MikeJ
Well-known member
Thanks, @ingweDave, I will check that out!
Best sensor cleaner?
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I've been using mine successfully for 10 years. I can understand people being nervous using the same item over again but provided you don't ever touch the filaments it works well. It uses static electricity by spinning the filaments and again after use spinning removes any particles. I would not use it if I thought anything on the sensor was not a loose particle. I have probably used it over 200 times, on a dozen cameras and will continue to do so. (BTW I have never changed the battery and it is quite a powerful spin!)
MikeJ
Well-known member
So do the filaments not actually touch the sensor? Or do you mean touching them with your hands, which makes sense.
The filaments touch the sensor and I apply a gentle pressure. This allows the filaments to spread to the width of the sensor, which I really like. I make a single pass and then spin the filaments again. Occasionally I repeat this in the opposite direction. (I have always given the sensor a blow first.) I have never touched the filaments with my fingers but they can be cleaned.
I'm lucky to have a great camera shop not too far from me, YM in Youngstown, OH. They've cleaned the sensor on a camera I had stopped using because of dust spots with stellar results.
Not A Speck Of Cereal
Well-known member
^ This. ^
Mike, remember this: you cleaning a piece of glass, not a sensor. There's always a piece of glass between you and the sensor. You should always take all of the recommended care, of course, but when you realize that you're not actually touching the sensor, that may take some of the pressure off.
So get a fresh bottle of Eclipse (if you find a bottle of their newer E2, do NOT buy it--it was a failed new product that should not be on the shelves anymore). Get the correct sized swabs for your sensor and consider keeping the used ones, which you can use to make new ones with fresh "pec pad" material.
- Use a blower first to see if that knocks the dust off
- Use only a drop or two of fluid
- Wipe the swab one direction, then then other. Once only, each direction.
Calson
Well-known member
For normal cleaning I use Eclipse cleaning solution which works very well and I have been using it for 20 years with no issues. When I had oil on the sensor from the shutter mechanism I needed to use the Visible Dust Smear-Away product but it also left a film behind that I needed to use Eclipse to remove.
I was using the Visible Dust V swabs but now there are equally good ones sold on Amazon at a fraction of the price. I use the full size swab and also the 1/4 inch wide ones for the corners. The particles are most visible at small apertures so I do test shots of the open sky at f/16 to check the sensor.
If with my DSLR cameras I sent them off to be cleaned by Nikon I would reduce my time with having the cameras available for shooting by more than 75%. I am much more careful with the cameras to minimize lens changes outside as much as possible. With my super telephoto lenses I use a lens carrier that allows me to have the camera mounted to the lens and not need to do this in the field. The shutter on the Z9 is a nice touch and much appreciated.
I was using the Visible Dust V swabs but now there are equally good ones sold on Amazon at a fraction of the price. I use the full size swab and also the 1/4 inch wide ones for the corners. The particles are most visible at small apertures so I do test shots of the open sky at f/16 to check the sensor.
If with my DSLR cameras I sent them off to be cleaned by Nikon I would reduce my time with having the cameras available for shooting by more than 75%. I am much more careful with the cameras to minimize lens changes outside as much as possible. With my super telephoto lenses I use a lens carrier that allows me to have the camera mounted to the lens and not need to do this in the field. The shutter on the Z9 is a nice touch and much appreciated.
Jack S.
Active member
Visible Dust kit, along with a good blow out with a rocket blower first. I also have an Eyelead gel stick which is really good at shifting what the Visible Dust kit can't move.
MikeJ
Well-known member
Thank you, @Not A Speck Of Cereal, @Calson and @Jack S. for all the good information! I have the Photographic Solutions Swab Ultra Kit (Type 2), which is sized for APS sized sensors, arriving Wednesday. So my days of cloning out dust in Gimp will hopefully soon be over!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ATS2FUA/?tag=backcogaller-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ATS2FUA/?tag=backcogaller-20
Roy
Well-known member
I prefer to avoid dust. I carry 2 bodies and always change lenses facing downward...
Chiguy
Member
Rich I'm in the Chgo So Burbs there is a place called international Camera I have used them for sensor cleaning and had cameras repaired there. They do everything in house all brands of cameras and offer 5% discount if paid in cash and have fast turn around times. Located at 17 N Wabash Ave room 674 312-630-1017
Calson
Well-known member
My sensors can be clean today and pick up something tomorrow. Easier to do your own cleaning with V shaped swabs, 1/4" square tip swabs, and Eclipse cleaning solution. It takes less than 10 minutes per camera and the cost of the swabs has decreased dramatically over the years.
Anthony
Active member
I have used Eclipse and Pec Pads for many years. Nothing else has worked as well. Visible Dust solutions do not work for me, and the Arctic Butterfly is in a drawer somewhere in ignominious retirement.
kevinCam2027
New member
Hi Guys, I find your comments and post in this thread very informative to me. I lived in an area where getting to a photo camera store or repair shop to have my lenses or sensor clean is a big hassle. I search for multiple ways on how I can do the cleaning my self. Luckyly I found this thread and read about Eclipse by Photographic Solutions and its a blessing for me. I don't have to worry about going to a camera repair shop to have it cleaned again. Thanks guys
Not A Speck Of Cereal
Well-known member
Another tip I found useful: if you do the cleaning in a room that you can get steamy, then it will be a relatively dust free room. For example, if you have a bathroom with a door, turn on the hot shower and let it get steamy for a few minutes, which will cause most of the dust to get moisture-laden and heavy and therefore fall to the ground. Then you can take off your lens without fear of introducing yet more dust to the sensor while you clean.
Chris
PS: ironic that back in the days of film, we often worked in darkrooms that had specialized positive air-flow systems with intake filters to keep the room dust free, to keep negatives and prints dust free. Now we have sensors where small dust can be a big deal, but no longer have those dust free dark rooms.
EricKlees
Well-known member
I use a rocket blower, works about 80% of the time. If that doesn't do the trick I use a lens brush. They are specifically for camera sensors and run about $20. Only then if that doesn't work do I wet clean the sensor with swabs.
I would clean my DSLRs at least once a quarter (3 months) as maintenance or more often if i saw a spot. With my Z9 and since getting it in Jan 2022, I have done a wet clean once. I'm not comfortable doing well l wet cleaning as often since it has that coating on the sensor. Honestly, a blower has removed any spots I've seen so the coating seems to be working as intended
I would clean my DSLRs at least once a quarter (3 months) as maintenance or more often if i saw a spot. With my Z9 and since getting it in Jan 2022, I have done a wet clean once. I'm not comfortable doing well l wet cleaning as often since it has that coating on the sensor. Honestly, a blower has removed any spots I've seen so the coating seems to be working as intended
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Ditto. I also run multiple sensor shake cycles and that helps occasionally.
EricKlees
Well-known member
To me that's a gimmick. That's never worked for me.
I do run sensor clean before using the rocket blower but only with the camera in a clean location with the lens mount facing straight down and no lens or body cap. After running it I make sure that I hav the sensor shield turned off then turn the camera off and carefully blow accross the front of the lens mount opening with my rocket blower. I have only had a couple of spots on either of my Z9's and that worked of course it might have worked with the just the Rocket Blower.
I did the same routine sans the sensor shield on my wifes Z50 and now here Z7II. I hold the camera face down over a clean dry white sink and I did see a large spec of dust in the sink when I was running the sensor clean on her Z7II.
Her Z50 was the first Nikon mirrorless we had and my wife got dust spots on it fairly often. I was able to clean it each time with the Rocket Blower I do not remember if I used the sensor clean on the Z50 every time or not.
Roy
Well-known member
because the sensor is protected by a glass filter DIY sensor cleaning is safe.
Just be careful not to damage the shutter ...
Just be careful not to damage the shutter ...
For anyone thinking about taking your camera into a camera shop to have the sensor cleaned, just be aware that even reputable shops can be shady. My brother brought his Nikon D750 into a "reputable" and well known camera shop in San Diego last year. I told him to make sure and take a pre cleaning photo (i.e. stop down to like f22 and shoot the blue sky to see all of the dirt spots) which he did.
He left the camera for cleaning and 100 bucks later he picked it up. I told him to take a test shot, and sure enough the sensor was almost as dirty as when he took it in. He brought it back and they "redid" the cleaning, which seemed to work. Not sure if it was an honest mistake or they just assumed he would not check. As always "Buyer Beware." That's my PSA for the day. Ken
He left the camera for cleaning and 100 bucks later he picked it up. I told him to take a test shot, and sure enough the sensor was almost as dirty as when he took it in. He brought it back and they "redid" the cleaning, which seemed to work. Not sure if it was an honest mistake or they just assumed he would not check. As always "Buyer Beware." That's my PSA for the day. Ken
thott
New member
When I am in the field and I see some spots within the pictures I use a blower or a GEL Stick for fast cleaning.
At home normally I use a blower and if this didn't help I use the wet methode.
Eclipse fluid and Alpha Sensor Swaps.
May be this is interesting:
http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/the-methods-tools/
At home normally I use a blower and if this didn't help I use the wet methode.
Eclipse fluid and Alpha Sensor Swaps.
May be this is interesting:
http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/the-methods-tools/
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SHC
Member
Back when I owned the D500 ( and other Nikon DSLRs), I found Thom Hogan’s advice to work very well.
Flyboy
Active member
There are a LOT of manufacturers of "nece$$ary" sensor-cleaning oddments. I use the CLEAN SENSOR option on my cameras, blow the camera body out occasionally with a "Rocket Blaster" and rarely, as needed, use the sensor liquid and swabs I happen to have available. It's not hard, and the "cautions" about damaging the sensor are generlly unneeded. There is protective glass over the sensor. Just don't ham-hand it! IMNHO, It's better than paying a camera store or repairman $20-50 to do it for you, and any editing program has a RETOUCH option that can remove minor spots from the images.
Mr.Fox
Member
The LensPen SensorKlear sensor cleaning pencil and a hand-held blower save the day.