10 Tips For Caring For Your Digital Camera

Much of this is common sense, but it was all a good refresher for me:

1. Avoid extreme temperatures: keep your camera out of excessive heat or cold

2. Keep your camera dry (cover with a plastic bag with a hole cut for the end of the lens when shooting in the rain - I've done this, and although it's a bit awkward, it works)

3. Don't discard the silica gel packet the camera came with - keep it in the camera case to combat condensation

4. Remove batteries for extended storage to prevent corrosion

5. Keep your camera in its case when not in use to protect against dust or impact

6. Keep your camera away from any form of magnets - they can damage the circuitry

7. Avoid contact with oily substances, and never use harsh abrasive cleaners on your camera

8. Always keep the lens cap on when you're not shooting. All it takes is one bump to cause a permanent scratch, and the fewer fingerprints you have to wipe off, the less exposure the lens has to scratchy cleaning products or cloths

9. Never use alcohol solutions or eyeglass cleaner on your lens - only use cleaner specifically meant for a camera lens

10. If your camera has gotten wet, remove the batteries and let air dry for 24 hours, then contact an authorized service centre if still necessary


One more:

11. Don't store your camera somewhere high where it can fall, or if you do, secure it to something so that it can't. This may sound silly, but it's the reason a friend of mine lost her Nikon to the repair shop for a few weeks. She left the camera on the kitchen counter, and when her son opened the cutlery drawer it got caught in the strap and knocked it to the floor. Oops.

Sources:

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=342/440&pq-locale=en_CA
http://www.basic-digital-photography.com/caring-for-your-digital-camera.html