
don’t rub too hard with a cloth. You don’t want to scratch the glass
or damage the outer coating. Any clean, dry cloth will do for
cleaning, although avoid using tissues because they’re pretty dusty.
You may want to blast the lens with a little canned air before you
wipe it down. To clean away smudges such as the kind from raindrops,
try a very mild glass cleaner and use it sparingly. And before
you do anything, read the section in your camera’s manual about
lens care, and follow the recommendations there. Remember, your
camera only has one lens!
Skylight or UV filters also work well to keep the face of the lens clean and safe,
although this is more of an option for the pros. Less expensive digital cameras don’t
usually let you attach filters.
? Avoid too much moisture, heat, and cold. Your camera is a typical
electronic component, so it doesn’t work well with weather
extremes. A little light rain probably won’t hurt it, but get it into
your camera bag sooner rather than later or tuck it somewhere dry,
say under your coat. Definitely don’t submerge the camera! You
need special underwater gear for that. Also, don’t leave the camera
out in the cold or up on the dashboard on a hot summer day, and
keep it out of the direct sun. Don’t let it bake on your beach
towel! Throw a white T-shirt over it. Better yet, stick it in your
camera bag.
? Get smart (and serious) about repairs. If your camera stops
working, check the troubleshooting guide in your manual, and
then go to the manufacturer’s website and look for their knowledge
base or customer service area. There may be a number to call
for tech support, and this support may be free of charge if you
registered your camera. Use this option if it’s available to you. If
you’ve done all that and the problem persists, there’s a very good
chance that something is broken. Check to see whether the camera
is still under warranty. Round up your original sales receipt, too,
as proof of when you purchased it. Then you want to take your
camera to an authorized service center or return it to the manufacturer—
your camera manual will tell you what to do. Just don’t try
to fix the thing yourself. You need custom tools and very clean
conditions to work with any kind of computerized gear. Cracking
the case for a peek inside is liable to make the problem worse, not
better, and you’ll void your killer warranty for sure.
by
Marc Campbell
” Digital_Photography_Teens “
Digital cameras require a lot of battery power, especially when using the LCD screen on the back of the camera