Sensor Cleaning

JayPearson

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I don't have the luxury of just bringing my cmaera to a photography store and was just wondering just how hard cleaning a sensor is. I haven't taken off my lens since i bought it, which has been about 9 months. Even though i haven't been switching back and forth from lens to lens i can still see some dust on my sensor in some of my pics. When i get a new lens(which will be very soon), i plan on attempting to clean the sensor.

On top of knowing how to clean the sensor i was just wondering what is a good cleaning kit to buy for cleaning it.
 
On my old DSLR I had to wet clean it five or six times a year. With my newer camera, with an anti-static coating on the sensor cover, I haven't had to wet clean it in three years.

But, it isn't hard to do. When I gave my old camera to my sister she said he son told her if you didn't have it cleaned professionally, for $80, you'd ruin your camera. I showed her how to check for dust, knowing a I had a bit, and then I cleaned it. She looked at me and said, "That's it?" "That's it." She said she'd offer to clean her son's sensor for $40.
 
I clean the sensor myself, it's not that hard on my old FujiFilm S2 Pro though. It's a very similar process with the other cameras too, I'd assume.
 
I use this kit.

It's pretty easy. If you follow the included directions it's almost impossible to mess anything up.
 
On my old DSLR I had to wet clean it five or six times a year. With my newer camera, with an anti-static coating on the sensor cover, I haven't had to wet clean it in three years.

But, it isn't hard to do. When I gave my old camera to my sister she said he son told her if you didn't have it cleaned professionally, for $80, you'd ruin your camera. I showed her how to check for dust, knowing a I had a bit, and then I cleaned it. She looked at me and said, "That's it?" "That's it." She said she'd offer to clean her son's sensor for $40.

Sounds like she came out on top on that one.

I use this kit.

It's pretty easy. If you follow the included directions it's almost impossible to mess anything up.


I'm gonna need something fool proof, thanks.

I clean the sensor myself, it's not that hard on my old FujiFilm S2 Pro though. It's a very similar process with the other cameras too, I'd assume.


I think i might give it a shot for myself, if it seems to tough i will probably get it done professionally.
 
Sensor cleaning isn't difficult at all, particularily when you remember that you're never actually cleaning the sensor itself, but the high-pass filter immediately in front of it. There are two types of cleaning, dry and wet. I strongly recommend ALWAYS starting with dry cleaning. Start with the basics, remove the lens, hold the body with the lens opening pointing down and use a blower bulb such as the Giottos Rocket, if that doesn't work, then you need to move on for step two, for which I recommend this kit; while pricey it works very well!

If you have to wet clean, than there are a number of products including Visibledust's line which work well.
 
I've seen the blowe bulb in kits before, but i haven't seen the sensor brush you are talking about. You're right it is pretty pricey.

Im sure all i will need to do is dry clean it, the camera itself has never without a lens outside. Just straight out the box and i slapped the lens on her.
 
...for which I recommend this kit; while pricey it works very well!

Good God man! $100 for a brush? I use this one for about $20. As before, it comes with directions and is very easy to use. Works very well too.

It doesn't have a LED on it, but for the $80 you'd save I think you could find some kind of light. You have to charge the Copper Hill brush manually (by rubbing it across a piece of paper), so there's no motor either.
 
Um,.. I think it is the low pass filter, but whatever right, just be careful not to contaminate the body. -S
 
Good God man! $100 for a brush? I use this one for about $20. As before, it comes with directions and is very easy to use. Works very well too.

It doesn't have a LED on it, but for the $80 you'd save I think you could find some kind of light. You have to charge the Copper Hill brush manually (by rubbing it across a piece of paper), so there's no motor either.

Which is exactly why I prefer the Visible Dust product; the motor allows you to "charge" the brush in it's own, clean tube and reduces the chances of contaminants being introduced.
 
Well, it works. If there was dust on the paper it wouldn't get on the sensor since the brush is statically charged now - the dust will stick to the brush.

If you're (not you specifically - anyone) that worried about the brush coming in contact with anything other than the sensor, maybe the motorized brush is the way to go. For me, I'd rather just charge the brush myself with a piece of paper.
 

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