I've got a few dustspots on my D300's sensor, and the kit (with E2) from Copperhill. Does anyone have advice for a first-time sensor cleaner? Anything not mentioned in the instructions and online tutorial?
I'll greatly appreciate your help.
Posted by Jerry Greer on April 24, 2009 at 7:28 AM
I would have recommended you get the Dust Aid cleaning kit. The cleaning liquid for this kit is unmatched by anyone out there today! I find that the eclipse fluid leaves way too much residue on the sensor.
Posted by John Mumaw on April 24, 2009 at 10:30 AM
And I've found the opposite conclusion using the Copperhill method. It'll work just fine for you.
Aside from the well documented instructions at the website, I just make sure that I have a freshly charged battery before cleaning and I put the camera on a tripod with the lens opening facing downward.
I use this method in conjunction with the Rocket Air Blower. Be prepared to clean the sensor more than once during your session and to deal with the fact that you may never get every single bit of dust cleared away.
Posted by Jerry Greer on April 24, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Go here for a real tutorial from Dust Aid and also see the residue samples http://www.dust-aid.com/index.html . I've used, tested and witnessed the residue issues with the eclipse fluid and others. There are NO COMPARISONS to the ability of the Dust Aid Ultra Clean fluid to eliminate residue problems with wet cleaning. Dry cleaning is another issue that Dust Aid has the leg up on the competitions. Go check it out. BTW, Dust Aid is designed and manufactured by Ross Wordhouse, a professional photographer from Bend, Oregon.
As John noted "be prepared to clean the sensor more than once during your session" caused almost exclusively due to the residue left over by the Eclipse cleaning fluid. I've used Copperhill and the only problem was the fluid and required many cleanings during a session to get as much of the residue off the sensor as possible, almost never getting all of it off. The last time I cleaned with eclipse fluid I had to use the Dust Aid Ultra Clean fluid to remove the Eclipse fluid residue!
I reckon that if I left a drop of cleaning fluid on my sensor to evaporate then I would be concerned, as well.
Posted by Jerry Greer on April 24, 2009 at 2:54 PM
John,
All he is doing is showing how eclipse and the others leave a residue. I, on the other hand, have had extensive experience with both fluids because for years eclipse was all that was available. Eclipse is a problem, even the newer version. This is exactly why you have to clean more than one time. Ross understood the problem and created his own fluid and it is nearly residue free. Copperhill should buy Ross's fluid and they'd have an even better product.
BTW John, have you used Dust-Aid? If not maybe you should. Then you would maybe need to roll the eyes at yourself for making such a ridiculous statement.
Thanks very much! Since it's cold and windy (the furnace and blower coming on fairly often), I have an excuse to procrastinate a day or two.
Jerry, I guess I should have asked here before I ordered it. I'll use two small drops.
John, would you please explain about (1) a charged battery and (2) using your tripod: you don't swab the sensor with the camera's lens opening facing down, or do you?
Steve, thanks much for the "routine" encouragement!
Posted by John Mumaw on April 25, 2009 at 10:55 AM
You need a battery with a good charge so the shutter will stay open long enough for a good cleaning without closing on you due to lack of power. Don't worry...it doesn't take that much power to keep the shutter open for a prolonged period. You just don't want to chance getting your cleaning tool caught inside the camera in mid-clean because you used a low battery to activate the shutter. When you activate the 'Clean Sensor' feature of your camera to get things started, you should get a warning about using a fully charged battery.
I use a tripod at full extension and point it downward so any stray dust particles will fall away from the sensor and to help keep dust in the atmosphere from settling inside. I don't point it straight down as that would make it almost impossible to clean. Just pointed downward will do the trick.
I'm sure you tried, but I thought I'd mention. Did you try the D300's built in cleaning cycle? It might solve the problem if you haven't already tried it.
Discussion
8 repliesI'll greatly appreciate your help.
Aside from the well documented instructions at the website, I just make sure that I have a freshly charged battery before cleaning and I put the camera on a tripod with the lens opening facing downward.
I use this method in conjunction with the Rocket Air Blower. Be prepared to clean the sensor more than once during your session and to deal with the fact that you may never get every single bit of dust cleared away.
As John noted "be prepared to clean the sensor more than once during your session" caused almost exclusively due to the residue left over by the Eclipse cleaning fluid. I've used Copperhill and the only problem was the fluid and required many cleanings during a session to get as much of the residue off the sensor as possible, almost never getting all of it off. The last time I cleaned with eclipse fluid I had to use the Dust Aid Ultra Clean fluid to remove the Eclipse fluid residue!
All he is doing is showing how eclipse and the others leave a residue. I, on the other hand, have had extensive experience with both fluids because for years eclipse was all that was available. Eclipse is a problem, even the newer version. This is exactly why you have to clean more than one time. Ross understood the problem and created his own fluid and it is nearly residue free. Copperhill should buy Ross's fluid and they'd have an even better product.
BTW John, have you used Dust-Aid? If not maybe you should. Then you would maybe need to roll the eyes at yourself for making such a ridiculous statement.
Jerry, I guess I should have asked here before I ordered it. I'll use two small drops.
John, would you please explain about (1) a charged battery and (2) using your tripod: you don't swab the sensor with the camera's lens opening facing down, or do you?
Steve, thanks much for the "routine" encouragement!
I use a tripod at full extension and point it downward so any stray dust particles will fall away from the sensor and to help keep dust in the atmosphere from settling inside. I don't point it straight down as that would make it almost impossible to clean. Just pointed downward will do the trick.