Switching lenses

P

perfect

Member
If I have the kit lens attached with the camera powered ON, can I just take it off and attach a new lens without turning the camera off? I know that when you attach other lenses that don't work with the camera you can do that because the camera doesn't know there is a lens attached in the first place, but what about with ones that are specifically designed for the camera like the kit or the 16mm. Is it okay to just pull em off or would you recommend shutting down first?

Thanks.
 
Though it's very very rare occurrence, I've heard a couple of stories of DSLR dying while changing lenses with the power turned on.

I always turn off the camera when changing lens (especially with the IS running), battery, memory card. It has become a habit and don't even think about it.

I guess it comes down to convenience vs best practice.
 
The camera was bricked, lights out- no Lazarus? How verifiable were these stories?

With dumb lenses I wouldn't think it's a best practice to cycle cam, just an un-needed step. With E-mount connected lenses it might indeed be a best practice- but not one I'm concerned with yet. I work fast with lens changes so that would have to be proven to warrant the added hassle. Anyone know any scripture on this? (The word Canon seems out of place ;)
 
The only thing I can think of at the moment: What would be the consequences of accidentally shorting out the lens contacts when the camera is turned on?
 
Videohog, Can you supply your reasoning? Any 1st hand experiences or information we should know? Thx
 
No 1st hand experiences and the manual makes no specific reference to turning off the power while changing the lens, but the lens contacts obviously make contact with each other while the lens is spinning off. This alone would cause me concern. What happens if you accidently spin the apeture wheel while spinning the glass off? or IS is functioning while spinning it off?
Common sense (to me anyway) says why not take the 3 seconds or so to turn it off. (the OP asked if I would recommend shutting it down, and I do)

Never seen the schematics for the lens contacts and I'm not an engineer, so maybe the power to the contacts get cut when you press the lens lock/release.....I don't know, maybe the juice going through is negligable, I don't know.
I've got 13K invested in these cams, I'd like to keep em.

To each his own, but the question was what would I recommend? So....turn it off. 10 seconds ain't gonna kill ya.

EDIT
"If a camera made for interchangeable lensing can be destroyed by changing a lens..."

I watched a jet plow into the ground once because the auto pilot that was made to keep it "Straight and Level" didn't keep it straight and level.
 
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I will also throw my 2 cents in here.. I change lenses with the camera powered on. I have never even heard of this causing problems. I suppose if you are the nervous type.. then go for it.. but I can't be bothered with waiting for the camera to boot every time I change lenses.
 
The only thing I have read about turning off the camera during a lens change relates to dust being attracted to the sensor because of the charge.
I have never read anything official from Canon that states you should turn off the camera because it may damage the camera.
 
greenheron said:
I have never read anything official from Canon that states you should turn off the camera because it may damage the camera.
Click to expand...

I think you mean "Sony" ;-)

and your probably right, I've never read that either. but I have 4-5 seconds that I can spare, cause electrons don't know how to read. They just go wherever they can. ;-)
 
I'm definitely "that guy" that has always turned it off and used the air blower that I had in my pocket each time when changing lenses, but truthfully...I'm getting sick of it. So I recently started to swap without shutting off and that's when I thought to ask this same question, ha
 
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Jet crash? That's horrific, sorry. I see your points and thanks for clarifying. I still think it is unnesessary so we just disagree, both of us w/o much fact to proceed on. OTOH, a lot of people save large lights on set- which is counterproductive. The extra expansion and contraction actually kills the bulbs faster. With many bulb elements once it's "burnt in" it's best to leave it that way. I suppose it's possible that the same is true of the camera being cycled on an off. I'm not suggesting occassional cycling could be bad- but cycling the camera a lot every day? Who knows- could be worse than just changing the lens- especially on the SD card recognition.

The most sensible approach (for me) is change dumb lenses all day - no worries - there are no contacts.
With a Sony E mount lens (smart) it seems fine as an extra precaution when time permits.
 
Oh man this thread blew up while I went out and left mine reply half written! Good point above about attracting dust to the sensor.
I have heard that many times and it makes sense. I have had to clean my sensor and it's no fun in the middle of a tense shoot.

I may have to pull an about face here. I may start cycling down dang it!

Dust on the sensor. Very good point Greenheron. (I've shot a lot of heron, cool creatures)
 
The only two reasonable objections (I've heard) to changing lenses with the power turned on:

1) the sensor is charged and attracts more dust.
2) there are always voltage spikes whenever something is connected or disconnected...there's a chance you can brick the camera

Having said that, it's super easy to dust off the sensor with FS100 and there isn't any place dust can get trapped like the DSLRs. Also, chances of #2 happening is probably less than getting struck by a lightning.

I do turn off the camera before changing lens probably because I've done it with a DSLR for years and it is the best practice.

I believe most of the DSLR manufactures do caution about changing lenses with power on. Though Sony doesn't for FS100.
 
I hope it's gotten better in recent years, but when I got my first DSLR (Nikon D1x), I had a Nikon repair tech tell me straight out to ALWAYS power off the camera when changing lenses. That really p****d me off in spite of the camera's ability to power up almost instantly.
 
videohog said:
... but the lens contacts obviously make contact with each other while the lens is spinning off.
Click to expand...

Systems designed to be pluggable -- USB etc -- are designed, if the engineers are competent, to handle this stuff. So the power connection should be designed to break first, and the remaining contacts designed to not cause any adverse effects while shorting. (Look in a USB plug and observe that the pins are different lengths, so they break in a specific order.)

videohog said:
... the auto pilot that was made to keep it "Straight and Level" didn't keep it straight and level.
Click to expand...

And of course this is also true.... things don't always work as designed. I've been swapping my lenses live, but I would never scoff at anyone who takes the time to be safe.
 
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