How often do you clean your sensor?

sooly

sooly

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I have a Sony A6000 and it seems like I need to clean the sensor every few months. I don't change lenses very often at all but the camera is exposed to around a 30mph wind pretty much the whole time I'm shooting because I am flying in a paramotor.

I have been using the 35mm f/1.8 lens where maybe dust is getting in between the lens and the mount?

I've just bought a Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 which has weather sealing, so maybe that will help? I'm wondering if anyone else experiences frequent dust on the sensor.
 
I test my cameras pretty much every time I come home after using them but they rarely needs cleaning so I only clean it when I see a blob. Sometimes a blast with a rocket does the job and in fact I don't think I've done a wet clean for months.
 
I normally use a blower and give a few puffs when changing lenses, but seldom wet-clean. The previous Nikon D610 needed cleaning a couple of times per year, but the A7III only needs it every couple of years.
 
Use the rocket blower every time I change lens. Blow around mount and lens body.
Sensor if being blown a quick pass with body upside down sensor facing floor same with lens sensor side glass.

Edit to add this is always at home before I leave. I only use 2 zooms and have a clear idea which one I want to use on a given day so very rarely swap in the field. If I do swap outdoors it’s as quickly as possible (and never in the rain) and no in that instance I don’t use the blower but will check over at home.
Probably no need but just the habit I’ve formed and seems to be working for me in so much as I have yet to have a dirty sensor. That may equally have been the case without use of the blower however!

After 18 months of owning the XT-4 I’ve not had a spot on the sensor. Whether that’s luck or well sealed kit or a bit of both I don’t know but hopefully it continues!
 
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I only clean when necessary. My Canon 5D Mk IV has never needed cleaning yet but uses a self cleaning mechanism which does appear to work. I mainly use a Sony A6600 which I have had for just over 12 months but again it has not yet needed cleaning.

Dave
 
Rarely, only when spot healing the dust bunnies becomes tedious.
 
I've never cleaned the sensor on my Olympus EM1 MkII and I've had it since May 2020. Never seen any dust/debris spots on images so no need to do anything.

It does 'clean' itself every time I turn it on so that seems to do the job.
 
im going to have to do mine tomorrow, first time ive done it, il have to watch a couple of videos on youtube
 
Brendan Mulachy said:
im going to have to do mine tomorrow, first time ive done it, il have to watch a couple of videos on youtube
Click to expand...

Tip, to get an instantly clean working surface, Use a sheet of cling film, just lay it down. Not only it will be clean and as sterile as you can get it. It will also start attract dust, meaning less in the area where you are going to clean the lenses and the static will pull it away from you as well.

When you place a drop of the liquid onto the swab, drop it BELOW the end, let capillary reaction to pull it up. That way you don’t have excess..
 
As little as possible, I check with a pinhole lens.

Question for those who love their blowers,

Where does the dust go when you blow it off the sensor?
Does it leap out of the camera, or does it go into the shutter mechanism?
 
I'm interested in the comments saying people use a blower every time they change lens. I'm usually changing lenses in the field and try to keep the length of time the body is open to the absolute minimum. Besides in a howling gale a blower seems a bit like blowing in the wind
 
Sangoma said:
As little as possible, I check with a pinhole lens.

Question for those who love their blowers,

Where does the dust go when you blow it off the sensor?
Does it leap out of the camera, or does it go into the shutter mechanism?
Click to expand...

That's a curious way to ask. I expect most is blown out of the body with a little falling on the shutter mechanism. Do you expect the dust to end up in the shutter?
 
sirch said:
I'm interested in the comments saying people use a blower every time they change lens. I'm usually changing lenses in the field and try to keep the length of time the body is open to the absolute minimum. Besides in a howling gale a blower seems a bit like blowing in the wind
Click to expand...

I tend to use zooms when on walkabout so lens changing doesn't happen much in the field. In windy outdoor changes I try to put my back to the wind and shield the camera body, but I don't use a blower then.
 
I bought my current camera in 2018 and have never cleaned the sensor - nor do I notice any dust spots on the sensor.
 
If I'm changing lenses at home I use blower around the mount then on end of lens but main thing which helps is point body down and have everything lined up so you can do it smoothly almost without looking.
I rarely use blower inside the body unless I noticed a larger spec.
Wet clean might be needed about twice a year it is more annoying if there's a spot in video as not easily cloned out.
 
I have purchased the wet swabs but as yet I have not been brave enough to clean the sensor on my D750.
 
I had an immovable spot on my XT30 Sensor, it turned out to be a bubble flaw in the surface of the sensor cover glass. It was replaced under guarantee.
I have not needed to clean it since.
 
I only use a Rocket Blower (when I change lenses) if there are any visible signs of dust .

I only clean the sensor if there is evidence of dirt on any of my images.
 
I've had my X-T4 for 10 months and I've not cleaned it yet. There's one dust spot in the top left corner that shows up at small apertures but it's easy enough to remove or crop out.
 
Never cleaned a sensor yet - bought my first digital camera in 2004. The on-board automatic sensor routine when turning the camera on or off seems to do the job adequately.
 
As rarely as possible but as often as necessary.
 
Not often enough....

My old D3 and D810 were bad for getting dirty, the D500 and D850 stay much cleaner, as does the K-1. Use Rocket Blower but I have more 'invasive' means of cleaning them when necessary.... cameras are out of warranty now anyway.
 
Now I'm mirrorless, I've noticed a few dusts spots appeared over the summer months, can probably get away with them or now, but like most others I will only clean when it's needed..
 
Only if I notice them when processing. Usually with the Lightroom visualise spot option.
 
Like others when I notice dust spots in my images. My Nikon D750 was a mare and needing cleaning several times/year, my A9II has just needed a blast with the rocket blower a couple of times.
 
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