professionally cleaning camera?

misol

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I am not a beginner photographer, but I have a beginner question. I have a 5D MKII. I think its about 4 years old? How often (and where) should I have it professionally cleaned? Do they need tune ups? I feel like I am getting lesser results, especially in low light situations.
 
Yes they need tuned-ups. I sent mine in the the camera manufacturer for a clean, adjust, lubricate, re-calibrate - yearly.
I used my cameras daily, and even did routine inspection/cleaning of them on the the outside part of the bodies daily.

For an amateur/hobbyist every 2 years would likely do, unless the camera(s) are routinely used in a harsh environment, like at the beach, in an often humid environment, or being routinely left in a hot car.

Many don't know about the AF module window in the bottom of a DSLR's mirror box that is behind the main mirror. That window can get covered with dust and degrade auto focus performance.
 
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I am not a beginner photographer, but I have a beginner question. I have a 5D MKII. I think its about 4 years old? How often (and where) should I have it professionally cleaned? Do they need tune ups? I feel like I am getting lesser results, especially in low light situations.

You only need to clean the sensor when it's dirty. And cleaning the sensor is not going to have an effect on low light conditions its only going to remove specs of dusk from the sensor.

Is also really easy to do you don't need to take it somewhere to have the sensor "professionally" cleaned.
 
Removing dust from a sensor and having a camera professionally cleaned are two completely different things.

If you send a camera off to have it professionally cleaned, like KmH is suggesting, then they're going to do a whole lot more than just clean the sensor. They're going to clean every part of the camera, and the lubricating and adjusting part make a difference in the performance of a camera.
 
I sent mine to Nikon and it came back looking new. They cleaned it, checked it all over, adjusted the AF, and updated the firmware.
 
Thanks everyone!
 
Normally how much would Nikon charge? My local camera store charges $250. Just asking.
 
Removing dust from a sensor and having a camera professionally cleaned are two completely different things.

If you send a camera off to have it professionally cleaned, like KmH is suggesting, then they're going to do a whole lot more than just clean the sensor. They're going to clean every part of the camera, and the lubricating and adjusting part make a difference in the performance of a camera.

But it's not going to make any difference in low light performance and that is what the OP said their issue was.
 
Oops, I stopped reading before I got to the end. I would still say that a 4 year old camera could probably use a trip to the manufacturer to get it cleaned.
 
Normally how much would Nikon charge? My local camera store charges $250. Just asking.

Nikon will not give you a quote without examining the camera, but they charged me $98.00 plus $12.50 return shipping.
 
I have my cameras cleaned and adjusted by Nikon every two years. I have little faith in the local shops.
 
Also, since you're a canon user, if you have enough gear, the cheapest way to get a cleaning is likely to join CPS, and use the free ones that come with the membership. (Hard numbers are tough to come by, but the common assumption seemed to be that a CLA would be more than the $100 membership fee)
 
Is also really easy to do you don't need to take it somewhere to have the sensor "professionally" cleaned.

Adjusting the truss rod in a guitar neck is a piece of cake, yet I've never done it to any of my own guitars, despite having spent more than ten years in the guitar industry. Go a little too far, and the rod snaps and you no longer have a guitar, but an oar. Same thing with cameras. I know I could do it, but I'd rather pay someone else to do it.

If you screw it up when doing it yourself, you have zero recourse...
 

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