Corrosive Power of NaCl

We would imagine that the ocean breeze is both welcoming to our lungs and state of mind, while totally unaware of her potential power to also damage our electronic equipment if they are exposed for a long period of time amidst the corrosive salt air.

Hence, it's my usual routine to vent the camera system after a visit to the coast, in an air-conditioned room before storing them into the electric dry cabinet. Just look at how the coastal air has corroded even the aluminum railings of the coastal park and you would know what I would like to convey here.

Nikkor 35mm F/1.8G half facing the beautiful sunset glow of a beautiful, sunny day.

Six-Month Pitstop for Nikon D90

So I went and so I deposited all my three lenses and body to the Nikon Service Center yesterday. As I believe there be minor adjustments required on the body for front/back focusing calibration errors (as seen on my Nikon ViewNX), I have decided to leave my whole camera kit with Nikon.

I was also told this routine servicing can take as long as 2 weeks! Along the way, I have also requested for a thorough sensor cleaning via liquid solution and I think you should too every six months.

As for the lenses, they are only covered by a one year international warranty no matter where you bought them, as opposed to some 4 to 5 years you get in the States. To expedite the servicing interval, I was also told to present shots that exemplify those front/back focus errors I claimed, to the Nikon Engineers. No problem there too.

Do visit them if not done so.

Front/Back Focusing Check on Nikon D90

Each lens is designed to varies in convergence point onto the sensor and the Canon Top-notch 1D Mark III even has a built-in function to correct and register them! Now, that brings me to question how the Nikon D90 accomodates such discrepancy.

Today, I am told by the Nikon Service center that they do have a sophisticated diagnostic software to verify this and that some sort of corrections will be made if a problem is detected! Interesting indeed...

Let me send my camera in to check this out soon.

Cutest Patented Air Blower for DSLR

Here's what many professionals I came across recommended - Giotto Rocket Air Blower!

At $15, its worth the convenience of making that trip to the Nikon Service Center cleaning up your optical investment.

Read more [here].

Nikon Warranty Covers Sensor Cleaning!

Having got a queue number at the Nikon Service Center, I decided to clarify again in person (I am on leave again) what actually is needed to keep the Nikon D90 at its peak condition.

According to the Nikon technician, you are advised never to clean the sensor on your own as it scratches quite easily. And a replacement of the sensor due to such act of ignorance is not covered under Nikon warranty. The warranty also does not cover wear and tear parts but does cover the hand grip if it ever gets sticky due to years of use. A wet cotton pad to clean the hand grip of my Nikon D90 always turns blackish every month.

The standard cleaning procedure went on quite professionally and quickly for my Nikon D90 today - without charge. The viewfinder was also thoroughly cleaned with a huge blower mechanism.

Nikon D90 Sensor Cleaning Tools

Say a visit to the Nikon Service Center is too troublesome for you and you want a bit of DIY satisfaction with the maintenance of the Nikon D90. No lint-free cloth will do the job when it comes to cleaning the fragile sensor grid.

It's an occasion to utilize the "arctic butterfly" toolkit. So with some spare cash to spare, this magnificent tool features a bright LED that illuminates the sensor while in operation. This illumination reduces the possibility of fibers being dragged accidentally against the surrounding cavity hence reducing the potential cause of smear usually caused by contaminated fibers.

Get yours [here] for $90.

Nikon D90 Body Maintenance - Mirror Section

No matter how well you store your Nikon D90 or practice the invert-change-lens rule, or for that matter, don't change lens at all, you are bound to have dust settled in the mirror section and sensor section of the camera.

I was doing a routine inspection by simply looking through the lens towards a light source and voila! Dust speckles are deposited everywhere on the mirror section! There's even smudges on the lower section of the mirror. Now, I have not activated the "Lock mirror up for cleaning" function in the Setup Menu, but I decide to give the sensor the benefit of a doubt that it is still clean. Besides, sensor cleaning should be done by the local Nikon technicians if you clearly lack a steady hands and right tools.

With a lint-free dry cloth (usually come standard with purchase of a good LCD monitor or laptop), I gently removed the lens and began cleaning the smudges and dust particles off the mirror section. Shortly after, the job is done. Talking about sensor cleaning, its a good practice to enable it when you off/on the camera. This way, you leave no occasion to chance that dust deposits starts accumulating on the sensor grid.

Note, for zoom lens, air is drawn into the lens when you zoom in and out, giving occasion for dust to get into your body with the lens tightly attached!

Nikon 7072 Cleaning Kit Pen

Hmm...a neat cleaning kit I picked up today. It sure beat the current cleaning kit I am given with the Nikon D90.

Technical Details:

• A simple lens-cleaning system
• Soft brush retracts into pen body to stay clean
• Small, pen-style design easily fits in any camera bag
• Removes fingerprints, dust, and other debris that may compromise your image
• Works with all types of cameras (digital and film), as well as binoculars, telescopes, and other optical products

Get yours [here]

Official Nikon D90 Service Interval

Here it is...directly from Nikon's(I mean horses) mouth! If you are a casual photographer who shoots less than 10,000 shots a year, simply bring your Nikon D90 in for an inspection annually. Always request Nikon Service Center to clean your body mirror, remove all accumulated dust inside the body with their special air blower machine and recalibrate your kit lens (together with any other lens you may own of Nikon's).

Specific parts that are subjected to attentive cleaning include the viewfinder, lens mount assembly, mirror, SD card slot compartment and even contact points of buttons within the body. Remember, our Nikon D90 is not weather-sealed!

For the uninitiated who buys their Nikon D90 without a proper electric dry cabinet, please also ask them to check for possible fungus growth and help eradicate them. They may or may not charge for this. I know Nikon charges for doing that for lens that are known to be fungus attacked.

Now, if you are shooting at over 20,000 shots per year, you may want to do the above every 6 months! After a holiday or extensive shootout, you may want to do a little self maintenance with cotton buds and lint-free cleaning cloth. Most importantly, drop your camera back into the electric dry cabinet to dehumidify the entire system first. My experience on this is that humidity index takes over a day to drop back to the optimal level (preset in my cabinet) whenever I drop my camera in after prolonged exposure to outdoor! That means its very "wet".

In a way, treat your camera like your family sedan...

Tips to Safeguarding your Optical Investment

I cannot over-emphasis this but there lies a few basic tips one must invest in when attempting to own a middle-tier DSLR - for the long run that is

• An electric dry cabinet
• Lens filter for your lens
• Camera LCD plastic cover
• Portable yet practical carrier for your equipment
• Camera cleaning kit

So, don't just buy the camera kit, but accommodate the above in your hobby budget. O right, remember to bring your camera for routine servicing (like your car) after a year or so for calibration.