The following tips apply equally to film and digital cameras.
They will help keep your camera ‘snappy’ and may well prevent premature service expense!

PROTECT IT FROM HEAT!

Protecting your camera and lenses from heat really is important. Extreme heat, such as occurs within a car that has been parked in the sun can cause the plastic moldings to distort, the film to discolour, and fine electronic connections can fail.

In particular, heat causes the necessary lubricants in the camera or lens to become soft and often turn liquid. The lubricants then migrate into places that must be perfectly dry.

Now add a little dust and we have a perfect mixture to contaminate the shutter and aperture blades, as well as the functional contacts and switches. This in turn causes erratic operation, poor exposure, and even complete failure.

In digital cameras excessive heat can damage the Image Sensor causing discolouring, streaking, or even blank images.

Cleaning for oil and dust contamination is a major service, so simple preventative measures may be in order in this hot climate of ours.

If you can’t avoid storing your photographic equipment in a vehicle for a short time, make sure it is well protected. An insulated container (an Esky in Australia) is ideal (but NO ice), out of direct sunlight and preferably covered with a blanket.

IMPORTANT BATTERY KNOWLEDGE!

With the multitude of batteries available, there is obviously a type for every purpose. When it comes to cameras this is especially true and using the correct type is important.

The battery is the smallest cost of your camera, but it can be the cause of a high repair cost if it leaks and causes corrosion damage to the circuit.

By using only the recommended type, purchased fresh from a specialist dealer or service center, you can greatly minimize any risk. Check your manual or ask us for details about the best type to use in your particular camera or equipment.
As a rule this means using Alkaline or Lithium batteries to drive motors and flash guns, and Silver Oxide batteries in models where button type cells are required for the meter or shutter operation.
Most digital cameras now use Lithium-Ion batteries and again we emphasise - do not buy cheap unknown brands!

Never mix new batteries with old batteries, and never mix one type or brand with another.

Replace exhausted batteries promptly and have the battery compartment cleaned and treated for oxide regularly. Avoid touching the battery contacts as this promotes oxide and corrosion. If touched, wipe them clean before inserting them into the camera. A cotton bud moistened with spirit is ideal.

LOW COST LENS PROTECTION!

There’s no cheaper insurance against lens damage than fitting a good filter.
As well as protecting your lens against scratches and marks, a filter can actually improve the colour rendition of your pictures.

Try a Skylight filter general protection and colour improvement, or an all purpose  Polarizing filter to remove reflections and greatly improve colours.

One word of caution - do not buy a cheap filter to put on a good lens. You don’t want to reduce you image quality. A filter should be MULTI-COATED, that is, it should match the lens quality. And while talking filter you should consider also adding a lens hood!

ADDING A LENS HOOD!

There’s a good reason why all professional photographers use a large lens hood on their lenses. If you have no shading on your lens or filter you easily get reflections (diffused patches) on your photos, especially if the sun is not behind you.

With of lens hood you can take pictures with the sun nearly in front of you. A lens hood is a very low cost for a great additional benefit - and it looks professional.

CLEANING LENSES

Step 1: Using a soft small paint brush or an Air Puffer Bulb, brush/puff away any loose particles, grit or dust, from the surface of the lens. It’s a good idea to aim the lens downwards while you brush.

Step 2: Apply a drop or two of Lens Cleaning fluid to a Lens Tissue (or quality cotton tip - e.g. Dove brand), never directly to the lens - you don’t want liquid  seeping into the lens - and gently wipe the surface clean.

Step 3: Let the lens surface dry, then fog the lens with your breath, and polish after with the tissue or cloth. When you breathe on the lens you can actually tell if it is properly clean - it will exhibit even fogging over the entire surface.

THE MIRROR AND FOCUSING SCREEN:

Dust particles may accumulate on the reflex mirror and on the focusing screen in SLR cameras. In the viewfinder, tiny specs may look like rocks, but they don’t actually do any harm. Debris seen in the viewfinder is just dust particles that have found their way onto the focusing screen - they will not appear on the film.

A dusty reflex mirror can be gently brushed with a Sensor Brush and carefully cleaned with a cotton tip moistened with lens cleaner or fogged by your breath. Just remember that the surface is very soft since the silvering is on the front (unlike conventional mirrors which are silvered on the back). Small scratches can easily happen, but are usually of no consequence and not visible in the finder.

The dust and specs you see in the viewfinder usually sit on the Focusing Screen surface (above or below). The focusing screen is delicate. Avoid touching the focusing screen! If it won’t clean by air puffing it will need to be removed and physically cleaned. The screen is very soft and easily scuffed so it is a job best left to an experienced technician. If you decide to do it yourself use a sensor brush and a professional lens cleaner only.

Dust inside viewfinders of compact zoom cameras may be a nuisance, but does no harm, and cleaning can only be performed when the camera is dismantled.