Lens woes rectified
We tend to get very excited about cameras and all the features they offer, but the lenses that you use on them are at least as important. And while we might upgrade from one generation of camera to another, our lenses often stay with us for longer because we use them on each successive camera. That means that it’s well worth looking after your optics and learning how to get the very best from them with our top tips.
Keep it clean
A little bit of dust on the front or rear element of a lens isn’t a major issue, but if it’s allowed to build up or if you get water droplets, fingerprint smears or more significant deposits of dirt on them, you won’t get the best results – flare can become more problematic and the AF system may even start to struggle. Fortunately it’s easily dealt with, but as with most cleaning jobs, it’s best done on a regular basis so it’s a small job rather than a major undertaking.
It’s not difficult to clean a lens but it is very easy to forget to do it, so my first tip is to try to get into the habit of having a quick look at the front and rear elements of a lens at the start of every shoot and giving them a wipe. If you’re out for the day with your camera, it’s a good idea to aim to check your lens
