# How Do You Clean your sensor? And how often?



## Faxon (Feb 23, 2013)

OK. Reading about the Nikon sensor issue, I wonder what is considered the easiest, safest, and all around most recommended (if any) way to clean my own sensor? I guess the Rocket Blower is the safest, but what if that doesn't get the stubborn specks off?


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## neuroanatomist (Feb 23, 2013)

If the rocket blower doesn't do it, I use a Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly 724 Super Bright.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 23, 2013)

I clean mine when it gets dusty. I have a rocket blower, but if it is stubborn, I send it to Neuro so he can use his conformal microscope to see the dust and pick the particles off one at a time


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## JoeDavid (Feb 23, 2013)

After the rocket, if it needs it, a Photographic Solutions Senso Swab for the sensor size and the correct version of their fluid for the camera model...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=photographic+solutions&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

You can buy the premoistened ones but make sure the fluid is for your camera's sensor type...


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## Alex (Feb 24, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> If the rocket blower doesn't do it, I use a Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly 724 Super Bright.



Definitely buy one of these... Best invention for cleaning a sensor, I don't bother with anything else


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## WillThompson (Feb 24, 2013)

;D

Scotch Bright or a Brillo pad!


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## wayno (Feb 24, 2013)

A metal scourer gets the baked on stains off when it gets really dirty


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## azezal (Feb 24, 2013)

I just replace it with one of those Nikon/Sony sensors


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## Aglet (Feb 24, 2013)

Rocket blower is a good product but not the best for cleaning sensors.
Some of them seem to have a bit of the mold-release wax left inside. It can spall off and get blasted at high speed against your sensor where it'll stick like gaucamole to flannel. The more energetically you use this blower, the more likely you are to remove dust but end up with many more little waxy particles in their place. The darn thing's caused me all kinds of grief over the years when I didn't have any other options on hand. I try to only use it for cleaning external areas or anything BUT the sensor.

I've since purchased the Visible Dust Zeeion blower but have yet to put it to the test. I like that it actually filters the air coming in and leaving the bulb and uses a one-way-valve to maintain the cleanest airflow possible to the nozzle. Glad they built it cuz I was about to make something like it - but a lot less portable.

for wet-cleaning sensors on cameras I don't care much about, like the used Rebels I kick around for rough work, I dry clean with a blower and then have gotten away with using cotton swabs on the stickier particles followed by a wet cleaning. I've even used non-streak window cleaner on one that looked like someone had sneezed on it, cleaned it up good but I don't recommend you use these cheapskate wet-cleaning methods on cameras you spend a lot of money on. There are plenty of decent wet-clean products and systems out there.

To avoid cleaning in the first place, I buy a camera, put it on the back of a lens and leave it there, used consumer cameras are cheaper than lenses and often work well enough for most infrequent shoots to just leave them there. ;D They're _optically functional dust-caps._

Oddly enough ..


azezal said:


> I just replace it with one of those Nikon/Sony sensors


.. My nikons don't show dust shadows as bad as my canons - maybe the AA filter is a little farther away from the sensor so casts a less contrasty shadow?..


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## Marsu42 (Feb 24, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> If the rocket blower doesn't do it, I use a Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly 724 Super Bright.



I'm using the lensrentals method and bought all the stuff necessary for it - I clean my sensor fairly often because I'm changing lenses outside and often shoot with small aperture on tripod (= you see every dust particle):

DSLR Sensor Cleaning (The LensRentals.com Method)


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## Faxon (Feb 24, 2013)

Thank you folks. I especially liked the video. Good stuff all around. Probably will pick up the swabs combo for a few bucks and keep it handy. The butterfly brush seems awfully pricey for my needs, however. (Maybe I can modify a ten dollar electric toothbrush).


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## justawriter (Feb 24, 2013)

wayno said:


> A metal scourer gets the baked on stains off when it gets really dirty


 I smear mine with tuna and let the cat lick it clean. ;D


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## Marsu42 (Feb 24, 2013)

Faxon said:


> The butterfly brush seems awfully pricey for my needs, however. (Maybe I can modify a ten dollar electric toothbrush).



It is, and I guess it's the one thing you don't really need from the lensrentals method - the blower, silicon stamp and brush are less expensive. Concerning the swabs the lensrentals guy says that wet cleaning is a pita because it leaves smears, and he should know and I believe him - that's why I went the dry cleaning way.


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