Any good professional photographer knows that they need to keep their equipment in good working condition, and that includes cleaning your camera thoroughly. Not everyone knows how to clean a camera properly, or what could happen if you don’t do so.
Cleaning the Lens
Perhaps the most important part of cleaning a camera is making sure the lens is kept in near-perfect condition. Even though the lenses of high-quality cameras are sealed and protected from anything that could damage them from the outside, they still have an exterior layer that is susceptible to dust, fingerprints, and all kinds of other things that can ruin a great shot. Given enough time, even the best camera lenses will deteriorate, something that you might notice if you take a look at a photo before you edit it. If you see grains of dust or other imperfections in an otherwise good shot, either you have a dirty lens or it has deteriorated.
Lens Cleaning Tips
As a rule, you should clean your camera’s lens – along with the rest of your camera – at least every two weeks. If you like taking outdoor shots, you should definitely clean your camera after every use. Your camera has been exposed to the elements, and it is far more likely to have collected dust and other debris that has been blown in your direction.
When you do clean your camera’s lens, make sure you use only cleaning supplies that are designed for your camera. You shouldn’t use a cloth that is designed for a pair of glasses or a laptop screen even though it may seem very similar to what you would use, and you shouldn’t use something that you improvise yourself. Using any cleaning supplies that aren’t specifically designed for your camera could damage it further. You can find a cleaning kit designed for a camera without spending a whole lot of money, so there is no reason not to invest in it.
By cleaning your camera thoroughly every time you use it, you should be able to keep it working reliably for years. As we said before, you should be cleaning your camera at least every two weeks unless you take outdoor shots or otherwise expose it to anything that could leave it dirtier than usual. It is one of the keys to taking consistently good shots, especially if you have a high-quality camera.