Caring for your lenses: try it yourself

Aim

You should be able to clean and change a lens without turning routine maintenance into a risky operation.

Do this step by step

1. Inspect the front and rear of a lens under ordinary light.
2. If there is only a little loose dust, use a blower and inspect again.
3. Practise fitting the front and rear caps without touching the glass.
4. With the camera switched off, practise a calm lens change indoors in a clean room.
5. Take a photograph of an evenly lit plain surface and check whether any obvious marks are actually affecting the image.