Cleaning lens/body contacts

[Ellie]

My camera/lenses have developed an intermittent problem - the camera and lenses don't always want to communicate with each other, resulting in the lens(es) either freezing (doing nothing at all) or failing to focus properly even though there is a focus-confirm beep. It doesn't happen all the time so it suggests there may be dirty or sticking contacts.

I noticed something wrong after I bought a new-to-me lens - everything it took was out of focus, so I thought it was a bad lens and almost gave it back but I decided to wait until after going to Langstone on Friday. While we were there my E-30 /70-300mm froze a couple of times so I swapped to my 35mm macro to see if it made any difference ... and ended up with a few out of focus images! (Worse than could be attributed to slow shutter speed) This seemed to suggest a problem with the camera body ... but the 70-300mm also froze on Peter's E-3.

The other thing that happened on my E-30 was that the display stopped working properly, instead of the f number there was - - (two orange dashes).

Both the freezing and display problems resolved on rebooting the camera (which is when I remembered/realised it had happened before, last year, just before the warranty ran out!).

I did manage to take a few in focus pictures using both the E-3 and E-30 - so it isn't a permanent problem. The new lens/E-30 combination also managed to get some acceptable high ISO pictures of pansies in very poor light (it was getting dark).

I've so far only gently wiped the body contacts and also very gently depressed/released the pins using a lens cloth - haven't had the chance to see if it's improved the situation yet. But if it hasn't I don't know what else I could do.

The only other thing I have is lens cleaning wipes - the things that come in little packets. Can I use those on the contacts to degrease/demuck them, or are they too harsh? If so, what should I use and where could I get it from without it turning into an expedition? (The nearest camera shop is about 20 miles away.)

Sorry about the essay, but I thought it best to say everything I could think of in one go rather than trying to answer questions later.

[David Morison]

Re: Cleaning lens/body contacts

I have had the same problems with my new E5 which I have mentioned before in the thread on E5 and unsharp photographs. The main problem ocurred with the ZD300mm with focus confirm beep and light but the image was obviously OOF even through the viewfinder. This happened repeatedly until I focused on an object at a greater distance and then came back to the original subject which then focussed OK. This in a new camera and fairly new lens so probably wasn't due to dirty contacts. This only an intermittant problem and hasn't happened recently although I have been doing more MF with very small objects against a confusing background.

The issue of the camera not recognising the lens does occasionally happen when using my E30 with with Leica 14-150mm and EX25 and is corrected by removing and replacing the combo which probably indicates contact problems.

I don't have any answers yet apart from cleaning contacts with a Lenspen which I will try.

Anyone else any similar experiences?

David

[Makonde]

Re: Cleaning lens/body contacts

On the very few occcasions this sort of thing happened to me with the E520 (and a couple of times when the E5 has had stuck focus using the 50-200) I found that (a) powering off then on and/or (b) powering off, re-seating the lens, power on fixed the problem.

Once or twice I remember in retrospect that I forgot to power off before changing the lens - but that's not in every occurrence.

Over nearly 3 years I never had to clean the contacts on either lenses or camera. I think that unless they've been touched (greasy fingers) they are really unlikely to want cleaning, and are basically self-cleaning each time you change a lens. If I were to try cleaning I think a soft Kleenex with just a little isopropyl alcohol or similar would do.

I haven't had the blurry problem mentioned. If you have the camera set up for shutter release whether in focus or not, then that plus a stuck focus/premature shutter press might account for it sometimes? I only very rarely override the default lock on shutter release when not in focus. But then, if Ellie is getting the focus beep then the camera thinks it does have focus.

[CaptainD]

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Cleaning lens/body contacts

I have mentioned this before, but you need to also check how you are holding the camera. I noticed this when I first got my used E30 & was concerned like you. It may have been occuring with my 14-54 lens first, but this is it. Occasionally the left hand can bump the release button without you knowing it & not always return properly which disables the connections to the lens giving -- instead of the aperture & by gripping the lens & giving it a slight twist in both directions to reseat it, the locking pin connected to the button should pop out into the hole of the lens & all should be well. The camera doesn't need to be off when changing lenses because of this feature, but is better if it is, so when switching the camera back on, the sensor (filter) cleaner operates.

I'd be interested to know if that is the issue here.

[jamie allan]

Re: Cleaning lens/body contacts

Ellie,
Isopropyl Alcohol is your best bet as Chris has already said. Using this with a decent quality cotton bud that doesn't lose it's cotton hairs by gently rubbing the contacts and allowing any residue to vaporise before trying to mate the contacts. The Camlink camera cleaning kit has all you need to get cleaning. You can get it from Jessops.

[Ellie]

Re: Cleaning lens/body contacts

Thanks for all the help and advice.

I have mentioned this before, but you need to also check how you are holding the camera. I noticed this when I first got my used E30 & was concerned like you. It may have been occuring with my 14-54 lens first, but this is it. Occasionally the left hand can bump the release button without you knowing it & not always return properly which disables the connections to the lens giving -- instead of the aperture

I don't think I've ever knocked the release button, I don't think my thumb goes that far up the camera, but it's something to keep an eye on.

Isopropyl alcohol

I'll look for some, I'm guessing it's included in lens cleaning kits.

a Lenspen

Would that be a 'pen' containing IPA?