How to make your Mirrorless camera more dust resistant and envoroment worthy. Discussion.

[OldNoob]

The a6000 and a6300 as well as all of the NEX line are for lack of a better word amazing and truly pace setting technology.

I for one love my a6300.

But lets face facts that sensor is right out there in the front.

My personal mirrorless experience is that the sensor is picking up dust particles more than my DSLRs ever did.

And in fact, taking the a6000 to a dusty event like a dirt rally, and trying to catch some nice outside curve shots ,always left me coming home with a bit of the track dust on my sensor as a souvenir.

And not once did the ultrasonic in camera cleaning system yield any noticeable aid.

In contrast, it seemed my previous Sony DSLR's seems to go longer without needing a cleaning. Maybe it was the protective nature of the mirror itself, or the action of the mirror whooshing around the air in there, or maybe it was the fact that the DSLRs literally shook the sensor in cleaning mode.

In any case, aside from never changing the lens,,,, How can we with Mirrorless cameras increase the dust resistance and environment sealing of our cameras?

So open for discussion what are your Thoughts?

Ideas?

Experience?

[Golem]

Of my own use, prevention works as follows. While it's

all IMNSHO, there is no speculation here. I use every

approach I describe.

 

BEST: Do not change lenses.

 

ALMOST best: Use adapted lenses on a Speed Booster.

  

Next-to-almost best: A-mount lenses on LA-EA4 adapter. 

 

Slightly Helpful: Adapted lenses on a glassless adapter.

  

Worst Case: See end-of-post.

   

  

To not change lenses, consider zooms or two bodies. A

Speed Booster has glass in the adapter barrel, so your

sensor is protected. The LA-EA4 adapter protects your

sensor, but the semi-mirror itself needs some protection.

It's easier-and-safer-to-clean than a sensor, and even if

you damage it, it's an accessory. It's NOT your camera.

And it is repairable ... without tying up your camera. IIRC

a new mirror is $50. Also, you can ignore very minor

dust on the LA-EA4 mirror and clean it later in a safer

situation. That mirror is not at the focal plane, so small

dust have no effect on the image. OTOH, dust on the

sensor is almost always visibly focused. 

     

You could even consider the LA-EA4 to be a better idea

than a Speed Booster, especially if you're uneasy about

adding "unauthorized" elements to your lens. Also, it's a

native device, so compatibility is 100%, unlike adapting  

Canon lenses. Also an LA-EA4 functions on APSC or FF

but a Speed Booster is only for APSC. 

 

A glassless adapter helps somewhat, in that the sensor

is a bit more shielded by being more deeply recessed as

compared to using the native E-mount lenses. I've been

thinking of adding a UV gel inside the glassless barrel. It

would hafta be at an angle, or there would be a reflection

problem in many circumstances.  

  

Worst Case ? Most likely you know it well ... it's swapping

your native lenses outside of a nanotech Clean Room :-(  

Get a 5X or 10X ratio zoom, and refuse to pixel peep its

IQ. Or stick your two best-IQ primes on a pair of bodies :-) 

Either way, you never expose the interior of the camera. 

Clearly, the two-body system is easier with APSC than FF.

[OldNoob]

A glassed adapter. That's an excellent suggestion!

[wedge]

In any case, aside from never changing the lens,,,, How can we with Mirrorless cameras increase the dust resistance and environment sealing of our cameras?

 

For electronics in general, not specific to cameras:  Unless you can make it 100% perfect, any attempt to make a device more weather resistant usually just makes things worse.  Because you'll end up just trapping more dirt inside with fewer ways for it to escape back out again.

[kx32]

I used to have terrible problems with my NEX 7 but since I started using clear polythene bags to change my lenses I haven't had any problems with either the NEX or the A7R.   £7 for 50 large bags point it into the wind and you don't get any problems, use it the house as well as there is always a lot of dust around even if you can't see it.

[OldNoob]

I used to have terrible problems with my NEX 7 but since I started using clear polythene bags to change my lenses I haven't had any problems with either the NEX or the A7R.   £7 for 50 large bags point it into the wind and you don't get any problems, use it the house as well as there is always a lot of dust around even if you can't see it.

Great suggestion. Those kitchen freezer bags had a slight static charge so they draw the dust to them well.

[MichaelMilner]

I've owned over the years Nikon Canon and now Sony cameras. I don't experience any increase of dust in the Sony cameras as compared to the other brands. I think the key to limiting dust on the sensor is to have a system (workflow) of changing lenses that minimises the opportunity for dust enter both the rear lens mount and the camera mount

I always keep the rear lens caps on whenever a lens is not mounted. When the lens caps comes off, they never float around in my pocket or camera bag. They are immediately attached to the camera body mount cap ( they both interlock together). This is essential to keeping dust off the insides of these caps. I believe this is where much of the dust accumulates and when they are returned to the lens or camera mount, the dust can transfer from the inside of the cap into either the rear element of the lens or to the sensor cavity.

I always hold the camera mount facing down so no dust falls in and remove the camera mount cap, then the lens cap, fit and lock the lens into place ( takes all of 5 seconds) then fit both end caps together to create a dust proof seal. Just reverse the process to remove the lens from the body. I very rarely have to clean for dust. Works in all environments. Just got to be a little anal and never compromise on the process

[OldNoob]

I've owned over the years Nikon Canon and now Sony cameras. I don't experience any increase of dust in the Sony cameras as compared to the other brands. I think the key to limiting dust on the sensor is to have a system (workflow) of changing lenses that minimises the opportunity for dust enter both the rear lens mount and the camera mount

I always keep the rear lens caps on whenever a lens is not mounted. When the lens caps comes off, they never float around in my pocket or camera bag. They are immediately attached to the camera body mount cap ( they both interlock together). This is essential to keeping dust off the insides of these caps. I believe this is where much of the dust accumulates and when they are returned to the lens or camera mount, the dust can transfer from the inside of the cap into either the rear element of the lens or to the sensor cavity.

I always hold the camera mount facing down so no dust falls in and remove the camera mount cap, then the lens cap, fit and lock the lens into place ( takes all of 5 seconds) then fit both end caps together to create a dust proof seal. Just reverse the process to remove the lens from the body. I very rarely have to clean for dust. Works in all environments. Just got to be a little anal and never compromise on the process

Great advice!

[EvilTed]

@MichaelMilner

 

This is how you should change lenses on any camera, however, the fact remains is that mirrorless cameras are WAY more sensitive to dust than DSLRs.

 

I learned this the hard way traveling around Myanmar for a month in 2015.

I had an A7s and an A7 II with me and changed lenses in the field.

I ended up with a big piece of gunk on the sensor that I ended up removing with a lens pen in my hotel room 

 

After that moment, I never change lenses in the field.

I shoot two identical bodies and have them set for the day (last trip was 2x A&r II with Batis 85/25 of 70-200/16-35).

I've not had dirt on my sensor every since.

 

HTH

[duncanfoxphoto]

Wouldn't it be great if the mount had a little dust iris right inside it that would close when the camera was powered off? You could change lenses in the field in the worst environments without particles hitting your sensor directly! Just wishful thinking, it's not practical; not really.

[Golem]

Wouldn't it be great if the mount had a little dust iris right inside it that would

close when the camera was powered off? You could change lenses in the

field in the worst environments without particles hitting your sensor directly!

Just wishful thinking, it's not practical; not really.

  

Ages ago on this forum, maybe in this thread, a similar, and

actually practical idea was offered: The camera should close

the shutter when the power is off. Unlike the iris, all the parts

are already built into the camera. Only the operating logic will

be changed.

[OldNoob]

I wonder if the a6500 shakes the sensor in cleaning mode like the sony DSLRS do, now that it has IBIS?