Digital Camera Maintenance Tips - Avoiding Costly Repairs

Today's digital cameras are sturdy pieces of hardware, but they do suffer problems from time to time. Some problems cannot be avoided and will require the services of a repair center. However, with some other problems, general maintenance can help you avoid them. Here are some tips for easy-to-follow, general maintenance for digital cameras.

Digital Camera Maintenance Tips - Avoiding Costly Repairs

    Try to avoid touching the lens and LCD with your fingers. Oils from your skin can cause difficult to clean smudges on the LCD and lens. With repeated problems, the oils could eventually cause permanent damage.

    Avoid using liquids around the camera. It's an electronics device that would be permanently damaged by excessive liquid, even water, unless it's a camera designed specifically for underwater use.

    By the same token, do not use water or cleaning liquid directly on the camera body or lens. Using excessive liquid to clean the camera can cause more damage than help. A little water on a soft cloth is better for cleaning the camera.

    When storing the camera, avoid leaving it for extended periods of time in close proximity to other pieces of electronic equipment that generate strong magnetic fields, such as televisions.

    Unless your camera is designed for harsh environments, avoid certain environmental conditions. Avoid extremely warm areas, such as the dashboard of a car parked in the sun. Anything over 125 degrees F could damage the camera. Extreme cold can damage the LCD, such as anything less than 10 degrees F. Avoid high humidity areas.

    Only store the camera in a dry, well-ventilated area. If the camera will not be used for a month or more, store it in a plastic bag with a moisture-absorbing desiccant to avoid mildew problems. Some manufacturers recommend turning on the camera once per month, even if you don't plan to use it.

Digital Camera Maintenance Tips - Avoiding Costly Repairs

    With a DSLR camera, avoid pointing the lens at the sun for any extended period of time. Focused sunlight could damage the image sensor or even cause a fire inside the camera.

    Finally, if you know you will not use the camera for at least a week, it is recommended that you remove the battery from inside the camera, storing them separately. If your digital camera has an extendable lens housing, make sure the lens is fully retracted inside the camera body before storing. With DSLR cameras, remove interchangeable lenses, and replace all lens caps and guards.

These tips can help you avoid costly digital camera repairs and help extend the life of your camera and other high tech digital devices.