Sensor Cleaning Survey

Spring is here and I’m getting my gear ready for a new season of out door photography. What is the state of sensor cleaning today?

Please tell me what you use, how you like it, how well it works, how easy or hard it is to use.

Please include sample-images / test-shoots if you can.

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Ed, http://www.edto.net/photography.htm

I have never cleaned a sensor, I owned A Canon D60 for 3 years and I just bought a XRi. Which I keep on "Auto Clean on Startup and Shutdown.

I change lens's outside too. I would suggest. If it ain't showing up on your files..Leave it be.

But if like to "Spring Clean" your stuff, I am sure orthers will help you.

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'Well, Good Luck With That' (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Peter



Enjoy your photography images, even if your wife doesn't ! ;-(
http://laurence-photography.com/
http://www.pbase.com/peterarbib/
Cameras in profile.

If you don't have those stubborn dust specks that won't go away no matter what a regular artists brush will do the trick.

Check this article
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/sensor_cleaning_ii.html

I bought a regular set of artist brushes at Walmart for $2. Took me 5 tries to get all visible specks out of the sensor.

Just make sure the brushes are soft, sometimes they are treated with some kind of solution that dries and preserves the shape.
In this case you need to wash it throughly and the solution will go away.

Before cleaning the sensor try the brush on any multicoated filter and check that it doesn't leave any streaks on it.

Anton.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/laidbackfoto/

For me, the wet method (Eclipse and Pec Pads) is all that would work for the stubborn stuff that cam on the camera from the factory. I only used it once. Since then, the blower (the big Giottos) is all I've needed.

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Andy
FCAS Member #120
http://imageevent.com/ajrphotos

A good site for information on cleaning sensors. I use the sensor swab w/ Eclipse method with great success.

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

I bought my first D SLR in 2004, a 300D, (12,000 images) and my 350XT
last year (4000 images). I have never used anything but a bulb blower.
I try not to change a lens outdoors. I have probably changed a lens
outdoors less than two dozen times. I always have the cap on but loose
on the lens I'm about to install, I remove the lens from the camera with the
camera facing lens down, I remove the lens and set it down, lift off the cap
and attach the next lens camera still facing down. I than blow off the back
of the lens and attach the back cap.
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Gary
http://www.pbase.com/fletchaka

Iv'e tryed them all and the copper hill works best for Me

I use a blower and brushes, I used to check it out and clean it every month or two, then it dropped to every 3-4 months, now I can't even remember the last time I did it. Probably it was late October after a late season beach trip.

I have funguses and not only dust, and the funguses are located between the sensor and the cover glass (filter) of my Canon Rebel 300D.
I could not remove them by only using the blower method recommended by Canon.

The funguses started in june 2006, showing small curve lines at the left of the picture.
Now (April 2007) the lines cover allmost half the frame

See attached pictures that show the growing of funguses from June 2006 to April 2007.

CANON RECOMMENDATION FOR SENSOR CLEANNING

When cleaning the imaging element, always be sure to use a fully
charged battery or the optional AC adapter in the EOS Digital Rebel.

Before you start cleaning, please remove the lens.

1. Please insert the battery.
2. Please set the Main Switch to ON.
3. From the menu, Please select Sensor clean.
4. Please press the SET button.
5. Please select OK.
6. Please press the SET button.

7. The mirror will lock up and the shutter will open. CLEAN will blinkon the LCD panel.

8. Please carefully blow any dust off the imaging element using a commercially available blower.
9. Please set the Main Switch to OFF.
10. Please set the Main Switch to ON, and the camera is ready for use.

Never disconnect the camera power during cleaning.

If the power is cut off, the shutter will close and possibly damage the shutter curtain.
Use a blower without a brush attached.
Using a brush to remove dust from the image element can damage the element.
Do not insert a dust blower into the camera beyond the lens mount.

If the power shuts off and the shutter closes, this may damage the shutter curtain.

Never use cleaning sprays or blower sprays (e.g. canned air).

The pressure and freezing action of the spray gas may damage the surface of the imaging element.

I got the Copperhill kit for cleaning my XT. My XT came from the factory with some stuck-on dust spots and some greasy gunk, both of which were removed effectively with the sensor swipe/pec pad method using Eclipse fluid. Since then dust spots have been removable with a blower.

I upgraded to an XTi, which had some initial dust on it, which a blower dislodged and it has remained clean enough since (I've gotten a bit less obsessive about minor dust motes).

I did just get some Eclipse 2 fluid to use on the XTi if/when it needs swabbing. It turns out that the new sensor protective cover/filter has a tin oxide coating that the original Eclipse fluid can damage. So if you have an XTi, be careful what you use.

In general, you can safely clean your sensor if you have reasonable hand coordination skills and can follow directions. If you screw up it is disaster, so you just have to be careful and follow directions exactly.

Always start with the least intrusive method and see if that works. Use a good-quality blower first (NEVER use compressed gas dusters! If you would even consider that, you do not have the right stuff to clean your own sensor). If that leaves an unacceptable amount of dust, then escalate to brushing. I got a sensor sweep brush with my coperhill kit. The idea is that the synthetic bristles pick up a static charge when you blast them (NOT the sensor) with compressed air, and the dust clings to the brush when you sweep the sensor. Only if that does not work do you escalate to the sensor swipe/Eclipse method. If you get wet pollen grains, or condensation (or spit -- see "right stuff" above) which glues dust particles onto the sensor cover, nothing else will work.
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Dan F

I'll see it when I believe it...

Edward In Toronto said:

Please tell me what you use, how you like it, how well it works,
how easy or hard it is to use.

Click to expand...

Blower brush works for odd big lumps of dust for me, does not get sensor completely clean.

Visible dust sensor brush with canned air is usually excellent on my cameras. Just avoid getting the brush wet with condensed air by over-cooled canned air.

Once had to swab when oil smeared onto my sensor.

I clean less and less now- just when shows up on pictures really, but I do perform regular sky at f/16 checks (I'm not interested in dust that only shows up stopped further down than that).

http://www.pictureline.com/products/12850/Green_Clean_Wet_&_Dry_Swab_-_2_Pack/
when needed.
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http://public.fotki.com/stevemaec/website/

I use Eclipse (now E2) and the same company's (Photographic Solutions) sensor swabs on my XTi. Highly recommended, based on my limited experience. I cleaned the sensor twice since new in Nov 2006.

I find that blowers are no more effective than the built in shaker. They only work on the easy stuff. Besides I'm leery of blowing dirt in hard to reach places. The single-swipe swabs seem gentle and very effective. A bit pricey for a through-away ($3), but at one or two swabs per cleaning it's not at all expensive on an annual basis. Besides, the manufacturer guarantees to pay for repairs if caused by their products, so the price includes some insurance.

Incidently before E2 was available, I used Eclipse once with no problems.

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JerryG

I use the LensPen 'SensorKlear' http://www.lenspen.com/?cPath=2&products_id=SK-1&tpid=286 - it's brilliant and so simple to use.

I tried blower+brushes before and still has spots. With this pen, the sensor was completely clear on first use.

It's very cheap too - I got mine from 7dayshop - they were low on stock at the time due to high demand but I got it eventually.

My photo showing funguses growing in a Canon Rebel the sensor.
Zoon in to see funguses detail

Francisco Bolivar Carneiro

My method is exactly the same as AJohns. I've only wet cleaned my 350d sensor once - a Gitto blower has worked on the few occasions I've needed it since. I have a theory that most (all?) SLR sensors are shipped with some sticky dust that simply blowing, or vibrating, will not remove.

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JohnB47

Francisco Bolivar Carneiro said:

My photo showing funguses growing in a Canon Rebel the sensor.

Click to expand...

Wow that's beautiful. Don't clean/repair it, rather make a time-lapse movie over the next few months as the fungi grow

Funguses in Canon Rebel 300D sensor.

They started at the left side of the picture in June 2006 - lines like tree branches.

In April 2007 the the funguses, like tree branches, go up to the center of the picture

I use a rocket blower first. If that doesn't work, I use that small Lens Pen called SensorKlean. If that doesn't work or I know that won't work, I go for the PecPads and Eclipse solution.

I used to use a Sensor Brush from VisibleDust, but, those things are very expensive and require compressed air --- which isn't easy to carry on a plane. That battery powered brush twirler add-on is over priced.

Much cheaper to buy a bunch of SensorKlean pens and throw them out whenever I think they got too dirty. Easy to carry on planes.

Rodney Gold said, for CCD cleaning:

"First take a pic of a white wall at f22 and then do an auto level on it in PS to see if the sensor is very dirty."

"Then I take a tongue dpressor cut square and wrap it in Kodak lens paper so the lens tissue is squared off at the bottom , moisten it slightly with isopropyl alcohol and gently swipe the sensor once one way and then once the other."

I have seen recomendations for using Eclipse fluid, Methanol or Copperhill fluid, but nothing of about using isopropyl alcohol

Can I use isopropyl alcohol for cleaning the sensor of my Canon 300D?