Service help

[musicshootr]

I have specks of dust on my Zf sensor that the rocket blower and in body sensor cleaning are not working to remove. This situation is very stressful for me. I am located in southern West Virginia. Are there any reputable service locations within a 2-3 hour radius of me? I would prefer to take it in somewhere for a same day cleaning rather than have to mail my only really nice camera body away for weeks or months if I can avoid that.



Thanks in advance for your help, this situation is making me very sad. I try to take very good care of my things but made an error here apparently. (No abuse. Just standard lens changes, indoors whenever possible).

 

[j_photo]

I think most forum members here eventually learn how to clean sensors themselves. But it does require a deft touch and a bit of confidence, so it´s not for everyone.

 

[musicshootr]

I'm reluctant to do that, for 3 reasons.
I have a skin condition on my hands making them very dry, so using my dry hands on a swab atop my sensor sounds like a way to potentially immediately dirty it again.
The Zf has no "brakes" on its sensor sled, so the camera must be left powered on to safely do a wet clean without damaging the IBIS. Yikes.
I have no insurance or NPS so I would be up the creek without a paddle if something went wrong.



I know I should learn but now is not the time.

 

[dacrema]

I use to live in Virginia just outside DC. You might try calling Ace Photo in Ashburn Va, 703-430-3333 if that is not to far away. Maybe they can help or recommend a place. I understand your concern about your skin condition. They might have ideas for a work around that would allow you to do your own cleaning.



All that said after years (like from the 1980s) I have become a fan of sending my cameras into Nikon USA for a deep cleaning every few years. I am not a pro and my use is no where near as intense. I recently sent a Z7 in for cleaning and I was amazed at the difference. I have fallen in love with the sensor all over again. They also did caught other things. I thought it was well worth the money spent. The Z9 will be going in soon.

 

[stevenj2]

Can you handle the separate Wet and Dry swabs. Sold under Aurora name on his site or Amaz. by Photographer and YouTubers J. Cristina. Take only light pressure and smooth wipe, using the handle. I have the FF one. Disposable.

I have specks of dust on my Zf sensor that the rocket blower and in body sensor cleaning are not working to remove. This situation is very stressful for me. I am located in southern West Virginia. Are there any reputable service locations within a 2-3 hour radius of me? I would prefer to take it in somewhere for a same day cleaning rather than have to mail my only really nice camera body away for weeks or months if I can avoid that.

Thanks in advance for your help, this situation is making me very sad. I try to take very good care of my things but made an error here apparently. (No abuse. Just standard lens changes, indoors whenever possible).

 

[PLShutterbug]

I have specks of dust on my Zf sensor that the rocket blower and in body sensor cleaning are not working to remove. This situation is very stressful for me. I am located in southern West Virginia. Are there any reputable service locations within a 2-3 hour radius of me? I would prefer to take it in somewhere for a same day cleaning rather than have to mail my only really nice camera body away for weeks or months if I can avoid that.

Thanks in advance for your help, this situation is making me very sad. I try to take very good care of my things but made an error here apparently. (No abuse. Just standard lens changes, indoors whenever possible).

First, there is nothing to feel sad or stressed about here. ALL interchangeable-lens digital camera sensors need to be cleaned from time to time. The only way to avoid it is to leave your camera in its sealed factory box.

I have personally had a sensor that was pristine five minutes ago (because I just cleaned it) get a massive dust speck so had to clean it again.

Second, your skin condition is unlikely to deliver anything to the sensor that cannot be blown off, if it is dry scales like from psoriasis.just clean the sensor, look again under magnification, and then blow off anything that may have fallen in while holding the camera with the sensor pointing down.

If you want to send it in this time, do. But at the same time do, order a VSGO wet-cleaning kit. Then start learning how to do this task yourself. Because, see the top of my response.

 

[j_photo]

I'm reluctant to do that, for 3 reasons.
I have a skin condition on my hands making them very dry, so using my dry hands on a swab atop my sensor sounds like a way to potentially immediately dirty it again.
The Zf has no "brakes" on its sensor sled, so the camera must be left powered on to safely do a wet clean without damaging the IBIS. Yikes.
I have no insurance or NPS so I would be up the creek without a paddle if something went wrong.

I know I should learn but now is not the time.

Before I started cleaning my own, I would take the camera to the local brick and mortar store where they could do a simple sensor cleaning.

I've used Nikon service for camera repairs, but never just cleaning. If I didn't have a local option, I suppose that's where I would send my the gear if needed. But I find I need to clean my camera sensors quite regularly. Sending them out for cleaning would just not be practical for me.

In any case, good luck.

 

[Fabian Joya]

I am curious. What kind of difference did you see after cleaning?

 

[jthomas39]

A sensor brush for easy cleaning

I do my own wet cleaning, on my Z6 and now on my Z6 iii. I now use a "sensor brush" for a simple dust removal. It's fast and easy. The brush doesn't always remove every spot. If there's noticeable stubborn dust spots, then I do a wet cleaning.

Dust blobs show up in areas of smooth color and at smaller apertures. Wide open, they often aren't noticeable in a typical scene. So I don't worry about a few faint blobs, waiting to clean until it gets more obvious.

The photo test will show an astonishing number of very tiny dust spots. But scenes at f/16 with large, flat color areas aren't a typical photo subject, and the spots become invisible at smaller apertures or a more detailed scene. Clear blue skies are the most common way for me to see dust spots.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two easy steps:

1. Testing for dust:

I can't see the tiny dust particles on the sensor at all. Big ones usually get removed by the rocket blower. Some cleaning guides mention using a camera sensor loupe to examine the sensor surface with a lot of magnification -- I don't do that.

I take a test shot:

Launch Notepad in Windows, full screen. It's just a white background for the test shot.

Use Manual mode. Use the smallest lens aperture, f/16 or smaller.

I want a slow shutter speed to blur the scene. Then only the dust blobs show up. Use something like 1/4 or 1/2 second and Auto ISO. The photo will look gray with this auto ISO exposure. You might want a +1 Exposure Comp to brighten it.

Focus at infinity, fill the frame with the white screen, and move the camera in a small circle while you shoot a few shots. Now the screen is completely blurred, and only the dust blobs are visible, since they don't move on the sensor itself.

I used to import the test shots into my editor and crank up the contrast -- yikes! that shows tiny dust blobs everywhere! Now, I mostly just do in-camera image review, zooming in partway and panning across the full image.

~~~~~~

2. Sensor brush cleaning:

This is quick and easy, so I do it more often than I used to do wet cleaning.

I got a sensor brush that was stocked at the local camera store.

Blow off the sensor with the rocket blower to remove any really large dust pieces. Smaller ones seem to be stuck onto the sensor by static electricity or a similar effect, and the air flow doesn't remove them. I've never had the in-camera dust vibrating fix any dust.

Blast the bristles with the rocket blower, to build up a small static charge and to to clean the bristles. This brush comes in a capped storage tube, to help stay clean.

Brush once left to right, then flip the brush over and go right to left, to include the edges of the sensor. It's a very light pressure, just enough to get the tips of the brush on the sensor. No residue, and no worry about missing part of the sensor. Very non-technical!

I like to blast the bristles again, and repeat one more time.

Shoot another test shot. There's likely a few spots still on the sensor. Remember that the sensor is a mirror image of the dust locations: A top left dust spot in the photo will be bottom right on the sensor.

Decide when it's "good enough". That's usually two passes for me.

 

[Ozzie SD]

>> I have a skin condition on my hands making them very dry, so using my dry hands on a swab atop my sensor sounds like a way to potentially immediately dirty it again.

How about putting on a pair of disposable gloves?

 

[Ninpou_Bunshinnojutsu]

Does anyone want to elaborate on this concern?

"The Zf has no "brakes" on its sensor sled, so the camera must be left powered on to safely do a wet clean without damaging the IBIS. Yikes."

I've wet cleaned everything from my D70 to my Z9, but haven't done anything with my Zf yet, as I only got it this year lols. I wouldn't have given it a second thought except I do remember the Zf IBIS is not locked down.

 

[ny_geko]

I have specks of dust on my Zf sensor that the rocket blower and in body sensor cleaning are not working to remove. This situation is very stressful for me. I am located in southern West Virginia. Are there any reputable service locations within a 2-3 hour radius of me? I would prefer to take it in somewhere for a same day cleaning rather than have to mail my only really nice camera body away for weeks or months if I can avoid that.

Nikon USA quotes a 5-day turnaround time.

Can confirm, I just used their service to clean my Nikon Zf. Would recommend.

Paid Nikon $87.59, which included return shipping via UPS, in addition to whatever I paid UPS to ship the camera to Nikon.

Here's my timeline: (keep in mind Nikon service was closed on 5/23 and 2/26)

5/20 Delivered to Nikon in Jericho, NY

5/21 Nikon acknowledged receipt

5/23 Technician assigned

5/27 Shipped to me

Overall it took exactly 1 calendar week.

I received the above updates, and a few others that were less meaningful but still indicated progress, through a patchwork of e-mail and SMS notifications from Nikon as well as changes to my case status on the their website.

Thanks in advance for your help, this situation is making me very sad. I try to take very good care of my things but made an error here apparently. (No abuse. Just standard lens changes, indoors whenever possible).

 

[ny_geko]

A sensor brush for easy cleaning

I do my own wet cleaning, on my Z6 and now on my Z6 iii. I now use a "sensor brush" for a simple dust removal. It's fast and easy. The brush doesn't always remove every spot. If there's noticeable stubborn dust spots, then I do a wet cleaning.

Dust blobs show up in areas of smooth color and at smaller apertures. Wide open, they often aren't noticeable in a typical scene. So I don't worry about a few faint blobs, waiting to clean until it gets more obvious.

The photo test will show an astonishing number of very tiny dust spots. But scenes at f/16 with large, flat color areas aren't a typical photo subject, and the spots become invisible at smaller apertures or a more detailed scene. Clear blue skies are the most common way for me to see dust spots.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two easy steps:

1. Testing for dust:

I can't see the tiny dust particles on the sensor at all. Big ones usually get removed by the rocket blower. Some cleaning guides mention using a camera sensor loupe to examine the sensor surface with a lot of magnification -- I don't do that.

I take a test shot:

Launch Notepad in Windows, full screen. It's just a white background for the test shot.

Use Manual mode. Use the smallest lens aperture, f/16 or smaller.

I want a slow shutter speed to blur the scene. Then only the dust blobs show up. Use something like 1/4 or 1/2 second and Auto ISO. The photo will look gray with this auto ISO exposure. You might want a +1 Exposure Comp to brighten it.

Focus at infinity, fill the frame with the white screen, and move the camera in a small circle while you shoot a few shots. Now the screen is completely blurred, and only the dust blobs are visible, since they don't move on the sensor itself.

I used to import the test shots into my editor and crank up the contrast -- yikes! that shows tiny dust blobs everywhere! Now, I mostly just do in-camera image review, zooming in partway and panning across the full image.

~~~~~~

2. Sensor brush cleaning:

This is quick and easy, so I do it more often than I used to do wet cleaning.

I got a sensor brush that was stocked at the local camera store.

Blow off the sensor with the rocket blower to remove any really large dust pieces. Smaller ones seem to be stuck onto the sensor by static electricity or a similar effect, and the air flow doesn't remove them. I've never had the in-camera dust vibrating fix any dust.

Blast the bristles with the rocket blower, to build up a small static charge and to to clean the bristles. This brush comes in a capped storage tube, to help stay clean.

Brush once left to right, then flip the brush over and go right to left, to include the edges of the sensor. It's a very light pressure, just enough to get the tips of the brush on the sensor. No residue, and no worry about missing part of the sensor. Very non-technical!

I like to blast the bristles again, and repeat one more time.

Shoot another test shot. There's likely a few spots still on the sensor. Remember that the sensor is a mirror image of the dust locations: A top left dust spot in the photo will be bottom right on the sensor.

Decide when it's "good enough". That's usually two passes for me.

Sounds pretty good to be able to clean your own sensor but I would consider each person's skill level, environment, time constraints, etc. before indiscriminately recommending the do-it-yourself approach.

For what it's worth, the manufacturer recommends:

1) Do not use brushes

2) If air from a rocket blower fails to clean the sensor, send it in for repair

 

[PLShutterbug]

Sounds pretty good to be able to clean your own sensor but I would consider each person's skill level, environment, time constraints, etc. before indiscriminately recommending the do-it-yourself approach.

For what it's worth, the manufacturer recommends:

1) Do not use brushes

2) If air from a rocket blower fails to clean the sensor, send it in for repair

Pretty much every camera manufacturer has their own version of that same admonishment in every manual they publish.

And yet … every year, hundreds of thousands of photographers successfully clean their own sensors - multiple times.

This is a CYA, liability limit thing. It has nothing to do with reality, as long as you are careful.

 

[dacrema]

I am curious. What kind of difference did you see after cleaning?

They remapped the sensor (after five years it needed it). I think they vacuum the inside of the camera some how. There was no dust inside along the bottom or sides. (Where does the dust go when the turning the camera off for sensor dust removal). They replace part of the grip that was showing ware. The outside of the camera looked new as well. There is a list on the NikonUSA website https://www.nikonusa.com/content/factory-maintenance.

The camera was five or six years old and I really had enjoyed it. It got to the point where I would clean it and have to clean it again in a few weeks. There were a lot of hot pixels. In post I always look for dust spots at 200%. The hot pixels were really starting to bother me. I was really surprised with how much difference the cleaning made. Well worth the cost and shipping. The camera was gone less than 10 days.

 

[dacrema]

I live west of the Mississippi so my camera went to LA. But about the same time frame from drop off to unboxing (front door to my office door time). I could not remember the exact number of days so I said 10 to be safe.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

I have specks of dust on my Zf sensor that the rocket blower and in body sensor cleaning are not working to remove. This situation is very stressful for me. I am located in southern West Virginia. Are there any reputable service locations within a 2-3 hour radius of me? I would prefer to take it in somewhere for a same day cleaning rather than have to mail my only really nice camera body away for weeks or months if I can avoid that.

Thanks in advance for your help, this situation is making me very sad. I try to take very good care of my things but made an error here apparently. (No abuse. Just standard lens changes, indoors whenever possible).

Buy some good quality cleaning swabs and Eclipse solution and watch some youtube videos. it's a good thing to have on hand anyway. It can be a bit nerve wracking to do the first time, but once you've done it once or twice, it's easy and you won't think twice about it. These days I only take my camera into get it cleaned if the local store is offering free sensor cleanings (which they do during some promos, but generally otherwise I just clean my own sensor). Just watch some videos, read the directions and if you have another camera or can get a cheap camera to try on, do that to try it out a few times.

As a side tip, when you do wet clean you need to apply ENOUGH pressure to push the swab against the sensor. My issue initially was I wasn't pressing hard enough and more or less just dragging the swab across the sensor and leaving streaks, so after about 3 swabs I figured this out. Haven't damaged a sensor yet. You could also try the gel sticks but I'm not a fan of those because there have been horror stories of people who accidentally ripped off AA Filters on their sensors. But a good wet cleaning kit is something that you should probably keep around for instances like this.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Sounds pretty good to be able to clean your own sensor but I would consider each person's skill level, environment, time constraints, etc. before indiscriminately recommending the do-it-yourself approach.

For what it's worth, the manufacturer recommends:

1) Do not use brushes

2) If air from a rocket blower fails to clean the sensor, send it in for repair

Pretty much every camera manufacturer has their own version of that same admonishment in every manual they publish.

And yet … every year, hundreds of thousands of photographers successfully clean their own sensors - multiple times.

This is a CYA, liability limit thing. It has nothing to do with reality, as long as you are careful.

Yes the warning is for liability reasons but I've been cleaning my own sensors now for about 5 years without an issue yet. Then again, mine don't need frequent cleaning like some people (maybe once a year it needs a wet clean perhaps).

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* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *

 

[Bob A L]

I know that many here have been wet cleaning their sensors for some time with success, but I also agree that there are potential problems and that Nikon advises us not to do this. The other thing is that I know a whole bunch of users of Mirrorless cameras that absolutely should not try to wet clean their sensor themselves. And one additional question to those that have been doing it on their own, have the cameras you have been cleaning had ibis? and if so, did they have a ibis lock that locked the sensor down when cleaning? The Zf seems to be unique in this and apparently the sensor is floating around when cleaning. I'm not sure I would want to go wet cleaning a moving sensor myself. Would that bother anyone else? I am very happy that I have only had to wet clean a sensor once since 2004 when I went to Nikon digital with a D70. And hope I never need to again.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

I know that many here have been wet cleaning their sensors for some time with success, but I also agree that there are potential problems and that Nikon advises us not to do this. The other thing is that I know a whole bunch of users of Mirrorless cameras that absolutely should not try to wet clean their sensor themselves. And one additional question to those that have been doing it on their own, have the cameras you have been cleaning had ibis? and if so, did they have a ibis lock that locked the sensor down when cleaning? The Zf seems to be unique in this and apparently the sensor is floating around when cleaning. I'm not sure I would want to go wet cleaning a moving sensor myself. Would that bother anyone else? I am very happy that I have only had to wet clean a sensor once since 2004 when I went to Nikon digital with a D70. And hope I never need to again.

The only reason they advise us is because if they don't tell you not to do it, and you damage the sensor, Nikon would likely be replacing a lot sensors under warranty or at no charge because they never said not to.

My local camera shop has cleaned my Zf sensor and also Canon sensors without issue (Canon's are the same as the Zf, sensor where it doesn't lock down). The guy told me that he turns the camera on, disables IBIS and cleans it). They've done it now probably 3 times with no issues that I can see. I've done it once following their guidelines again without issue, but I guess it also depends on one's comfort level. But the note in the manual is in all manuals, not just the Zf manual, and it's a boilerplate warning for liability reasons.

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* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *