Sensor Cleaning – Quick Guide & Which tools do we use.

Sensor Cleaning – Quick Guide & Which tools do we use.

The most frequent question that we get asked is – Is it safe to clean the sensor myself?

The simple answer is yes, as long as you use the correct tools for the job.  You will also need to take some other measures just to make sure nothing goes wrong.

1. Make sure you start with a fully charged battery in the camera.
2. Make sure your workplace is clean
3. Make sure there is not too much airflow in the room as this can blow dust around, but you will need to have adequate ventilation when using cleaning solutions.

First Step – Assessing the dirt on the sensor

The first step is to assess how much dirt is actually on the sensor.  This can be done by simply setting the camera lens to a high F stop like F32 or the highest F stop then lens will go to.  Set the camera to manual focus, find something of a solid light colour like a blue sky and de-focus what you are photographing.  Take a picture; view the picture on a computer and assess how much dirt there is.

The dirt will show up as small dark specks.  If there are only a couple spots and they are not causing you any problems then our advice would be not to clean the camera.  Just remember you will never get the sensor 100% clean, so don’t try!

If there are many spots and you are spending a long time retouching, then it may be time for a clean.

A loupe can help with sensor cleaning but is not essential.  If you feel you would like a loupe then check out the GGS Adjustable loupe as it can be used as a handy light/viewer to aid you when performing the sensor clean.

Second Step – Dry cleaning

The next step is to remove the loose dirt from the sensor. This is important because if you need to perform a wet clean, this will reduce the chances of scratching the sensor. Sometimes a dry clean will be enough to clean sensor.

You can use an air blower. This is not our preferred method as this can introduce more dust into the camera, and the dust that is on the sensor can be blown somewhere inside the camera ready to fall back onto the sensor.

If you do use a blower, squeeze it a few times outside the camera first to expel any dust from the inside.

The tool that we use for performing in-house sensor cleaning is the Dust-Aid Platinum.  This tool actually removes the dust from the sensor and out of the camera, reducing the chances of the dust going back onto the sensor.  It also helps stop the build-up of dust inside the camera.

It is a very simple tool to use; it is supplied with very good instructions and will last for many sensor cleans.  The kit itself will do 6 cleans and you can buy additional cleaning strips to do many more.

The other added advantage of this tool is that its small, and is flight safe so you can take it on holiday or when traveling.

Once you have completed the dry clean, perform the first step again to re-assess how clean the sensor is.  If there are no more dust spots (or the odd one) then you don’t need to do anymore.

Third Step – Wet Cleaning

Once you have performed step 2 and you still have dirt spots, then this dirt is more stubborn.  Some particle types like pollen, skin cells, grease or water marks etc. become stuck to the sensor and the only way of removing these is to use a swab(s) and fluid.

There are a number of swabs and fluids on the market.  With swabs there are 2 main types, pre-made or ‘wrap yourself’.  The pre made swabs are more expensive than the ‘wrap yourself’ so if you are going to be doing a lot of camera cleans this type can be very economical.  For maximum convenience or if you are new to sensor cleaning we would recommend the pre-made swabs.  If you would prefer to make your own swabs the the Dust-Aid Wand Kit is a good choice. You will need to select the right size of swab for your camera so if you are unsure just drop us a message and we will tell you which size to buy for your camera.  All the swabs come with very good instructions on how to use.

We recommend and use the Just DSLR Swabs for sensor cleaning.

Just DSLR Swab 14mm
Just DSLR Swab 17mm
Just DSLR Swab 20mm
Just DSLR Swab 24mm
With the fluids we have 2 that we recommend.  The Photographic Solutions Eclipse Fluid can be used for all types of sensor and is great for all types of contaminant that you will find on your sensor including oil and grease.  The Dust-Aid Ultra Clean is also safe on all sensor types but we find that it’s not so good for greasy types of contaminant.  The advantage of the Ultra clean is its non-alcohol based so is flight safe (Eclipse cannot be taken on a plane).  Both these fluids evaporate quickly without leaving any residue.

We recommend and use both these fluids for sensor cleaning.

The process is very simple, again put the camera into mirror lock mode, wet the swab with 4-6 drops of fluid, wipe the sensor with one side of the swab, turn the swab over and repeat the process, that’s it. Throw the swab away as it should not be used on the sensor again!

If the sensor is still dirty then you may need to swab it again for more stubborn contaminants.

TIP – We sometimes hold onto the swabs and use them for cleaning camera bodies as they are great for getting into nooks and crannies!

A word of caution

You need to be careful of the swabs you buy! Cheaper swabs are not handled in clean room environments which could mean the swab could be contaminated or have dust on it, increasing the risk of damage to your sensor.  All the swabs that Crooked Imaging stock and sell are safe to use and each swab is individually wrapped and handled in a clean room environment to minimise the risk when cleaning the sensor.

With fluids, again you have to be very careful what you buy as some suppliers use water based fluids which evaporate too slowly and can leave residue.

As with activities, your skill at sensor cleaning will improve with practice.

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