How often do you clean your contacts?

Mannesty · 2010-09-11T15:46:55+0100

I got sooooo frustrated with my K20D + DA* 16-50mm lens last night. I nearly launched the thing and promised to go to the nearest Canon/Nikon dealer as soon as I could. I was shooting the start of the 'Moors and Christians' fiesta in Murcia, Spain. Amidst other 'togs with a range of kit including a Fuji Finepix, Canons, and some Nikon big guns. One guy had a Canon 1DS MK? with a lens on it that looked like a 5 gallon oil drum, geez it was huge. Anyway, I was using an AF540FGZ flash with Sto-Fen Omnibounce and on several occasions during the latter part of the evening the shutter absolutely refused to fire occasionally (an issue I have had before I hasten to add). When it did, the shutter speed was so slow that I got blurred images, but the exposure was OK thanks to P-TTL. Now I'm not used to, and have no time for, kit that doesn't do what I want it to, when I want it to (all batteries were charged before leaving for the event). Then it occured to me, I haven't cleaned anything except sensors for a while and I did change lenses a couple of times during the evening, and the problem only occured after the last lens change. Today I applied a few drops of WD40 to a lint free cloth and began cleaning the camera and lens mounts. I was stunned, amazed, and horrified (all at the same time) at the amount of grey metallic crud that appeared on my cleaning cloth. I then went on to clean all my lenses and both cameras and all of my flash hot shoe mounts. I even cleaned the two SDM power contacts inside the bodies and on all my SDM lenses. All produced some dirt in varying degrees. I haven't really got to the bottom of why the shutter din't fire, but I'm guessing this dirt had something to do with it. So, how often do you clean yours. My answer is, When I suspect a problem. In last nights case, it was too late and I missed a few good shots.

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Mannesty Mannesty

7650 posts
21 years
Totana,
Spain.

Posted 12/09/2010 - 23:09 Link

Well of the votes cast so far, it's pretty obvious that most of you never clean your camera/lens contacts. Frankly, I'm amazed.

I can understand them never needing to be cleaned if the lens is never removed from the camera but I rather assumed most of you owned more than one lens, and changed them periodically.

Thanks for the discussion and for taking part.

Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream

Edited by Mannesty: 12/09/2010 - 23:10

Oggy Oggy

2406 posts
17 years
Worthing

Posted 12/09/2010 - 23:09 Link

Come to think of it, we all clean our contacts when we change lenses.

Smeggypants Smeggypants

7671 posts
17 years
Smegland

Posted 13/09/2010 - 01:45 Link

Oggy wrote:
Come to think of it, we all clean our contacts when we change lenses.

Indeed. this is how it should work in theory. The contacts wipe each other.

unless you've got a perfect deal between lens and camera it's probably more of a neeed to clean them if the lens is never changed. or if there's play give the lens a slight twist to wipe the contacts.

[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283

bforbes bforbes

6913 posts
17 years
Co. Durham UK

Posted 13/09/2010 - 08:04 Link

Oggy wrote:
Come to think of it, we all clean our contacts when we change lenses.

I don't think this theory works at all. You'r not wiping a clean surface over the contacts. You'r rubbbing a dirty metal over them.

Barrie - Too Old To Die Young
https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/

alfpics alfpics

1949 posts
21 years
North Devon

Posted 13/09/2010 - 09:49 Link

Everynow wnd then I clean mine - the 17-70 refuses to focus. A clean usually helps. However the other day it went into 'refuse to lock focus' mode, so Switched to manual and carried on. A couple of days later picked the camera up without having removed the lnes/ clean contacts and it worked no problem at all
Andy

Andy

TOZZA27 TOZZA27

2288 posts
18 years
Wirral - Cheshire. IQ 153 Chest Large

Posted 13/09/2010 - 16:56 Link

I use WD40 to clean my leather golf shoes in the winter - really keeps the shoes supple and waterproofed

T

K20D,*istD ( now a dedicated M42 digital ),K100D,MZ5N,P50,ME Super,Spotmatic 1000,Spotmatic,ESII,ES,H2.18-55 II,18-55,75-300 FAJ,35-80 FA,80-200 F,28-105 FA,Sigma 24-70 AF Aspherical,Sigma 28-300 Hyperzoom , Praotor II 500 M42,Centon 500mm mirror,and a few Pentax M42 Taks,super-Taks,smc Taks,A and M lenses.Benbo trekker,7dayshop monopod and a Lowepro rucksack.

I am now on Flickr which is nice !

bforbes bforbes

6913 posts
17 years
Co. Durham UK

Posted 13/09/2010 - 17:11 Link

alfpics wrote:
Everynow wnd then I clean mine - the 17-70 refuses to focus. A clean usually helps. However the other day it went into 'refuse to lock focus' mode, so Switched to manual and carried on. A couple of days later picked the camera up without having removed the lnes/ clean contacts and it worked no problem at all
Andy

If your talking about the Pentax 17-70, I've had problems with it not locking onto focus. However I came to the conclusion that the lens is susceptible when in low contrast situations. As you say cleaning or not cleaning contacts made no difference.

Barrie - Too Old To Die Young
https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/

alfpics alfpics

1949 posts
21 years
North Devon

Posted 13/09/2010 - 17:30 Link

bforbes wrote:

I have wondered if its all about low contrast situations, and usually that is the case - however when its playing up I have also pointed it at something with more obvious contrast and sometimes it has still played up!
Andy

Andy

flossie flossie

848 posts
16 years
Twickenham

Posted 13/09/2010 - 18:04 Link

I read something elsewhere where someone had problems with some dirt in their screwdrive stopping the SDM working (even though its not being used by the camera). Maybe this is related to the "sticky" SDM issues?

Still shooting in the dark (literally and metaphorically)...

Oggy Oggy

2406 posts
17 years
Worthing

Posted 13/09/2010 - 22:10 Link

bforbes wrote:
I don't think this theory works at all. You'r not wiping a clean surface over the contacts. You'r rubbbing a dirty metal over them.

It does Barrie.

One of the most common fixes in electronics is to simply unplug something and plug it back in. The action of scraping one contact across another cleans layers of oxides or whatever off.

dougf8 dougf8

2917 posts
17 years
another place

Posted 13/09/2010 - 22:14 Link

Oggy wrote:

bforbes wrote:
I don't think this theory works at all. You'r not wiping a clean surface over the contacts. You'r rubbbing a dirty metal over them.

Ohhhhhh yes.
"reseated connectors/cables, rebooted, tested, working, chargeable call "

Lurking is shirking.!

Edited by dougf8: 13/09/2010 - 22:15

bforbes bforbes

6913 posts
17 years
Co. Durham UK

Posted 13/09/2010 - 22:22 Link

Oggy wrote:

bforbes wrote:
I don't think this theory works at all. You'r not wiping a clean surface over the contacts. You'r rubbbing a dirty metal over them.

I agree, when you talk about contact to contact, but with a lens you wipe both sets of contact against a dirty surface as you rotate to disengage

Barrie - Too Old To Die Young
https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/

Oggy Oggy

2406 posts
17 years
Worthing

Posted 13/09/2010 - 22:26 Link

Yes, but the contacts come to rest on each other where they are going to work.

bforbes bforbes

6913 posts
17 years
Co. Durham UK

Posted 13/09/2010 - 22:29 Link

having picked up dirt on the way?

Barrie - Too Old To Die Young
https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/

Mannesty Mannesty