Cleaning the sensor...

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:50 am

I have a tiny spot of debris on my sensor, and after using a blower, I can clearly see it's still there. I found this article about cleaning the sensor:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/sensorclean.html

What have you done to clean your sensor, or do you send it out for cleaning? I guess I'm not sure how brave I am.... :)

Thanks for any information!

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:23 am

I have cleaned mine with a kit purchased that came with handy little sticks whose end was a triangle (bottom flat of course) covered with a very soft cleaning cloth.

I am out of those handy little items and actually have used a q-tip which I wrap in lens cloth.

A little side note here, last time I cleaned the sensor some items remained in the view finder. When I looked at the sensor I could not see any items at all, I checked the view finder changed lenses and the items still appeared in the view finder. I ended up looking around the inside of the D70 and decided to clean the foggy-looking thingamagiggy you see if looking up into the top portion of the camera. These spots must have been on this thingamagiggy as they disappeared after cleaning that.

:)

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:31 pm

Thanks for your reply! I actually wondered if a q-tip covered in lens tissue might work.

I know for sure that the spot that I'm seeing on my photos is definately on the sensor, because I can see the same shaped blob when I look at the sensor. I think that all I would need to use is one of those little cleaning wands, but I am deathly afraid of making more of a mess than when I started. I don't know anyone who has actually done it themselves, and sending my camera out could take weeks around here.

I appreciate your suggestions! :)

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:22 pm

I found this site useful:

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com

It's easy to read. Start at the home page and keep clicking on NEXT near the bottom. You will quickly get a complete overview of all the aspects of the problem and many, many solutions, from the best to the worst. Then you can decide which approach you are most comfortable with.

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:56 pm

I had to clean the sensor on my dSLR within a week of buying it. I already had a bulb blower brush (with a removable brush), so I just used that.

I got the bulb blower ready (with the brush removed, since I figured it might have some dust adhered to it), held the camera with the lens opening facing down (not that gravity really has much influence on tiny specks of dust that are moved around by the slightest air currents, but it seemed like a good idea), activated sensor-clean mode on the camera, and gave a couple of quick bursts from the bulb into the sensor chamber.

Worked great.

I'd never touch the sensor with anything, unless I had something really stubborn that couldn't just be blown out.

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:37 pm

You really really really must be so careful. Try harder and more intense blasts from the blower before you resort to touching the sensor.

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:23 pm

I use the sensor brush by Visible Dust. It's not cheap, but it works great. 2 sweeps with the brush and I am done.

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 7:11 pm

Oh sorry, I didn't read your original post clearly enough - you've already used a blower. I guess the pec-pad or lens-paper with methanol or some optical cleaning solution is the best.

Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:35 am

I have used sensor swipes with pec pads and eclipse solution (the copperhill method) purchesd from opperhill images, and am going to get one of their new sensor brushes (much cheaper than visible dust), in addition to using a rocket blower every now and again during lens changes.

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:28 am

Thanks so much for all of your posts. I checked out the visible dust site, and I think I will get something from there. I noticed that the initial cleaning that I did cleaned most of the debris, but I am going to have to get a little more invasive with the sensor. I went through the site you posted Eldorage (thanks!) and the instructions are excellent.

Again, thank you all for your advice! :)

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:02 am

Yesterday I found this site.

http://www.naturescapes.net/store/home.php

I think it is vastly better value for money than VisibleDust.

Under "Products" on the left, click on "Cleaning Supplies". If you order one of each of the items in that list (that you don't already have), I think you will have a fantastic cleaning arsenal at a very reasonable price.

I am not affiliated, or even a customer yet.

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:56 am

Eldorage wrote:

I am not affiliated, or even a customer yet.

I'm thinking you should be on the payroll! ;) Thanks again! Great link.