Sensor Cleaning Again

I know there is much info out and talked about here many times on sensor cleaning and I'm not needing to rehash old info. Just wondering if there are any new experiences with the products available for sensor cleaning (positive or negative).
Seems to be a piece of fuzz or lint on my sensor needing to clean, so thought I would ask this question again before making a purchase.

Thanks for you time.

Fuzz or lint should be easy Brad. It's not "official," but it works for us simply to put the shutter speed on B, remove the lens, and face the lens mount downward. Now press and hold the shutter release and blow on the sensor with a blower bulb. Loose like lint crud almost always comes off.

We do this as a matter of course before starting each shoot.

If that doesn't remove a nert, then we resort to the traditional sensor cleaning swabs and liquid. Those ALWAYS work, but due to the hassles are truly our last resort.

Thanks Hank, that's good advice. I'll give it a try.

I've used the Sensor Scope kit before. The scope is great. You can see exactly how much crap your adding to your sensor with the cleaning solution. The little battery powered vacuum seems to work well for most things. Sadly, my 1DMkIIN has had to make frequent trips to the Canon Service Center in New Jersey so I have not had to clean it much.

My Nikon sensor never gets dirty !!!!!
the fisch

That's interesting Larry, remember you have to use it before it will.

Brad, I use the Lenspen SK-1 SENSOR-CLEAR DSLR CCD CLEANER - LESK1 , that I ordered from B&H when I got my 30D. It got a lot of use with the 30D, but I've only needed to use it 2 or 3 times in the year I've had my 50D.

I've used a variety of sensor cleaning techniques, probably all of the various methods, with mixed results. Since I got the Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly (Brite) I haven't needed to use anything else. It's easy and effective. Also a bit pricey.

If you use a brush try not to touch the sensor surface; the static charge is supposed to pick up the pieces in close proximity. If you do actually sweep the brush across the sensor, especially avoid doing that around the edges because you'll pick up oil and grease left over from manufacturing and smear it across the sensor. (And good luck getting that off the bristles.)

I use the VD Arctic Butterfly too and like it pretty well; for wet cleaning I like the Dust Aid kit.

Just be careful; it's easy to scratch the plastic UV filter that's on top of the sensor. If it does get scratched, from cleaning or anything else, send it in to the mfg repair facility to be replaced.

I think it's smart to send your camera into the shop a couple of times per year anyway, for cleaning and calibration etc.

I use Copper Hill sensor cleaning products, if you cant get the dust off your sensor with blowing, they have a complete set of products, I also find the Sensorview to be a valuable item, it illuminates the sensor with a purple light and shows particles on the sensor, it can also be used on your lens'

http://www.copperhillimages.com/index.php?pr=Copper_Hill_Products

All Olympus DSLR cameras come with a sensor self-cleaning feature that really works. In four years of digital photography (E-1, E-500, E-3) I've never cleaned or needed to clean a sensor.

Passionate subject! Simple works best... Hank's method with a blower bulb is step one and works pretty well. In the past I have used the dry Dust-Aid wand with great success on my 5D. This spring I had a stubborn chunk on my 5D Mark II that would NOT come off. I got Dust-Aid platinum, did wet wand first, then dry wand, and it worked great. Now the Canon sensor shake in the camera has kept it clean for months.

BTW, the folks at Dust-Aid are REAL aware of the 5D2 sensor filter coating and have manufactured their fluid with that in mind, so that's why I picked them. It worked GREAT.