CCD cleaning

[akazoly]

Someone know which is the safest product to clean the CCD sensor? Thanks!

 

[Big Mike]

The Arctic Butterfly is a pretty safe product....but may have trouble with stuck on particles.

With a bit of care and common sense...most sensor cleaning products are fairly safe.

 

[akazoly]

I have a Nikon D40X SLR. I think my CDD has dust, please see this: http://home.wplink.net/~zoliky/dust.jpg

Im very sad I need help, please!

I don't have much money to spend on expensive cleaning solutions. I hear something about Eclipse and sensor swabs.

1) Please check this for me : http://photosol.com/eclipse_e2product.htm my Nikon D40X appear at supported cammeras. Ok, eclipse E2 is good for me ?

2) I need swab type 2 ?

Big Mike please help me, thank you very much!

 

[Big Mike]

Firstly, just every DSLR will have dust on it, when tested. Even after cleaning, there will probably be a few spots. It's not a big deal and it's something that you just have to deal with when you have a DSLR. Don't be sad.

E2 is a new cleaning fluid, especially for sensors that have tin oxide in the coating. I'm not sure if the D40 is one of those or not.

Anyway, eclipse fluid and some sort of cleaning pad is a good way to clean your sensor. Look around, there are cheap kits and some that aren't so cheap.

As for the swab type, I don't know. That shouldn't be too hard to research.

A cheap method that I've heard...is to create something like the Arctic Butterfly...which is just a statically charged brush. You can get a small fan type paint brush, you can then use dry compressed air from a can, to blow on the brush, which should 'charge' the brush...then you use it to pick up the dust on the sensor. Be careful of the air you use...if it has any moisture or a propellant in it...that might get onto the brush and the sensor. Don't use the air directly on the camera.

Cleaning aside, the dust marks usually only show up when using a small aperture...and even then, it's easy to clean them up with software.

 

[akazoly]

I try to use air pump at 5 cm distance. But no luck.. I don't have courage to use the air pump closer.

Thank you very much for help!

 

[akazoly]

I see the dust on clear blue sky at maximum aperture: F3.5

I think this is serious, I need a cleaning. What is your opinion ?

 

[Josh66]

I see the dust on clear blue sky at maximum aperture: F3.5

I think this is serious, I need a cleaning. What is your opinion ?

If you can see it at f/3.5, yeah - I think you're way overdue for a cleaning. Are you sure it's not on the lens?

 

[akazoly]

Big Mike:

E2 is a new cleaning fluid, especially for sensors that have tin oxide in the coating. I'm not sure if the D40 is one of those or not.

I read this on http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm "

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Unfortunately, Nikon began using Sony sensors that have a special coating on them (Indium Tin Oxide, or ITO for short). This additional coating is there to help the filter "shed" dust more easily (it essentially blocks some of the static charge that can build up and attract the dust). It is possible to damage this coating, and when you do so, the filter essentially needs to be replaced. Here's the list of cameras that do and don't have this coating:
[/FONT]

• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]ITO coating: D40, D40x, D70s, D80, D300, D2xs, D3[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]No coating: D1, D1h, D1x, D2h, D2hs, D2x, D50, D70, D100, D200[/FONT]

Well, I need eclipse E2, right ?
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]

 

[Big Mike]

Well, I need eclipse E2, right ?

Yes, you should use the E2 fluid.

 

[akazoly]

I try to use this fluid but I scare a bit.. I hear Tin Dioxid is very sensible.

 

[akazoly]

Anyway.. Someone know how to put the D40X camera in cleaning mode ? I need to turn on the camera until cleaning finished? What exactly I need to do ?

Thanks

 

[Big Mike]

What exactly I need to do ?

Read the manual

 

[akazoly]

The manual say I need enable mirror lock-up, I don't see this option in camera. I search much but nothing.

The manual is for D40, and D40X not has a separate manual. Someone confirm, the mirror lockup is removed is D40X ?

 

[Big Mike]

Most DLSR cameras (as far as I know) have a sensor cleaning mode...it's in the menu somewhere. When you enable that, it locks the mirror up so that you can clean the sensor.

 

[akazoly]

The Arctic Butterfly is a pretty safe product....but may have trouble with stuck on particles.

With a bit of care and common sense...most sensor cleaning products are fairly safe.

What you mean in care? for example using Eclipse E2 and swab