Best sensor cleaner?

[MikeJ]

While editing some of my photos recently, I'm beginning to see the same dust spot showing up in the same area in the frame. It's not horribly bad in this shot, but this is wide open (f5.6), other shots stopped down it gets more noticeable. I've got my camera (D500) set up to sensor clean at startup and shutdown, but apparently that's not enough. Somewhere down in my basement I have a sensor cleaning kit, but it's from when I had my D200 so I'm guessing the chemicals probably aren't the best anymore.

That said, what do all of you use to clean your sensors? I'm not afraid to do the cleaning myself, did it more than once on my D200 (oddly, never had an issue with my D300??). And I know I could Google "the best sensor cleaners of 2022", guess I trust my friends on this site more than I do Google!

 

[RichF]

I have cleaned sensors myself but prefer to have the pros do it. Until 5 years ago when I switched from Canon to NIkon I was CPS and lived very close the Chicago-area Canon service center. No brainer. Drive 45 minutes to a checkup. Too bad there is not a Nikon service center in the Chicago area.

 

[MikeJ]

Trust me, I'd prefer to have pros do it too, unfortunately there's nothing like that, at least that I'm aware of, in the Minneapolis/St. Paul MN area.

 

[lukemeup]

Eclipse Fluid by Photographic Solutions + Visible Dust swabs never failed me.

 

[dabhand16]

Another vote for Eclipse fluid. Digipad swabs seem to have gone under now so I'm currently using VSGO swabs.

 

[John_DE]

Eclipse fluid and Photographic Solutions Sensor Swabs. Be sure to get the correct size for your camera’s sensor.

 

[MikeJ]

Thank you all for your suggestions! Guess it's time to go shopping.

 

[Steve]

Before you wet clean, try blowing it off with a rocket blower. For bigger stuff, it usually works. Otherwise the wet cleaning solutions suggested above work well.

 

[MikeJ]

Thanks Steve, I'll give that a shot tonight!

 

[Ken Miracle]

Besides using a filtered rocket blower I only use the sensor clean in the camera when I am going to use the rocket blower to blow out the insides of the body. Always keep the blower tip well away from the mirrors or sensor.

D500 process is a bit different than my Z cameras now but for D500 and other DSLR's do it with no lens on just the camera body cap and hold the camera body with lens mount facing down and activate the in camera sensor cleaning. Then keep the body facing down, turn off the camera and take off the cap and blow out the body with the blower and blow off the inside of the body cap. The next step keep the camera facing down turn the camera back on and raise the mirror up for cleaning and blow out the body again now with the sensor exposed. Then keeping the camera facing down put the clean blown off body cap back on and turn the camera off.

To help keep the sensor clean it helps to keep the body facing down when you take off a lens and put on a new one whether indoors or out.

 

[Palouse]

Too bad there is not a Nikon service center in the Chicago area.

There is, APS, an independent and authorized repair center. They do fabulous work, and fast.

 

[MikeJ]

Thanks for the info, @Ken Miracle! I'll definitely try this tonight to see if it helps.

 

[Charles Loy]

It's easy to do. Another suggestion, most any camera shop will do it.
My solid suggestion, never-ever reuse the swab, one pass and trash

 

[RichF]

There is, APS, an independent and authorized repair center. They do fabulous work, and fast.

thanks. I'll have to check them out.

 

[RichF]

There is, APS, an independent and authorized repair center. They do fabulous work, and fast.

Their site has been hacked.

 

[MikeJ]

Thanks @Charles Loy, that makes a lot of sense not to reuse them.

 

[dabhand16]

I do one pass then without removing the swab from the sensor, reverse the tilt and return on the unused side/edge of the swab, then bin it.

 

[Ken Miracle]

Their site has been hacked.

? just went there moments ago .. looks normal what makes you say that what am I missing? https://www.nikoncamerarepair.com/

 

[MikeJ]

I think Rich is right - I went there, looks legit then it changes to tell you there's a "critical update" to Chrome or Edge or whatever browser you're using. Both Edge and Chrome are up to date on my PC, so I'm calling hacked.

 

[Ken Miracle]

I think Rich is right - I went there, looks legit then it changes to tell you there's a "critical update" to Chrome or Edge or whatever browser you're using. Both Edge and Chrome are up to date on my PC, so I'm calling hacked.

Odd I am on safari ... I clicked on get started, clicked on the form and other places and get no such messages and all look normal.

 

[MikeJ]

Could be something affecting only Windows-based machines?

 

[Ken Miracle]

Could be something affecting only Windows-based machines?

Possible ... Apple is a bit "neurotic" ... we just had a big OS and Safari security update last week.

I still run into a few web pages that I can not effectively interact with on Safari and have to use Mozilla's Firefox.

I also us Duck Duck Go as my search engine on Safari and Firefox and the combo can be very protective and on places that I need to have it less so and they are trusted sites that just use pop ups for fill in forms etc. I have to allow that on that page.

 

[RichF]

On chrome on a Mac tries to install an update that appears to be malware

 

[Ken Miracle]

On chrome on a Mac tries to install an update that appears to be malware

Odd ... no wonder I avoid Google stuff as much as humanly possible

 

[ingweDave]

For many years I have been using "Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly". This works very well for me but I am obsessive about keeping it clean and the environment I use it in. I also use a blower and swabs at less frequent intervals.