Sensor cleaning _how often?

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johnjess

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Just as the title says how often should I be cleaning the sensor on my A200? Should I be doing it on a regular basis or just when it shows dust marks on my photos. I cleaned mine about a month ago and it still seems fine. Just wondered what everyone else does.
 
Just whenever I notice it, I tend to take longer exposures on occasion and thats usually when I notice it, just a lens pen and blower havent had to have a wet clean yet.
 
I check mine before every shoot with a sensor loupe and only clean it if there's any sign of dust, rarely more than a quick rocket blow.
 
johnjess said:
Just as the title says how often should I be cleaning the sensor on my A200? Should I be doing it on a regular basis or just when it shows dust marks on my photos. I cleaned mine about a month ago and it still seems fine. Just wondered what everyone else does.
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I would suggest only when neccesary. I have had my D90 just over a year and I am about to give it it's first clean. Probably taken 5k shots.
 
Gordon Scott said:
I clean mine when it needs it. On my last camera that was once in 7 years after foolishly changing the lens on a windy day on the beach. Current camera is untouched after a year.
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My D300 is coming up to 3 years of age, and I have yet to wet clean the sensor.
 
Dust bunnies only usually show up at small apertures so anyone shooting fairly wide open can go years without thinking their sensor is dirty.

If you want to check, shoot a white piece of paper at f22 (using exposure comp +2 to make it white) and you will soon see if it needs cleaning. ;)
 
ive noticed spots as low as f8 but thats on full frame with a 5d, dont know if that makes any difference,
i never did my original slr 350d and 30d for yrs and it took a lot of cleans the 1st time i did them, as it was welded on the sensor,
when you do the white paper or blue sky shot at f22. open image in editing suite and select auto levels. that will show just how much dust is on sensor
 
Martyn... said:
My D300 is coming up to 3 years of age, and I have yet to wet clean the sensor.
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Mines same camera as Martyn and I agree with Him, when I had the D80 I could see dust on the shots quite regularly,with the D300 dust vibration it seems to work a treat.:thumbs:
 
If you can see the dust spots in the pics then clean the sensor. Otherwise leave well alone.

Realistically a quick blow with a rocket blower works most of the time. You do need to keep an eye on it because dust on DSLR sensors is a fact of life, but there's no point in getting paranoid about it.
 
Bill Roberts said:
If you can see the dust spots in the pics then clean the sensor. Otherwise leave well alone.

Realistically a quick blow with a rocket blower works most of the time. You do need to keep an eye on it because dust on DSLR sensors is a fact of life, but there's no point in getting paranoid about it.
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:thumbs:
 
My sensor on my Canon DSLR is dusty & I don't whether to try to clean it myself but I'm cack handed so......can anyone suggest a shop in Scunthorpe that can do sensor cleaning or somewhere to send the Camera.
 
Only when required - i.e. when you see visible dust-spots in clear areas (skies etc).
 
I always try and carry out lens changes indoors if possible, if not indoors then in the car. I obviously understand that this is not always possible out in the field etc, so I then make sure I have the lens to hand which I want to change, then turn my back to any prevailing wind, bend over and remove the lens from the body with the lens mount facing downwards. I then quickly take the lens cover off, take a quick look at the lens mount to ensure no debris on the rear element then attach it to the body.

This for me works at minimising the chance of dust or debris getting inside the body of the camera.

Never Never Never leave the camera with no lens attached faced upwards outside or inside for that matter.

I always prep my kit before leaving the house for a shoot. The night before, I always format the cards and charge the batteries and also the back up spare batteries.

Just my way of doing it !
 
Flukeman said:
My sensor on my Canon DSLR is dusty & I don't whether to try to clean it myself but I'm cack handed so......can anyone suggest a shop in Scunthorpe that can do sensor cleaning or somewhere to send the Camera.
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Get yourself a "Giottos Super Rocket Air Blower", google it for the cheapest place to get it from, it's less than £10 and easy enough for anyone to use.
 
ramyad said:
Get yourself a "Giottos Super Rocket Air Blower", google it for the cheapest place to get it from, it's less than £10 and easy enough for anyone to use.
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I second this. I give my 5D's sensor a good gust of rocket blower wind prior to most long shoots. I change lenses a lot though, so need to!

My a200 would get a clean every 2000 shots or so. Never needed to do anything other than rocket blow and I never shot at smaller apertures than f11 (where diffraction sets in anyway) :)
 
I cleaned the sensor on the D200 once in 14K shots, still not cleaned the D300 or D700.
 
Only cleaned mine to see how its done,If your careful changing lenses should never really need doing.
 
Another "only when it needs it".

Personally I wouldn't use a blower. They simply launch the dust with no control over where it lands.

I use an Arctic Butterfly which works very well, and if that failed to clean the dust off, I have Pentax wet wipe spatulas which I have not had to use yet.
 
i have had 3 DSLR's and never needed a wet clean. Simple rocket blower shifted it.
 
towershot said:
Whatever you do though ,DO NOT use compressed air cans:eek:
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As a newbie and out of interest, why not? The dangers of projecting freezing particles onto the sensor? Or just that the air forces the dust elsewhere further into the camera, or what?

I've tried it a few times and it seems OK, but I must admit I was ******** my pants a bit thinking that if I held the nozzle open for too long or too close, I'd freeze the sensor or damage it somehow! I just took it slowly and did short little whimphy puffs from afar through the straw until I noticed the dust was all gone and before the can became cold.
 
I think it is more to do with a compressed air device possibly 'propelling' some liquid onto the sensor. :eek:

As said earlier, only clean when you see spots in your pictures. Though do a check every so often for spots, as you can be in a position were you don't see any spots until someone points them out. :eek: And then you see that the spots have been there for awhile and you haven't seen them. :lol:

I went for 2-3 years just using a Rocket Air Blower. :) I only had to do a wet clean when doughnut shaped drops of dried liquid appeared on the images. No way you can blow them away.
 
redhed17 said:
I think it is more to do with a compressed air device possibly 'propelling' some liquid onto the sensor. :eek:
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Ah, OK, thanks. What's the best thing to do a "wet clean" with? A small square of a baby wipe pushed gently across with a damp cotton bud or is this where people get technical about specialised cleaning products costing lots of money??!
 
pg333 said:
Ah, OK, thanks. What's the best thing to do a "wet clean" with? A small square of a baby wipe pushed gently across with a damp cotton bud or is this where people get technical about specialised cleaning products costing lots of money??!
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Yes, this is where people get technical about specialised cleaning products. ;)

I used Sensor Swabs and Eclipse fluid. Though I actually bought the products from a seller on Amazon.

I wouldn't attempt to clean with a cotton bud and baby wipe btw. :eek: :lol:
 
I ahve never cleaned my sensor since getting my D200 over 4 1/2 years ago.

Just real cautious when changing lens over.

Think I am too scared of writing it off doing it myself, and too tight to pay:naughty:

TaffyTim
 
Ditto.

I've never cleaned the sensors. Never needed to but I am always very careful when I change lenses.
 
I only ever clean when it seems that the camera needs it.. e.g. dust showing up. But sometimes give it a blow and check it once over before an important outing.
 
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