Camera sensor cleaning

Bartman

Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
Good morning world

My t2i has a bit of very persistent dust on the sensor and it isn't coming loose with compressed air or by the camera's sensor cleaning function. Has anyone got any tricks for self-cleaning the sensor? Could I maybe swipe it very lightly with my lens cloth and then use air to vacate any little bits that I might knock loose?

Thanks,
Bart
 

T

tstrike

pendejo grande
Hi Bart, try a very very soft brush like the kind used for makeup. Use a light long sweep, don't dab at the sensor.
 

J

jes1111

Active Member
Remember that you're not actually cleaning the sensor itself but a thin piece of glass in front of it. I would strongly recommend using one of the commercially-available systems for sensor cleaning - at this level, dust that shows up on an image can be invisible to the naked eye. Most efforts to remove it will simply push it around the surface or replace/supplement it with another spec of dust falling off whatever you used to push the first bit around ;)

Unless you're changing lenses all day, every day (as I have to) the investment in the right gear (I use VisibleDust products) is probably not worthwhile since even then it's still a very tricky thing to get right. A good camera shop or camera repair service can offer a professional cleaning service at a reasonable cost. At least then you have a guarantee - you can check for dust when you pick it up by using the "show me the dust!" technique:

- with a "standard-ish" focal length lens
- using Aperture Priority mode and manual focus
- set the aperture to its minimum value (like f/22)
- take a picture of clear blue sky (focus at infinity) or a white wall (focus on the wall)
- zoom in to 100% on the screen
- marvel at the pretty picture of the dust on your sensor!

Works easier if you can download to a laptop and do it - but either way it's possible to check their work when you pick it up and insist they re-do it if there's any dust still there.
 

DucktileMedia

DucktileMedia

Drone Enthusiast
most would recommend that you never use compressed air. Thats why the cleaning kits contain a squeeze bulb and a squeegee. Im sure of you are careful its ok but I even worry the freezing temp coming from the gun will harm it.
 

S

Stacky

Member
The trouble with condensed air if from a can is that you can get a residue end up on the sensor.
Im not sure where you live Bart but the best option is to send the camera in to a pro photography supplier to get the sensor cleaned. Send it in with the lens you use the most and ask them to also give the lens a good going over. Unfortunately even if you to clean the lens yourself perfectly you can still end up with dust from inside the lens ending up on the sensor straight after cleaning.
I have been dealing with dust on sensors in 35mm dslr's since 1996 and in the last few years have found the best results have been from getting a local pro lighting/camera supplier to get their technician to do the cleaning. The clean sensors all the time and have the knack for it. I also have an hasselblad H4D-50 which is easy to clean compared to a dslr. DSLR's can be a pain to clean because of access to the sensor. Because Im in a large city there are a couple of options for me to use and they usually take just 2 days to do the job. It costs me about US$40 a time to get done but they generally do a better job than I do.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

ChrisViperM

ChrisViperM

Active Member
All you need is in there:




...but even this guy recommends sending the camera in for cleaning.
 
Last edited by a moderator:



Bartman

Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
IrisAerial said:
most would recommend that you never use compressed air. Thats why the cleaning kits contain a squeeze bulb and a squeegee. Im sure of you are careful its ok but I even worry the freezing temp coming from the gun will harm it.
Click to expand...

the compressed air is actually from a squeeze bulb, i should have been more clear about that.

:)
 


Bartman

Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
the guy in that video makes me look like a slob amongst slobs! oh how I'm sorry for my ignorance!!
 

hjls3

hjls3

Member
Bart - I learned the hard way to let a professional do it. I squeezed my bulb too hard and the nozzle (not sure of correct term) flew out and hit mirror in front of sensor. OOOPS. I also have my T2i to do sensor cleaning every time i turn off the camera. You can adjust that in the T2i. I often wondered if I was doing it too much. ANyways - very easy to mess the sensor up and as easy as it is to have a pro do it...well I would certainly consider it.
 

Bartman

Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
The local shop wants $75 and needs 2 to 3 days but with all the dust these things are subjected to I'm thinking that kknowing how to do it would probably be a good idea......

Which leads us to.....

Www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com


Have a nice read everyone. :)
 

G

ghaynes

Member
Bart

Easy to do with the right tools. I have used the swabs/fluids from VisibleDust (www.visibledust.com) for years. Everything from my Sony NEX7 to my very expensive Hasselblad. Their fluid has a bit of antistatic ability. Swabs and fluid to clean and the Artic ButterFly brush system for a quick clean. Buy the lighted Sensor Loupe and the whole thing is very easy. You can buy direct or B&H Photo stocks them.
 



J

jes1111

Active Member
Just a quick addendum on doing it yourself:

I bought a second-hand EOS1 body and found that the previous owner had been eating his lunch off the sensor - it was covered in a "sticky" layer of something that was actually holding on to the dust. Even the VisibleDust liquid wouldn't take it off. I had to ignore all the "gentle" and "careful" parts of the instructions - to shift that gunk I used a suede lens cloth (new) and isopropyl alcohol and gave it a fairly brutal scrub. Then reverted to the instructed level of care ;)

So success can depend a lot on the environment the camera has been subjected to.

Remember the sensor is upside down and back to front - so what appears at the top right of your image will be bottom left on the sensor :)
 

hjls3

hjls3

Member
wow I sure appreciate all the good info. quick question for all you photo pros...can i over use the cameras sensor cleaning function? I take a ton of pics for fun and it seems my cameras get turned on and off several times a day. both canons (t3i, t2i) are setup to clean the sensor every time the camera is turned off. is that wise, or is there a better way to go about it? many apologies if this is a silly question, maybe you cant over clean the sensor. while I am asking..I also just got a nex5n - still in the box. is there anything special i should pay attention too concerning keeping that camera clean too? - thanks for any advice - guy with some really nice cameras and not a clue how to use them to there potential (but i am trying)
 

Bartman

Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
jes1111 said:
Just a quick addendum on doing it yourself:

I bought a second-hand EOS1 body and found that the previous owner had been eating his lunch off the sensor - it was covered in a "sticky" layer of something that was actually holding on to the dust. Even the VisibleDust liquid wouldn't take it off. I had to ignore all the "gentle" and "careful" parts of the instructions - to shift that gunk I used a suede lens cloth (new) and isopropyl alcohol and gave it a fairly brutal scrub. Then reverted to the instructed level of care ;)

So success can depend a lot on the environment the camera has been subjected to.

Remember the sensor is upside down and back to front - so what appears at the top right of your image will be bottom left on the sensor :)
Click to expand...

so the moral of the story is, get in there and clean it, be careful but it's not like operating on a baby's retina when it really comes down to it. thanks for the perspective on the reality of things. i can buy a lot of cleaning supplies with the $75 the shop here was going to charge me.
 

ChrisViperM

ChrisViperM

Active Member
hjls3 said:
wow I sure appreciate all the good info. quick question for all you photo pros...can i over use the cameras sensor cleaning function? I take a ton of pics for fun and it seems my cameras get turned on and off several times a day. both canons (t3i, t2i) are setup to clean the sensor every time the camera is turned off. is that wise, or is there a better way to go about it? many apologies if this is a silly question, maybe you cant over clean the sensor. while I am asking..I also just got a nex5n - still in the box. is there anything special i should pay attention too concerning keeping that camera clean too? - thanks for any advice - guy with some really nice cameras and not a clue how to use them to there potential (but i am trying)
Click to expand...


If you take your ton of pic's in a normal clean enviroment, you might switch off the automatic cleaning function and do a manual cleaning any now and then, although the cleaning function doesn't do any harm to your sensor since it's only "shaking" the dust off. Here is also some useful reading how to create a "dust removal file"...:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-add-cleaning-instructions-to-images-with-a-.html

Chris
 

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