The built-in dust removal system met its match, so I cleaned the sensor manually. I remove the dust but new spots appear. After repeated cleanings, I finally settled for the best I could get. I used Dust Aid sticky pads, Eclipse E2 fluid and Sensor Swabs, and LensPen SensorKlear, alone and in various combinations. I've used these products in the past with reasonable success, but so far this time I simply haven't been able to get the sensor completely spot free. and now I've run out of Sensor Swabs.
So I'm looking at getting Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly. They have a range of products and kits, none of which are inexpensive, and I'm a little confused about exactly what I should get.
What's you opinion of Visible Dust products? Do you have any other recommendations?
Thanks for any advice.
Edit: See my update at the end of this thread.
Posted by Peter Carroll on January 4, 2009 at 6:44 PM
Buck - I own a Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly and it works like a charm. Personally I'm a little nervous about cleaning that involves fluids but that's just me. Other NPNers might speak about the pluses/minuses of fluid because I have no experience with it. The truism of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure definitely applies to spots and cleaning.
Posted by Nat Coalson on January 5, 2009 at 12:41 AM
I stay away from Lens Pens; once I noticed that when I swabbed it on my finger it left a black smudge! (?)
The Dust Aids are great.
The Arctic Butterfly works as advertised but won't remove stuck-on spots; you need fluid for that.
Posted by Carson Wilcox on January 5, 2009 at 8:11 AM
Just based on personal experience, the Arctic Butterfly works best as a first step. Once you have used a liquid the dust will be stuck on and you will need to do a wet cleaning. For me Eclipse works the best, just be sure to use a clean swab each time, don't pass the same side of the swab over the sensor more then once. Like I said, just based on personal experience
Posted by Alain Briot on January 5, 2009 at 12:35 PM
This is what I do, in order:
1-Anti static compressed air cleaning (with a water and oil filtered air supply and an anti-static air gun-That's a specific compressor set up for camera cleaning, matting, and other uses where cleanliness is a must)
2-Arctic butterfly
3-Dust Aid sticky pads
4-Not sure! I'm not fond of using liquids on my sensors so I recommend passing on that. I tried wet cleaning on my p45 (using Phase one's products) and scratched the glass (it's in Denmark right now) so I'm not confident about it right now!
Having owned a 1Ds for five years (a dust magnet), I tried s LOT of methods. Now I keep a small tank of compressed dry nitrogen with a regulator, and a short hose with a rubber tipped nozzle. I set it to about 5 psi which gives me a nice steady gentle flow of N as I aim it into the camera chamber while brushing the sensor with a visible dust brush. The flow of N keeps any air and airborne particles from entering the chamber and blows out whatever the brush stirs up. When finished, I quickly attach a lens and shut down. Sometimes a particle seems stuck on. I have no idea how this can happen!
I have read articles which advise against using any "compressed" air. There is better control using a bulb air blower. You want one which has a ball in the end so that when it draws air in that it doesn't bring in more dust.
I use the Arctic Butterfly with success - following the directions.
I avoid the liquids unless as a last resort. When it suggests three drops, I use two.
Posted by Buck Ward on January 11, 2009 at 10:22 PM
OK - I bought the Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly and it has arrived - I haven't used it yet.
I think its manufacturer has tried to justify its high price by putting it in classy packaging. It comes in an unexpectedly large oblong leather(?) zippered container, inside of which is a hinged plastic box, of a type one would expect to contain jewelry. Inside is the arctic butterfly itself, about the size and shape of a medium screwdriver.
I looked on the Copper Hill website. The information on the website was a little confusing - a number of options without clarity as to which to choose. Their products are considerably less expensive than the Arctic Butterfly and the Sensor Swabs. The Copper Hill sensor brush uses canned air, which visible dust propaganda says is a no-no. The Copper Hill sensor cleaning swabs use Pec Pads, which also is a bad thing, according to the make of Sensor Swabs. So I opted for the much more expensive rather-safe-than-sorry option.
Jeffrey-
The compressed nitrogen and regulator set-up sounds promising but exotic. Is this purveyed by a photographic supplier? Where does one obtain such equipment?
Now that I've used it, I can testify that it is easy to use and quite effective. It may be a little pricey, but I think it's worth the expense. It requires such a light touch that it gives piece of mind about having to touch the sensor with a foreign object, much more so that the wet swabs, adhesive pads, or lens pen type cleaners, none of which I've needed to use since I got the Arctic Butterfly.
Discussion
8 repliesSo I'm looking at getting Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly. They have a range of products and kits, none of which are inexpensive, and I'm a little confused about exactly what I should get.
What's you opinion of Visible Dust products? Do you have any other recommendations?
Thanks for any advice.
Edit: See my update at the end of this thread.
The Dust Aids are great.
The Arctic Butterfly works as advertised but won't remove stuck-on spots; you need fluid for that.
Look at the stuff from Copper Hill, too...
http://www.copperhillimages.com/index.php?pr=Copper_Hill_Products
1-Anti static compressed air cleaning (with a water and oil filtered air supply and an anti-static air gun-That's a specific compressor set up for camera cleaning, matting, and other uses where cleanliness is a must)
2-Arctic butterfly
3-Dust Aid sticky pads
4-Not sure! I'm not fond of using liquids on my sensors so I recommend passing on that. I tried wet cleaning on my p45 (using Phase one's products) and scratched the glass (it's in Denmark right now) so I'm not confident about it right now!
I use the Arctic Butterfly with success - following the directions.
I avoid the liquids unless as a last resort. When it suggests three drops, I use two.
I think its manufacturer has tried to justify its high price by putting it in classy packaging. It comes in an unexpectedly large oblong leather(?) zippered container, inside of which is a hinged plastic box, of a type one would expect to contain jewelry. Inside is the arctic butterfly itself, about the size and shape of a medium screwdriver.
I looked on the Copper Hill website. The information on the website was a little confusing - a number of options without clarity as to which to choose. Their products are considerably less expensive than the Arctic Butterfly and the Sensor Swabs. The Copper Hill sensor brush uses canned air, which visible dust propaganda says is a no-no. The Copper Hill sensor cleaning swabs use Pec Pads, which also is a bad thing, according to the make of Sensor Swabs. So I opted for the much more expensive rather-safe-than-sorry option.
Jeffrey-
The compressed nitrogen and regulator set-up sounds promising but exotic. Is this purveyed by a photographic supplier? Where does one obtain such equipment?
Now that I've used it, I can testify that it is easy to use and quite effective. It may be a little pricey, but I think it's worth the expense. It requires such a light touch that it gives piece of mind about having to touch the sensor with a foreign object, much more so that the wet swabs, adhesive pads, or lens pen type cleaners, none of which I've needed to use since I got the Arctic Butterfly.
Two thumbs up.