Sensor cleaning at home

ConfusedChicca

ConfusedChicca

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Laura
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Are there any general products to clear a smeared sensor, or should specific cleaning kits always be used?
 
Eclipse solution and pec pads are popular, but make sure you try a rocket blower first (a high quality one like the giotto, which wont blow silicon dust all over your sensor like my shop bought one did :/ ). Blowing dust away is much safer and easier.
 
The dust isn't the problem now, its the smears! Is there anything I can buy from Currys/Comet/Jessops? Need it clean for Friday night and they're the only shops locally.
 
Read somewhere that the Arctic Butterfly can leave marks on the sensor.
Will the rocket blower remove the smears then? I thought it just got rid of dust.
 
How have you managed to get smears on your sensor?
 
I tried brushing the dust off with a very very fine make up brush. Got rid of the dust but ended up with smears!
 
Eclipse solution and pec pads should remove the smears.

I use the artic butterfly for dust and have had no problems with it.

You really need to be careful with your sensor and what you clean it with,loads of threads on here about how to do it......:thumbs:
 
The reason I asked about getting things from high street stores is I don't get paid til Thursday and I need the sensor clean for Friday night... not got time to order pec pads online unfortunately.
 
ConfusedChicca said:
The reason I asked about getting things from high street stores is I don't get paid til Thursday and I need the sensor clean for Friday night... not got time to order pec pads online unfortunately.
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i would take your camera with you and get some advice from whichever camera stores are near you (jessops may stock eclipse IIRC). If you are going to use a fluid you need to get the right one or you could damage your sensor beyond repair
 
I got myself the Arctic Butterfly travel kit from Jacobs at the Focus show on Sundayand set about cleaning the sensor on my 350D.

I blew the dust out with a Giottos Rocket Blower and then gave it a light brush with the Arctic Butterfly, but it still had a few little (very) marks on it, so I used the sensor wipes and solution that comes in the pack. ARGHHHH there were then smears on the sensor (PANIC, PANIC :gag:).

But I gave it another brush over with the Arctic Butterfly and they were gone PHEWWW ! :woot:

NOW to have a go at the 1D :eek:

As for the kit from jessops I must admit I havent seen that one before.
 
I thought LENSPEN were a known brand so thought the kit made sense.
On a happy note, my sensor no longer looks smeared and after firing off a few shots there's definitely no visible marks on the pictures!
 
Ha ha ask staff @ Jessops a question?
I rang the Leeds store this morning, to ask if they sell anything for lens and sensor cleaning (lenses need a spruce up), and they said as far as they know my camera has to go back to Canon and that you can't do it yourself.
 
Dan Leach said:
Im not 100% sure, the problem is, tin oxide sensors (like on the 400d, not sure about the 350d) require different fluid to other sensors. Ask in the shop when you buy it if its definitely for your camera
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I wouldn't have thought that would make a difference though as you're cleaning the glass in front of the sensor, not the sensor itself. Unless you know something I don't...
 
just be very careful how you go about it i would use pec pads and solution for the smears,oh and never trust a shop to do it.

friend of mine went into a local shop and asked them to send his d3 back to nikon to be cleaned as it had a bit of oil on the sensor glass that he couldn't get rid off and they said ok no problem..

only problem was they were not sending the camera's back but doing it themselves.

he got d3 back with a completely buggered sensor.so the shop said nikon must have messed it up.so phone call to nikon uk who didn't have a clue about it.

so long story short d3 buggered and shop saying not there fault as they can't be held responsible for them buggering it up.so law suit in motion as we speak..
 
Best ask Janice before poking about in the bowels of your camera
I have to resist posting my preferred method, maybe someone else can oblige?
 
No not used haha, an unopened one.
 
Toothie said:
That should do the trick, i use that and an artic butterfly, with out any problems:)
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Do you find that you need to use the sensorklean to get the streaks/smudges left by the Arctic butterfly? I've got an artic butterfly which has left streaks, but don't want to get into a situation where I'm switching between the two cleaning methods to clean up after each other...
 
I have to admit, I'm a real coward when it comes to sensor cleaning. I take mine to Calumet in Manchester where they have a specialist come in every friday morning.

Not had the 5D done at all yet but they made a fab job of the 20D last year.
 
If I get smears from my Arctic butterfly ('cos I got it greasy) use Zoff and a baby bud works a treat no smears, no dust, no residue.
Its a form of industrial alcohol, the stuff you use to remove sticking plaster gunk.

I then dunk the butterfly brush in the zoff and spin it... smeary residue flies off the end. Leaving one nice clean brush for next time (until I gunk it up again).

You can use pec pads if you want, but I've never had a problem with a zoff saturated baby bud.

Note : Zoff is hazardous to health if swallowed.
 
Trike will dissolve most plastics and paints so I wouldn't go near the camera with it!
 
Ooops wrong name (ive removed the error from the post). Its not Trike, should have realised that when I typed it ... goes off to find out..

Its baically industrial alcohol :
Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether & Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether

Safe as houses on plastics and paint...

Sorry for the confusion.. (however it's still hazardous to health if drunk)
 
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