Crash Course What?

I've been learning every nook and cranny, and every detail of maintenance on this camera the hard way since I picked it up on Saturday. I learned that my current lens cap didn't like to stay on. It fell off while I was in the Holy Trinity Cemetery in New Corn Hill. Someone will be going through there, visiting their loved one and see this black cap labeled 'minolta' on it on the ground somewhere. (I use Minolta lenses)

I've since replaced it. Found out that my XG-1's lens cap fits my standard lens. (My XG-1 is safely put away where nothing can scratch the lens at the moment.) 49mm and all that. I know what to look for when I need things for the lenses more than ever now.

This has been a crash course, nonetheless. I've been thrown into a cold pool and forced to learn learn how to swim.

This includes things like... oh... cleaning the CCD.

What?

I never knew about that until today. Some of my photos have had a little gray speck-dot on the upper center. I'm sure you can see it in a lot of them. For my vertical shots, depending on the way I turn the camera (I change depending on the photo), you may see it on the left or right.

I called Sony support to ask about it. They wanted me to send the camera in. I was kinda flustered by this, so I said I'd go to the Sony Style store in the Galleria.

But what has bothered me that it has always just looked like a little grain of dust. I knew it was /somewhere/ on the camera. And I even thought to look at the sensor. But I never looked at it so hard until now. And saw it. That pesky, little microscopic disaster-waiting-to-happen was chillin' right there, looking as happy as he could, wanting to hide from the florescent lights above me at work. Why? Because he knew that I had him. Finally.

I know better than to touch the sensor. As such, I didn't. I kinda looked at it a little pathetically. I have a lens cleaner/blower thing, and I wasn't about to put the fibers of the brush up against it.

...until I realized I could pull the brush off. Pulled off, I poked the blower in, and gave three big ol' puffs.

Once I looked in, that little speck of dust had decided to move on. Apparently, high winds were too much for him.

I turned off cleaning mode, and found myself with one of my hairs caught on the inside of the viewfinder.

I probably shouldn't repeat what I called my camera here, but I went on to getting rid of that too.

Now my camera is happy. I'm happy. And I'll probably take more photos again tonight.

Yay. :D