Essential Kit No. 2…

Essential Kit No. 2 – Lens Blower

Dust is the ultimate nemesis of the photographer (that and zombies) and cameras have a knack of attracting all manner of dust, grit and crud, which eventually will compromise the quality of your images, so it's a good idea to get in some cleaning products early on.

The best way to expel dust from your equipment is with  a controlled air source to blast it away and there are plenty of great products on the market for just this purpose.


I bought one of those classic "grey puffer with a brush on the end" things to start with and set too with great zeal, but the shortcomings of this kind of design were quickly all too obvious.

First off, the brush section came off the bulb every time I used it - very annoying. Also, the amount of air it moved was minimal. Finally, the brush shed bristles so badly, I was actively making my camera dirtier!

Don't buy one of these - they are almost manufactured to disappoint!

The key to moving dust is the amount of air delivered - the bigger the puff, the more chance of blasting everything out. I found loads of options online and plumped for this:

Giottos GTAA1900 Rocket Air Blower - Black - £7.93

 

It retails (from Amazon) at a reasonable £7.93 and does basically exactly what you'd expect - it's a full fist sized rubber bulb with a nozzle attached. Each squeeze moves a big volume of air and the long nozzle means you can get inside your camera body and blast out all the lurking crud buildup. There's no brush, but you'd be far better off going to a DIY barn and buying a small good quality 1" paint brush and using that on the outside of the camera and lens. Never be tempted to put your fingers in there or touch the sensor as you will do more damage than good that way, guaranteed. If the camera sensor is dirty - take it to a reputable camera shop and get it professionally cleaned. From what I've read - most people advise this about once a year - I've not had to deal with that yet.

In use, I've found this to be an excellent tool - I usually give everything the once over when I'm packing my bag and it's great to just blast over filters before putting them on. Best of all, unlike the aerosol "keyboard air" type cans - it'll never run out!

There are plenty of alternatives out there too - here are a few:

Buyincoins Rubber Air Blower Pump Dust Cleaner £1.19

Giottos GTCL2810 Q.Ball Angleable Air Blower - Black £7.12

Hama 5610 Bellows Blower 55mm Diameter Bulb  £6.74


All prices are from Amazon.co.uk


They all look just as good - judging from the price I'm guessing the Buyincoins pump is smaller than the others - I went for the fancy shape, it's the big kid in me!
An added bonus with these puffers is blasting them on the back of people's necks when they least expect it - fun for all the family!

So there we go - keep the dust at bay and that's one less thing to worry about!