Sensor cleaning... what do you recommend?

[Cope]

I have dust specs on the sensor on both my 5D and 7D. What is the preferred method? I have looked at Copperhill and Visible Dust, but am undecided. The dust isn't visible at f4.5, but begins to show up about f11 or so.

[Daniel Bates]

I clean with the fluid and swabs. I haven't tried any other methods, though.

[CCGamer]

With simple dust that has just lit on the sensor, first try just blowing off the sensor with a little rocket blower, like the giotto model. Cheap, simple, and gets rid of an awfully lot of it if done regularly. If the dust is firmly stuck - well, refer to the other liquid, pec pad, and brush options.

[Cope]

Originally Posted by CCGamer

With simple dust that has just lit on the sensor, first try just blowing off the sensor with a little rocket blower, like the giotto model. Cheap, simple, and gets rid of an awfully lot of it if done regularly. If the dust is firmly stuck - well, refer to the other liquid, pec pad, and brush options.

Any brand preference?

[iCe]

Recommended by someone that repairs cameras (medium format and other high end cameras). I use them and they work great. Much better than PEC pads.

Camera Swabs

[Lupe Talamantez]

Alan, have you read the instructions and info on the Copper Hill site? They're lengthy but informative. CH uses methanol also. The swabs are created by the user using something resembling a spatula, the PEC pads and gum labels. It's all really easy and painless if one follows the instructions to the T. The tequila is optional.

The test for dust is described as well. F22 is what the lens has to be set at to verify the existence of dust particles.

I ordered the package and tried it on my 20D per instructions, and it took about 7 repetitions before no more dust was visible. Yes, and I have no technical experience nor a PHD. Charge the battery packs well.

At about $34 bucks, I can do what the tech guys must do at camera repair centers. I don't know what they really do.

Hope that this helps.
Lupe

[iCe]

Scott Helburg gave us a demonstration on cleaning the sensor at Fran Riesner's workshop. It's been a few months since he gave it but I think I can repeat the pertinent parts. By the way, Scott is who recommended the swabs that I posted the link to in an earlier post.

To identify dust Scott uses a commonly available high tech vapor to expose the dust on the sensor. Hold the opening of the camera close to your mouth and gently blow your breath on the sensor (don't hock a lugie... just breath like you are trying to fog a mirror). The fog will clear around the dust partical first..

Using one of the sensor swabs listed above and clean room grade methanol solution (I ordered 50 swabs and they gave me two bottles of MeOH), gently swab the surface of the sensor. Scott swabbed the edges of the sensor and then worked his way toward the middle. Once the sensor was clean he used the breath test to confirm that it was clean.

Scott cleaned my sensor and he didn't miss a single speck. Interestingly enough it's been clean ever since he cleaned it. This was after I had tried to clean the sensor at least 4 times. Each time I tried to clean it I ended up having something left on the sensor. He made it clear that there is no reason to pay someone to clean a sensor. It's easy to do and if done correctly you cannot damage your sensor. I thought that was pretty cool considering that one of the ways that he makes a living is by cleaning and repairing cameras.

[Cope]

Thanks for the tips.

Lupe, I definately have large dust spots on an extra fine JPEG, but when resized for posting they appear as pin heads or smaller.

[Jim Victory]

I use a blower, if that doesn't work I use Sensorclear, if that doesn't work then Copperhill.

The blower has been pretty effective with the need of only the sensorclear a few times. I have only had to use the Copperhill Method once on a camera.

If you use the blower consistently then you won't get the accumulation of dust that requires more intrusive methods.

[Cope]

I went to HCE this morning and the Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly was recommended, so I picked one up along with a rocket blower. While I was there I looked in their old camera case bin and found the correct Minolta cover for my wireless controller along with one that was perfect for my long remote release for $1 each. A very pleasant trip.
The rocket blower took most of the dust off of my 7D sensor, but didn't do as well on the 5D. I ran the Arctic Butterfly over the 5D once and the sensor was clean, but it took two attempts on the 7D.

[zeroendless]

I use a blower, if that doesn't work I use Sensorclear, if that doesn't work then Copperhill.

The blower has been pretty effective with the need of only the sensorclear a few times. I have only had to use the Copperhill Method once on a camera.

If you use the blower consistently then you won't get the accumulation of dust that requires more intrusive methods.

What he said...

i don't apply wet solution unless necessary, only go for quick solution first and it always work.

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by Cope

I went to HCE this morning and the Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly was recommended, so I picked one up along with a rocket blower. While I was there I looked in their old camera case bin and found the correct Minolta cover for my wireless controller along with one that was perfect for my long remote release for $1 each. A very pleasant trip.
The rocket blower took most of the dust off of my 7D sensor, but didn't do as well on the 5D. I ran the Arctic Butterfly over the 5D once and the sensor was clean, but it took two attempts on the 7D.

I too have the Artic Butterfly and have only had to use it once. It cleaned the sensor completely.