Dust Storm: Finally cooled off in SE Arizona a couple of days ago. Opened all my windows to air out a house stuffy from summer air conditioning. Went out for a few hours this morning...

safeman

Finally cooled off in SE Arizona a couple of days ago. Opened all my windows to air out a house stuffy from summer air conditioning. Went out for a few hours this morning and came back to find everything in the house coated in a thin layer of dust--including my D-7200 and micro nikkor lens which had been sitting on my desk. I blew the camera and lens off with compressed air. Anything else I should do, anything I should be worried about?

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Yeah, don't open windows on the windward side of the house.

Seriously, a wipe with a microfiber cloth and the compressed air is fine. Take off the lens caps and see how the glass surface is on both ends.

safeman

Thanks for the response. The lens was mounted on the camera but I'll do that. Should I have any concern about dust in the interior of the camera, sensor contamination, that sort of thing?

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

safeman wrote:

Finally cooled off in SE Arizona a couple of days ago. Opened all my windows to air out a house stuffy from summer air conditioning. Went out for a few hours this morning and came back to find everything in the house coated in a thin layer of dust--including my D-7200 and micro nikkor lens which had been sitting on my desk. I blew the camera and lens off with compressed air. Anything else I should do, anything I should be worried about?

You might want to wash the dishes before cooking supper.

safeman

RWR wrote:

You might want to wash the dishes before cooking supper.

I will. Should I run my camera and lens through the dishwasher too?

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

safeman wrote:

I will. Should I run my camera and lens through the dishwasher too?

Definitely not! Use the washing machine, lukewarm, gentle cycle.

safeman

Damn! Too late it's half through the wash cycle🙄

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

safeman wrote:

Damn! Too late it's half through the wash cycle🙄

Stick it in the dryer and hope for the best!

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

safeman wrote:

Thanks for the response. The lens was mounted on the camera but I'll do that. Should I have any concern about dust in the interior of the camera, sensor contamination, that sort of thing?

I would say no.
If the camera had the lens on it just blow it off, wipe it down, get a makeup brush and brush in the crevasses and finally for tough tight spots use a new medium hard toothbrush.
This is what I do when ever I have been in dusty and similar conditions to clean the camera anyway. I add a bit of moisture to the toothbrush as well so the dust and crap will stick to it.

Many years ago, my late wife was blind, she had all the windows open in the house when a Valley of the Sun dust storm blew through. She like the wonderful breeze and when I got home from work the house had more than a thin layer of dust all over. The joy of living in the Valley.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

safeman wrote:

Finally cooled off in SE Arizona a couple of days ago. Opened all my windows to air out a house stuffy from summer air conditioning. Went out for a few hours this morning and came back to find everything in the house coated in a thin layer of dust--including my D-7200 and micro nikkor lens which had been sitting on my desk. I blew the camera and lens off with compressed air. Anything else I should do, anything I should be worried about?

It should be okay. I doubt the velocity of the dust was very high inside your house - just a light coating.

AZNikon Loc: Mesa, AZ

safeman wrote:

Anything else I should do, anything I should be worried about?

Home burgulary comes to mind...

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

safeman wrote:

I will. Should I run my camera and lens through the dishwasher too?

You know, if I thought you were serious I would have recommended it highly.

steinr98

billnikon wrote:

You know, if I thought you were serious I would have recommended it highly.

If you think you had it bad, you should have been in Green Valley- next to the mine- I couldn't see the house 4 houses away!! Just make sure you "really clean the lens body next to the camera so when you do take that lens off, it is really clean!!! Coupleof years ago I ran a SD card thru the washer by mistake- The card worked good but it cleaned up all my porn shots!! Seriously, the card worked fine!!

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

steinr98 wrote:

If you think you had it bad, you should have been in Green Valley- next to the mine- I couldn't see the house 4 houses away!! Just make sure you "really clean the lens body next to the camera so when you do take that lens off, it is really clean!!! Coupleof years ago I ran a SD card thru the washer by mistake- The card worked good but it cleaned up all my porn shots!! Seriously, the card worked fine!!

leftj Loc: Texas

safeman wrote:

Finally cooled off in SE Arizona a couple of days ago. Opened all my windows to air out a house stuffy from summer air conditioning. Went out for a few hours this morning and came back to find everything in the house coated in a thin layer of dust--including my D-7200 and micro nikkor lens which had been sitting on my desk. I blew the camera and lens off with compressed air. Anything else I should do, anything I should be worried about?

Clean the rest of your house.