Frequency and Method of Sensor Cleaning

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Ado Wolf

Ado Wolf

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I can honestly say I never had to clear a sensor on my DSLRs. I always change lenses holding the camera sensor facing downwards. I always put my back to the wind and I do it very quickly (under 2 seconds). Having the flipside Backpack helps me with wind protection as well.

However, now that I use the mirrorless Z50 with the naked sensor (no mechanical shutter protection), I have the feeling I will have to clean the sensor more often.

How often do you clean your sensor? do you go for dry or wet cleaning methods?
 
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@Ado Wolf I do clean sensor each time the dust start to be seen in the middle of the frame. On the ends - I can still remove in LR or PS (software) and it is not on the subject. But when it starts to disturb and when I need to use f8-f11 (landscapes, macro) then I clean it. I do wet method.
By the way if you don't clean DSLR sensor I still recommend to clean DSLR mirror because it helps to focus. A part of light goes through the mirror to the small mirror below and then to focusing sensors on the camera bottom. If your mirror is covered with thin dust film then it can impact the focusing. I do always clean the mirrors with already used tabs (after cleaning the sensor).
 
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I used to be obsessed with dust on lens/sensor, now I just clean it now and then or if there is a visible spot in the frame, with a blower first and then a swab the size of the sensor if it does not come off with the blower.
 
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I normal circumstances - that is before Covid - I used to clean my sensors 3-4 times a year. Since Covid that has dropped and I've now not done them for a long time as I've not done much photography in the last 18 months due to circumstances on top of Covid. They do need doing though.

Many people only do limited genres of photography or rarely shoot anything less than wide open and never see the debris that collects on the sensor. However they would be surprised (if not horrified) if they took a shot of a grey sky at f22. The folk who say they have never cleaned a sensor or never needed to clean one have never done a test shot. Thing is, the longer you leave it, the harder if can be to remove some debris - like pollen.
 
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@ElenaH - thank you for your reply. I was mainly a wildlife photographer in the past, but since last year (after acquiring the D850) my landscape work has increased rapidly (so dust became more apparent in photos). Very interesting input regarding the clean mirror and AF impact. I will keep that in mind.

@lwan - thank you for sharing. This is exactly what I am trying to avoid (unnecessary obsession)

@dabhand16 - thanks for replying. Yes, I do test my sensors on a monthly basis, to make sure no debris stick to the sensor. You are certainly right, the longer it is ignored, the harder it becomes to remove. I actually just bought my first cleaning kit :)

@geoawelch - thanks for the input. I am intrigued and wonder why the A9 would need more cleaning than the A1? maybe because the lens used on the A1 is rarely changed?
 
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Just another thing. Most people associate sensor cleaning with the frequency of lens changing. While this can be a factor - and maybe a prominent factor - don't forget that in a dSLR there is a lot of mechanical wizardry to raise and lower the mirror and some debris can get airborne from the hinges and traces of lubricant. Remember the D600s that sprayed oil over the sensor?

I see a lot of talk about people with bridge cameras that have spots on their pictures and while this might be dust in the lens, it could also be debris on the sensor - and these are cameras with fixed lenses.

Another thing is that many mirrorless cameras have to be switched on before cleaning the sensor so the IBIS can lock the sensor. I belive that this does not apply to Nikon, but it does to Fuji. If you are going to clean your mirrorless sensor - CHECK FIRST!
 
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I had to clean my d850 sensor a few times a year. To my surprise I haven’t had to clean my a1 sensor on either camera yet. I also shut the camera off, tilt the body as downward as possible and make the change as quick as possible.
 
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I have been shooting Z cameras since 2019 and haven’t had to use anything more than a blower to clean the sensor yet. Keeping the camera pointing down when making lens changes helps a lot. I also try to avoid lens changes in the field when possible.
 
I don't think it matters too much which method you use, just if you follow the directions. I use the premoistened ones from J. Cristina. You get some dry and some wet ones. The only problem is they are not labeled once you open the individually packed swaps, so you have to keep them straight.
 
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ElenaH said:
@Ado Wolf I do clean sensor each time the dust start to be seen in the middle of the frame. On the ends - I can still remove in LR or PS (software) and it is not on the subject. But when it starts to disturb and when I need to use f8-f11 (landscapes, macro) then I clean it. I do wet method.
By the way if you don't clean DSLR sensor I still recommend to clean DSLR mirror because it helps to focus. A part of light goes through the mirror to the small mirror below and then to focusing sensors on the camera bottom. If your mirror is covered with thin dust film then it can impact the focusing. I do always clean the mirrors with already used tabs (after cleaning the sensor).
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whoa! The mirror coating is the most fragile thing inside of a dslr. The dslr mirror coating is NOT like a coating on a regular mirror. Regular mirrors are coated on the back so if you clean the top, you are wiping glass. A dslr mirror is a top coated mirror which has a very thin coating that reflects and cleaning it means you are wiping the fragile coating. I suggest that one never touches the surface of the mirror. The risk of damaging that exceptionally sensitive mirror coating is just too great and even careful cleaning done repeatedly can erode the coating. If anything gets on the mirror that actually affects focusing (never happened to me) and a rocket blower doesn’t take it off, I would probably take it a qualified repair shop. in the good old days when there were camera shops, the bigger ones would sponsor a Nikon Day when factory trained people would clean lenses and mirrors free of charge. There were no sensors back then. Those techs used a pair of tweezers, a cleaning paper sheet and non-isopropyl alcohol to GENTLY wipe the mirrors.

Cleaning the mirror routinely is probably not wise.
 
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As counter-intuitive as it may seem, I do not have a need to clean my Z7II (or previous Z7) as often as I did my D810 or previous DSLRs. I've only wet-cleaned the Z7II's sensor once since I've owned it (1 year). I do keep a rocket blower handy and use it with every lens change. I do change lenses quite a bit.
 
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I do sensor cleaning all the time because I use my camera outdoors which is why dust build-up is very common on my sensor. I use the Sensor Swab Kit by Photographic Solutions with the Hepa Orbit Blower and its Eclipse solution to clean my sensor. It is very easy to use and it cleans the sensor very effectively, the solution after you apply dries instantly as well without leaving any residue or marks. Hope you can try using it since its the product that I have been using for years
 
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I do it rarely and have not had to do it yet on my Nikon Z bodies (Z8 owned about a year and Z6iii for a couple months). I seem to need it once a year at the most (when I had DSLR). I am too timid to try it myself so I go to my local camera repair shop.
 
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It"s too bad that more manufacturers haven't adopted Olympus' method to clean the sensor, every time the camera is turned on the sensor is shaken and any dust is dumped to the bottom of the body. I assume that eventually some of that dust might become airborne and land on the sensor again but I'm shooting some cameras made in 2016/17 and there's no evidence of dust on the sensors.
 
Nearly 4 years with my first a1 and no evidence of dust. The second body, purchased used, had one dust speck once and it came off with a puff of air. None since then.
 
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Woody Meristem said:
It"s too bad that more manufacturers haven't adopted Olympus' method to clean the sensor, every time the camera is turned on the sensor is shaken and any dust is dumped to the bottom of the body. I assume that eventually some of that dust might become airborne and land on the sensor again but I'm shooting some cameras made in 2016/17 and there's no evidence of dust on the sensors.
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I thought all cameras have this feature. On the ones I've had you can opt for it on switch on or shut down. I always set it for shut down as I don't want to delay the start up.

The dust that is loosened should fall onto a sticky strip at the base of the sensor but eventually it will get clogged and I've found that the inbuilt sensor cleaning is not very good as it won't shift pollen and other sticky stuff that gets on the sensor.

I clean my sensors 2 or 3 times a year, but I know people who do it a lot more frequently.
 
Krish said:
In my experience cleaning the sensor of a mirrorless camera by oneself is not that big of a deal so I wouldn't attach "that much virtue" to not cleaning it now and then. It is really simple.
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I don't fix non-problems. In the nearly 4 years since switching to the a1 from older Sony mirrorless bodies there has been only one dust spot in my photos and it was removed with a puff of air.
 
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I never clean mine unless I get a dust spot I can’t blow off with a rocket blower. Having said that, I never ever change lens in the field. I think that cuts down on dust intrusion a lot. It’s definitely a very easy process to do when needed though.
 
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dabhand16 said:
I thought all cameras have this feature. On the ones I've had you can opt for it on switch on or shut down. I always set it for shut down as I don't want to delay the start up.

The dust that is loosened should fall onto a sticky strip at the base of the sensor but eventually it will get clogged and I've found that the inbuilt sensor cleaning is not very good as it won't shift pollen and other sticky stuff that gets on the sensor.

I clean my sensors 2 or 3 times a year, but I know people who do it a lot more frequently.
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With my Olympus cameras there's no noticeable delay in the camera's start up; plus I normally turn the camera on as I lift it to my eye which takes a lot longer than the camera's sensor shake -- and I often leave my camera turned on for extended periods as I walk or sit. Seldom do I change lenses since each lens I use frequently is on a different body, that keeps a lot of the dust out. Normally I carry two bodies with their mounted lenses, Olympus gear is so small and light that's not a problem (I'm 83).
 
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Woody Meristem said:
(I'm 83).
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You have made a very sensible choice of kit Woody. The Olly is probably the most capable cameras on offer in MFT. I'm a mere 77 and ATM my lightweight kit is Fuji. Got an XT-1 the same year as my D850 to see what all the mirrorless fuss was about and never looked back, although I still have my Nikon kit too.
 
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