Sensor cleaning kit

Richie,

there are cleaning kits available, but a word of warning - unless you really feel confident that you know what you are doing, you may end up paying more than you expected if you don't clean it properly.

My local camera shop in Bangkok (Fotofile) offers a free sensor clean on the premises - possibly because I am such a regular customer! Even if they charged, it's well worth it in the long run.

Matt

Ok, thanks

The only thing you might want to try is using a 'Hurricane Blower' and see if that will move the dust. The dust could be on the mirror, in which case a blower might just be able to shift it.

Best of luck!

I don't think dust on the mirror will cause spots on the images.

This site gives you a basic idea of how to clean your sensor. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-sensor-cleaning.htm

I personally use Eclipse 2 cleaning solution, as it is completely residue free, with the appropriate lint free swab that is the correct size for my camera's sensor. There are different sizes.

You first want to try what Matt has listed as far as using a strong blower to try to dislodge the dust speck. Point your camera in a position so anything that would fall off of the sensor falls down out of the camera, and not someplace else inside.

If this doesn't work then use the wet cleaning method (and only as a last resort), with the correct solution, and the right size swab for your camera's sensor size. They do make swabs to fit exactly the size of your camera's sensor.

The one thing to be seriously aware of is that you DO NOT wipe the swab back, and forth across the sensor, you brush across the sensor with the damp swab only once.

If you brush back, and forth across the sensor you run the very real risk of scatching your sensor's low pass filter with the speck of dust you are trying to remove. You will dislodge it then scratch the filter as you wipe the dust speck back, and forth over the sensor. Only wipe in one direction, and only one pass with the swab.

If this did not remove the dust speck, then do the exact same thing, but with a new swab, and a few more drops of cleaning solution, but only enough so the swab is damp. The solution does dry very quick so you have to work fast in wiping the swab over the sensor only once after you apply the cleaning solution drops to the swab.

If you do a little searching you can find a kit with Eclipse 2 solution, and swabs, with a few dust cleaning damp wipes (for the outside of the camera, or your lenses), in a nylon zip-up kit for about $30US. The tools you need to clean your sensor correctly are not cheap.

Above all do not use any other alcohol, or solution, other than pure methanol. Anything else will leave a residue (film) on your sensor thus fogging it, and again remember only brush the swab over the sensor once in only one direction.

My hardest time cleaning the sensors on 2 of my cameras was when I was covering forest fires for 2 days. Without anyway to avoid it smoke coated my camera's sensors to where it took 5 swabs to clean each sensor every night after shooting all day. It is amazing how smoke, and other polutants can make its way inside what is supposed to be sealed.

I got the butterfly cleaner, but eventually went to the service dept. because some of the grease in the mechanism got on the sensor, which was a shame. I think a half hour at the service centre costing me £36.20 was worth more value for money than the feeble attempt at it myself. Should of gone for a wet clean instead

Thanks for the advice anyway