Sensor Cleaning Equipment and Tips

[Trever1t]

Please link me to your favorite sensor cleaning equipment, tips&tricks to remove dust spots. Seems my Rocket blaster isn't able to get a couple of black spots off my sensor.

Thank you kindly!

 

[Big Mike]

If the blower doesn't work, you can step up to a brush like something from Arctic Butterfly. Products ? DSLR sensor cleaning
If that doesn't work, then you'll have to step up to a wet cleaning. Wet cleaning involves swabs and cleaning fluid.

 

[benhasajeep]

I bought this from Cameta off eBay and love it. Works very good when a blower just wont cut it. I used to use the old wet system and the peck pads and swabs. But this is much faster, simpler, and works! The loupe is the key. Lights and magnifys. Works very well. I don't clean often. But in the last couple years this is all I have used.

Amazon.com: LensPen SensorKlear Loupe Kit w/SensorKlear II: Electronics

Should say I use the Loupe and rocket blower first (at same time). Use the loupe to make sure I am blowing on the spot. If I can't blow it away. Then I go to the Sensor Pen. Like I said the Loupe is the key.

 

[Trever1t]

can see how the loupe with light and magnification would really help. Currently all I do is tip the body lens down and blow up in hopes of dislodging the dust. How is the sensor cleaning pen included with that kit?

The Artic Butterfly looks real nice, which one is recommended?

 

[benhasajeep]

The Sensor Clear II is the sensor cleaner. I didn't buy from that listing, just where I found it the easiest. I actually got mine throught Cameta on Ebay. They have a decent description there. No experience with the Artic Butterfly.

 

[Trever1t]

I went ahead and ordered Amazon.com: LensPen SensorKlear Loupe Kit w/SensorKlear II: Everything Else for that price I can give it a try.

 

[benhasajeep]

One of the things I do is look at the end of the sensor pen before I use it, with the loupe. That way I know its clean. I figured if anything ever got on it that wouldn't come off. I would just buy a new sensor cleaning pen as they are only like $20 for a replacement. Thats less than just shipping, on sending the camera out!

 

[Trever1t]

good idea. Yeah, I was told ~$300 to get nikon to do a full cleaning, understanding that includes all of the sensors not just the image sensor but really, how often is that necessary?

 

[Trever1t]

I stuck a magnifying glass and bright LED light and sure couldn't see any dust on the sensor but it's there alright. I took some shots at smallest aperture of a white piece of paper with different lenses and all show the same spots. I tried the on-board sensor cleaner and blowing with a Giotto rocket a bit more but no change....Sure hope the item I ordered does the trick.

 

[tirediron]

Contrary to popular belief, cleaning your own sensor is easy, and difficult to screw up. You should have a few tools though. My preference is for the VisibleDust line of products, in particular the Arctic Butterfly; it's a little pricey, but worth it.

Get a Giottos rocket, DO NOT use one of those cheap blower bulbs with a built in brush. They're dust/lint traps. Remove the lens, and holding hte camera at a 45 angle with the lens opening pointing down, thoroughly blow out the mirror chamber. Now, lock up the mirror and clean off the sensor. Once you've blown off the "big chunks" use the Arctic Butterfly to clean off the small stuff following the instructions provided.

If that doesn't work, then you'll need to go to a wet cleaning system, which is a still easy to do. In ten years of digital photography, I've never had to use a wet cleaning system on any sensor.

Remember that you're not actually cleaning the sensor, you're cleaning the low-pass filter in front of the sensor which is usually made of mineral glass or other very tough material. It's actually quite difficult to scratch or damage. It is easy to get streaky if you **** up with a wet-cleaning system, but that's not permanent.

 

[Trever1t]

Yeah, I did blow out the mirror chamber with the Giotto rocket before raiding the mirror and blasting away to no avail. I'll try the SensorKlear II when it comes in next week, hopefully I don't need to do a wet cleaning.