Sensor Cleaning HELP…..

[Matt Tucker]

I haven’t tackled cleaning the sensor on my D70 yet, but apparently I have a couple of dust particles that are now very ever present in my shots.

I have used a rocket blower as well as compressed air, but it hasn’t solved the problem.

[Zach Matthews]

No compressed air!!!

[Matt Tucker]

I originally thought it was the mirror but after cleaning both the upper mirror and the large mirror, the problem wasn’t solved.

With the wierdest luck, I happened to have a visitor in my office this afternoon who was a former naval photogapher.  I used his expertise and asked his opinion, within minutes the sensor was cleaned.  He used compressed air, and cautioned me the same way that you did, but he says the trick is to keep it about 2 feet away from the camera and to keep the bottle verticle so it doesn’t develop the super cold air / moisture.  He used to shoot all Nikon gear while in the service, and during his training this is how he was shown to do it.

I still don’t think I will try the compressed air on the sensor tought and think I am still going to get the swabs (does anyone have a preferred brand / method) just in case, but it appears all is fine now.

–Tucker

[Richard Bernabe]

Here is what I do – and I have cleaned my D2X about once a week.

First, make sure you have a full charge on your battery. Set the camera to manual mode and the shutter speed to “B” or bulb. USe a locking remote release cable and open the shutter. Now the mirror will be open and you will be able to see directly into the anti-aliasing filter and sensor. Take a bulb blower to remove any loose dust or impediments first. Keep the camera turned upside down during this. Then, take a lens pen set (a set usually has two lens pens – one small and one large) and clean the filter with the large lens pen and then the smaller one for the corners. Take the blower and blow clean again.

This usually does it. Point the camera at a light, even-colored surface, set the lens at the smallest aperture, and minimum focusing distance and take an image. View onscreen at 100 percent to see if you got it all. If not, repeat. Once is usualy enough.

Lens pens can be found at almost any camera store and its what the major camera manufacturers use to clean camera sensors and lenses.

Good luck

[david_lambert]

Zach, found consistent dust speds on many of my images so I went hunting for sensor cleaning info on the web.

[John Pavoncello]

“First, make sure you have a full charge on your battery. Set the camera to manual mode and the shutter speed to “B” or bulb. USe a locking remote release cable and open the shutter. Now the mirror will be open and you will be able to see directly into the anti-aliasing filter and sensor. Take a bulb blower to remove any loose dust or impediments first. Keep the camera turned upside down during this. Then, take a lens pen set (a set usually has two lens pens – one small and one large) and clean the filter with the large lens pen and then the smaller one for the corners. Take the blower and blow clean again.”

Good idea, but really doesn’t solve the problem, just makes it better.
When you lock the camera open in Bulb, you are creating an electrostatic charge across the sensor. By creating a charge, the dust really won’t come off the senor, it just moves around. Nikon and Canon both have a sensor cleaning mode built into the custom functions, but you have to hook the camera up to an ac adaptor to perform the cleaning. In the cleaning mode, the mirror rises but the sensor is deactivated to stop the static charge.

The Bulb cleaning will help temporarily when you have big dust particles in the middle of the frame but your best bet is to send your camera out one a year for a factory clean, lube and adjust. If you attend photo seminars or shows that are sponsored by the camera manufactures, many times they’ll have a tech at the show to clean cameras and perform minor repairs (I have mine cleaned at the National Press Photographer events I attend each year).

[Author]

Posts