Sensor cleaning Manchester....

From the calumetphoto website - "To get the best performance from your equipment, we recommend that professional photographers have their camera sensors cleaned once a month and amateurs once every three months."


There's no point in cleaning a sensor that doesn't have muck on it of course so it makes no sense whatsoever to recommend a sensor is cleaned at a certain period of time.


Anyway, why not clean it yourself. It's simples with a swab and proper cleaning fliud.
 
Miss Moo

Have you got dust marks when you shoot a blue sky at f22 ?

If you haven't then don't bother, if you do then Calumet will do it for about £40

For about £25 for a kit I can show you how to do it yourself. It's scary the first time but once you calm down it's easy.
 
Hmmmmm I can't be trusted... :lol:

I have only had it 3 months, but when I took a pic of my cream wall at 22 I could see a few spots. Nothing major, but I thought get rid of em now.
 
ChrisH said:
Miss Moo

Have you got dust marks when you shoot a blue sky at f22 ?

If you haven't then don't bother, if you do then Calumet will do it for about £40

For about £25 for a kit I can show you how to do it yourself. It's scary the first time but once you calm down it's easy.
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Not a blue sky... would that be better?

I do blow dust of my lenses using my hair dryer on cold and it works great, maybe I could try that first :lol:

£40 :eek:
 
I have just recently cleaned my sensor on my Sony a700, it really is a very simple process. I think most have the fear of damaging the sensor, but if you use the proper kit it's a dawdle.
I used the sensor cleaning kit from VisibleDust containing 4 swabs and 1ml of liquid cleaner.
Worked a treat for me. :thumbs:
 
Miss Moo!! said:
Not a blue sky... would that be better?

I do blow dust of my lenses using my hair dryer on cold and it works great, maybe I could try that first :lol:

£40 :eek:
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Noooooooooo, don't blow inside your cam with a hairdryer!!!! If your sensor clean function on the cam won't shift it, i.e it's greasy dust, then wet clean it. the fliud works a treat and simply evaporates leaving no residue.
 
Would a hairdryer not just be like an air blower but better :lol:

I would like to be able to clean it myself, but I am scared.... is it normal to have some spots after 3 mths? It has just come back from a hammering in New York :)
 
Depends a lot on how many times you change your lens, the more it's changed the more chance of dust geting in.

I've just done my 5D2 thats 18 months old. I think mine picked up dust of a trip down Manchester ship canal with a few lens changes.

A blue patch of sky gives you plenty of light at f22 and really shows up the dust bunnies.
 
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Well if I got a rocket blower would you mind showing me how to use it properly?? That sounds bad :lol:
 
Don't get hung up on sensor cleaning, it's really not hard to do at all.
check out this for info on how to do it.

I'm afraid sensor dust is just a fact of life with digital cameras but it's nothing to worry about.
 
Thanks for that.

I would like to give it a go :)

How much damage could I cause if it did go wrong?? For example I was gonna use a cold hairdryer (doubt that would have done much harm, but may have caused more dust) :lol:
 
ChrisH said:
A blue patch of sky gives you plenty of light at f22 and really shows up the dust bunnies.
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I will take some sky shots tomorrow and I have just read on the link above taking a shot of a white page on my comp would work too :D
 
Personally I'd go for a rocket blower. They're not expensive at all and probably much safer than a hair dryer :) I've actually heard of professional cleaners using canned air, but it's a bit "iffy" really.

My advice (for what it's worth) is to do it yourself. Buy a rocket blower and then a "copper hill" cleaning kit. I doubt this would cost you any more than having it cleaned by a dealer and it would last you for ages.

Honestly, as long as you go about it with a little common sense and don't scrub the sensor as if you're using a brillo pad then it's actually pretty staight forward.

cheers
 
Miss Moo!! said:
Thanks for that.

I would like to give it a go :)

How much damage could I cause if it did go wrong?? For example I was gonna use a cold hairdryer (doubt that would have done much harm, but may have caused more dust) :lol:
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There's nothing to go wrong. the swabs won't scratch the glass covering the sensor. The fliud just evaporates residue free.

It's simple, just lock your mirror up, couple of drops of fluid on the swab and wipe it across the sensor a couple of times
 
Sounds pretty simple :)

I will get on ebay tomorrow.

You never actually touch the sensor do you as it is covered with glass? I have worked out how to set my camera to cleaning mode som the mirror lifts up :D
 
Just taken it to the shop and they used a blower on it and the specks didn't come off. He said there weren't loads, but I chickened out and decided to book it in. Hope they don't make it worse :lol:
 
Its too late I chickened out. But I have learnt a lesson, I am not gonna check my sensor for dust again until I see them on my pics... I once I knoe they are there I don't want them lol x x
 
Well I have picked my camera up and its as good as new :D

I think they even cleaned my lens and body :)

They also give me a discount and I managed to get a rocket blower for freeeeee :D :D
 
Smeggy

If you have loose dust and bit's of hairs it's exactly what you do but................

You don't use compressed air duster, vacuam cleaners, Boing 747's or even a hairdryer LOL

That way you don't blow the dust where it wont come back out :D
 
ChrisH said:
Smeggy

If you have loose dust and bit's of hairs it's exactly what you do but................

You don't use compressed air duster, vacuam cleaners, Boing 747's or even a hairdryer LOL

That way you don't blow the dust where it wont come back out :D
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Ermmmm where could you blow it where it didn't come out??? :eek: :naughty:
 
I have used the LensPen SensorKleens for several years - I did a wet clean once and it left terrible smears across the sensor (I thought I'd scaratched it!) but a quick treatment with the pen and it was spotless and smear free. I tend to buy them when they're on special offer (say at 7dayshop) and get several at a time, then use them on a one shot basis, retiring them to less critical duties (lenses, rear screens etc) rather than risk reusing them inside the body.

My cleaning regime on the D700 is to take a photo of a solid bank of light colour - wall, sky _ anything without details - at a small aperture to show up any problems. If there are any and they look like dust, I'll first run the sensor vibrstion cleaning cycle that the body has and check again. If that hasn't shifted them, I'll take the lens off, lock the mirror up in cleaning mode and give it a good blow with a rocket blower (I keep mine sealed in a plastic bag so it can't inhale dust or cat hairs!) and check it again. There's always a chance that the marks are spots of grease or oil from the mirror or shutter workings - if the steps taken so far haven't shifted the marks, next step is the SensorKleen. That seems to shift anything - stubborn dust (?pollen?), oil and grease, the lot! Took a bit of bottle the first couple of times but now, it doesn't worry me at all. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than getting it done professionally and may well be a better clean as well.
 
Miss Moo!! said:
Its too late I chickened out. But I have learnt a lesson, I am not gonna check my sensor for dust again until I see them on my pics... I once I knoe they are there I don't want them lol x x
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Very sensible. I went through a phase of stressing about sensor dust visible at very small apertures and after much gum gnashing and faffing about I came to the following realisations...

I rarely (hardly ever) shoot at f/22. Hardly much above f/11 to be honest. On the few occasions I do and minor dust bunnies are visible it is easier to clone them out than try and make sure they aren't there in the first place.

If dust isn't visible at the apertures I use predominantly it isn't a problem.

If dust is visible at the apertures I use most, then I clean it. In order of attack:
1 .I try the in-camera cleaning...
2. Then a rocket blower...
3. If that doesn't shift it then I use one of these Sensor brushes...
4. If that doesn't shift it then I attempt a wet clean using Eclipse and swabs...
5. Then after I make a mess of 4 (I'm massively cack-handed), I take it to a little place in town that does it for £10.
 
I done both of mine last week after putting it off for.... ever, seriously, I was petrified.

I bought and followed the "how to" in the guide section of this site and saved myself a fortune, Both cleans went well and wouldnt hesitate if needed again now
 
Miss Moo!! said:
Its too late I chickened out. But I have learnt a lesson, I am not gonna check my sensor for dust again until I see them on my pics... I once I knoe they are there I don't want them lol x x
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Sometimes you don't see the spots on your images. :shrug:

When I show people how to check for spots, and they find them, I seem to get the blame. :eek: :lol: Like there was no spots until I showed them how to see them. When they go back and check their images, the spots that were always there on their images, but they never noticed, suddenly appear. ;)

I would recommend checking for spots at most monthly, and definitely before an important shoot.

I always show this video to give people an idea of what is involved with cleaning sensors. The sensorscope mentioned in the video I consider an optional expense, which I chose not to make. I like the guys style though. :lol:

The Rocket Air Blower worked for me for dust for about 3-4 years before I had some dried liquid which was never going to be blown off. I chose to save the money and do it myself.

If you do get it done in a shop have test images showing the dirty state of the camera, and confirm that if there is damage done by the shop, that your camera is insured.

I read a couple of months ago about damage done by a shop who then said that the sensor was already scratched, and they wouldn't pay to repair. :eek:
 
People keep referring to small apertures for checking for sensor dust. Surely this makes no difference, as the dust is A) at the focal plane, and B) on the sensor anyway, and not effected by what lens/aperture you use. In fact, the best way I find to check is to take a shot with NO lens..

Can someone explain why lens aperture has an effect here because I'm confused.
 
Not 100% certain but I think that it's to do with the smaller circle of confusion a small aperture allows - this more concentrated cone of focussed light makes dust bunnies clearer than wide open. Taking a test shot with no lens fitted may introduce more dust to the sensor unless done in a clinically clean, dust free environment - rare at home, apart from a bathroom soon after a shower, when humidity would probably be above the level that's good for the insides of cameras!

The fact is that smaller apertures do show up dirt (dust or grease) on a sensor more than wide ones, whatever the reason, so I for one test at f/11 or smaller to show it up - I rarely shoot at smaller than that, so if it doesn't show up on the test shot, I don't worry about it! Usually, having tested, I'll run the sensor vibration routine on my body just in case - can't do any harm and may dislodge a tiny particle that could act as a nucleus for DB growth in the future!
 
I suppose there's logic in that. I've never really given it much thought. A rocket blower sorts it out for me. I've never needed to physically clean a sensor.
 
Pookeyhead said:
People keep referring to small apertures for checking for sensor dust. Surely this makes no difference, as the dust is A) at the focal plane, and B) on the sensor anyway, and not effected by what lens/aperture you use. In fact, the best way I find to check is to take a shot with NO lens..

Can someone explain why lens aperture has an effect here because I'm confused.
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Firstly, remember that the dust is not actually on the sensor. It is on the Anti Aliasing filter just in front of the sensor.

Put simply, with a narrow aperture light is striking the the sensor close to perpendicular to the sensor plane, anything sat (close to) and in front of the sensor plane (like our friendly dust bunnies) will cast a nice hard shadow on the sensor.

With a wide aperture, light is coming from a wider range of angles as more of the lens surface is involved in focusing the light. This softens the shadow cast by the dust or in the extreme reduces it to the extent where it is just a diffuse darker spot which you would never normally detect.
 
Pookeyhead said:
People keep referring to small apertures for checking for sensor dust. Surely this makes no difference, as the dust is A) at the focal plane, and B) on the sensor anyway, and not effected by what lens/aperture you use. In fact, the best way I find to check is to take a shot with NO lens..

Can someone explain why lens aperture has an effect here because I'm confused.
Click to expand...

Have you tried it? :shrug: I would think that's the easiest way to see if it makes a difference. :)

I think just as the the depth of field becomes extended with a small aperture, that extended area comes into the lens and focal plane to make the dust spots appear sharper and easier to see.

Some portrait photographers who may use wide apertures most of the time may not notice the dust spots because the camera is focusing through them, like a fence in a zoo for example.

I wouldn't have a lens off and try taking a test shot. Taking pics with a small aperture is a safer option, with less chance of causing a dust problems by doing the test for it. Unless you live somewhere dust free of course. ;)
 
redhed17 said:
Have you tried it? :shrug: I would think that's the easiest way to see if it makes a difference. :)
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I haven't no. I never have a big issue with dust on the sensor. Maybe it's my working practice. I always switch the camera off before changing lenses, and I always point the body downwards. I hardly ever get any dust marks, and on the rare occasions I do, i just blow it with a rocket blower. I've never had cause to investigate further.
 
Just a heads up

You can get a free sensor clean at the calumet open day on Wednesday the 7th of November if you have a Canon or Nikon
 
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