Sensor Cleaning

NOTE: - READ WHOLE ARTICLE THEN CLEAN

While I was researching a sensor loupe I came across a review of a related, excellent product I have used for years. The review read:

"...If you use too much liquid it dries as very obvious spots; too little liquid and you have visible smears. Despite using the recommended liquid and, in the end, all the swabs I never got a sensor I was even vaguely happy ..."

This has happened to me, but purely due to my own inexperience. I mean - sensor cleaning - how hard can it be? Right?

Well, it's not hard, but it is tricky.

Before you start make sure you have the right equipment

I use the following

     from Visible Dust

• 1.0x Orange Swabs
• 1.0x Green Swabs
• VDust fluid
• Dust Snapper
• Quasar Sensor Loupe

     from Giotto 

• Q.Ball Air Blower

A micro-fiber cloth (any will work)

And a lens/sensor brush (make unknown, bought it years ago)

Check you need to clean. f/22 shows up dust and debris best. shoot a light coloured ares (the ceiling works well here)

Now to the cleaning - REMEMBER follow manufacturers guidelines

As the review quoted above said - too much cleaning fluid = spots, however, too little does not cause smears. Smears are mainly caused by swabs being reused. Think about a piece of kitchen roll, you use it to wipe up some spilt red wine, and now you use the same piece of kitchen roll to remove a spill on your cream carpet. What's going to happen? You're going to transfer the red wine and make matters worse. So the solution is simple - use a swab, then bin it! Using 3 swabs to clean a sensor properly is much cheaper than trying to clean the sensor with just one swab and introducing smears.

For the record the one time I introduced smears like this it took 8 swabs to clean up my mess!

Smears can also be caused by the swab coming in to contact with the wall around the sensor. Oil or debris are picked up and transfered as you 'clean'.

There are many excellent guidelines and "How-To's" out there, but my favourite is;

http://visibledust.com/help_troubleshooting.php

(Select "Wet Cleaning Manual (pfd)")

My Technique

Using my sensor loupe I examine the mirror (very carefully!! Watch your eyes!!) and the sensor.

I then conduct a dry clean (blower & brush) of the mirror and sensor. Sometimes I have to use a dry swab on the mirror to remove stubborn specks.

I like to lean my camera downover allowing debris I brush or blow out to fall naturally on the Dust Snapper.

With a sensor loupe you can also spot fine hairs caught in the seams of the camera. You don't have to remove these as they shouldn't interfere with images. However if, like me, you can't stand ANY debris around your mirror and sensor these can be removed with a pair of tweezes and a VERY steady hand. If you are no good at Operation it's best to avoid doing this.

Now check again with the sensor loupe. If there is still evidence of debris present this is the time to wet clean.

1. I take a swab and add 2 drops of fluid towards the bottom of the swab, but still on the flat of the swab. I don't squeeze the bottle, I allow the drops to fall naturally. I find this avoides over saturation
2. In one movement run the swab over the sensor. Take the loupe and view. If the sensor is clear then your done (give yourself a round of applause). 
3. If specks can still be seen throw away the used swab and repeat the above steps until the sensor is clean.

If smears do appear do not panic. You can rectify it, but you must be patient and repeat the steps. All that has happened is that one of the swabs has had some debris on it. It happens to the best of us. You may need to buy additional fluid (such as Visible Dust's Smear Away)

Once the sensor is clean replace the lens and take another photo on f/22 - Yay!! It's clean!!

Now go and shoot!!

I don't want to clean!

It can be daunting to clean your own sensor. Some local camera shops and photography groups run workshops to demonstrate sensor cleaning. My "local" is WEX

If you still don't want to clean your own sensor, then you can contact your local photography store and ask them to recommend someone, or you can contact the manufacturer for their cleaning service.

A local reputable cleaner will probably need your camera for 24hrs and cost around £50. Using the manufacturer's service means your camera may have to be sent away for a longer period of time and may be significantly more costly.

In summary ...

The best of us get debris in our cameras. There is no way to stop it, but there are ways to limit it.

• When cleaning your camera, clean your lenses too, with the same care and dilligence.
• When changing lenses use a blower to ensure both the lens and the chamber are clear.
• As you change the lens point the camera down over (limiting debris 'falling in' to the camera)
• Regularly check the state of the mirror and sensor by taking a photo at f/22 on a light coloured back ground (ceiling shots).