Any sensor cleaning while you wait places in Midlands

ukglyn

ukglyn

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As the title really, I need the sensor on 1 of my d700 cameras cleaning & want somewhere ideally who does it while you wait, anywhere in the midlands/Staffs area. I have managed to track 1 place down in Stoke, but would rather go somewhere that is recommended bu you good people.

Any help appreciated.:thumbs:
 
What is the place in stoke called? I've used one there to repair the wife's camera and they really know what they are doing.

H. Lehmann??
 
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Harvey_nikon said:
What is the place in stoke called? I've used one there to repair the wife's camera and they really know what they are doing.

H. Lehmann??
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Yeah that was them, thanks for the heads up:thumbs:

String said:
Calumet may do it for you if you phone them first.
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Thanks will give them a shout, never thought about them.:thumbs:
 
I was lucky. The day I booked mine in, they had an open day for their trade suppliers. Not only did they do it while I waited, and they let me watch, they did it free of cost! :)
 
You don't want to just do it yourself? It's very easy and your not really cleaning the sensor but the filter in front of it. I have a special magnifyer with LED lights that fits onto the camera to inspect it, but a good magnifyer and little light is fine.

Nikon used to use a wooden stick with lint free material wrapped around it to scrub it with a bit of cleaning fluid like alcohol. Just blow it out with a rocket type blower, then use a soft paintbrush to get any dust off. Use a nylon bristle brush and charge it first by hitting it with canned air so the dust bunnies stick to it.

If theres anything left on there use lint free swab with cleaning fluid or you can get a 'lens pen' type thing designed for sensors. This will remove any stuck on particles.

Easy peasy.
 
lensflair said:
You don't want to just do it yourself? It's very easy and your not really cleaning the sensor but the filter in front of it. I have a special magnifyer with LED lights that fits onto the camera to inspect it, but a good magnifyer and little light is fine.

Nikon used to use a wooden stick with lint free material wrapped around it to scrub it with a bit of cleaning fluid like alcohol. Just blow it out with a rocket type blower, then use a soft paintbrush to get any dust off. Use a nylon bristle brush and charge it first by hitting it with canned air so the dust bunnies stick to it.

If theres anything left on there use lint free swab with cleaning fluid or you can get a 'lens pen' type thing designed for sensors. This will remove any stuck on particles.

Easy peasy.
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See I have been considering this action, but am just paranoid that I will end up scratching it & end up spending a small fortune on a repair, I have give it a few blasts with my rocket blower, but some dust/dirt:shrug: is still there staying put, how tough is this glass screen in front of the sensor, as I have never actually touched it with anything before. The pen idea sounds like it might be a good idea, I presume it is a bit like the lens pens & pregnated with alcohol?
 
I Have also used Lehmann's (to have lenses serviced) and would also recomend them. Very impressed with there results.
 
ukglyn said:
See I have been considering this action, but am just paranoid that I will end up scratching it & end up spending a small fortune on a repair, I have give it a few blasts with my rocket blower, but some dust/dirt:shrug: is still there staying put, how tough is this glass screen in front of the sensor, as I have never actually touched it with anything before. The pen idea sounds like it might be a good idea, I presume it is a bit like the lens pens & pregnated with alcohol?
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Well it's up to you really but I have never found damaging it to be a problem. One of my camera bodies is the D3 which doesn't have the dust removal system built in and needs cleaning a lot more often. Sometimes just blowing it out is enough (don't use canned air for this). But sometimes you need a brush or to actually wet clean it. It's not as fragile as some people thing, you are not really touching the sensor at all but the filter that sits over it.

Nikon's own method used to be a wooden stick (chopstick?) with material over it and alcohol to scrub it. I think they use something like the little plastic sensor cleaners and cleaning fluid now.

If your worried about it maybe better to get someone else to do it, but you can buy a proper little kit with illuminating magnifyer, blower, brush and a lens pen type thing for not much money and do it as many times as you like.
http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod6784.htm

I picked one of the above up ages ago somewhere cheap but mainly use it for the loupe, I have a little soft nylon brush and use swabs for wet cleaning. The lens pen that it comes with works but I prefer a swab.
 
I'd run a mile from Lehmann, my last 2 repairs with them have been a real pain and will never go near them again.
Calumet may do it, or The Flash Centre, best way is to buy an Artic Butterfly and DIY.
I've been cleaning my 1ds for years this way and it works perfectly.
If you do get it horribly wrong then you are only messing up the AA filter, not the digital chip.
 
I used Lehmans earlier in the year for 2x canon 5d sensor cleans, booked them in and droped them off at opening time, went for breakfast down the road and by 10.30 both were ready for collection and absolutely spotless! Great service!

I would recomend them. Think it was about £50 a camera off the top of my head!
 
Thanks all, spoke to calumet they charge £55 for a full size sensor but has to be with then for 24hrs, Lehmans is £60 but will do while you wait, so by the the time I have factored in the fuel for 2 visits to Birmingham Lehmans is the cheaper of the 2!

Would really love to diy it but I have the touch of a jcb so prob best left to someone a lot more gentle than me.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Up to you of course, but it's well worth learning how to do it yourself at these prices. It's really quite straightforward.
 
MartynK said:
Up to you of course, but it's well worth learning how to do it yourself at these prices. It's really quite straightforward.
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Mind you even tho i clean mine if its light fouling ( I use the artic butterfly brush thingy) I find that a proffesional clean in clean room environments every now and then is a must - especially if the sensor is very dirty. Not least because a decent pro clean will do the whole cavity , mirror box etc as well as the sensor - so you wont get cack falling onto your newly cleaned sensor the next time you use the camera.

I cant help re midlands places but fixation in london are very good and do a while you wait service.

also with regard to damaging it if you do it yourself - although its true that you will 'only' damage the AA filter - have you checked out the price of having an AA replaced ? - its damn nearly as much as a new sensor (Probably because the costly bit is mainly labour rather than parts)
 
big soft moose said:
Mind you even tho i clean mine if its light fouling ( I use the artic butterfly brush thingy) I find that a proffesional clean in clean room environments every now and then is a must - especially if the sensor is very dirty. Not least because a decent pro clean will do the whole cavity , mirror box etc as well as the sensor - so you wont get cack falling onto your newly cleaned sensor the next time you use the camera.

I cant help re midlands places but fixation in london are very good and do a while you wait service.

also with regard to damaging it if you do it yourself - although its true that you will 'only' damage the AA filter - have you checked out the price of having an AA replaced ? - its damn nearly as much as a new sensor (Probably because the costly bit is mainly labour rather than parts)
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OK, but there's no reason to let the sensor/filter get very dirty in the first place, and why would you damage the anti aliasing filter if you do this properly? I'm not cack handed, but I'm not the most gifted DIY guy either, and I've never run into a problem.
 
MartynK said:
OK, but there's no reason to let the sensor/filter get very dirty in the first place, and why would you damage the anti aliasing filter if you do this properly? I'm not cack handed, but I'm not the most gifted DIY guy either, and I've never run into a problem.
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The last reason my 20D sensor got "very dirty" was changing lenses at a motorcross event, time before that I was taking a lot of prone shots at a mountain bike trial, being on safari is another common cause etc , it happens...

and with regard to damaging the AA filter if you are using swabs it only takes one piece of sand or grit to be on the AA as you drag it across and your knackered.

like you said its horse for course and if someone is happy doing their own cleaning then thats fine, but it isnt the right call for everyone
 
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