cleaning your camera

shaundesigner

shaundesigner

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Shaun
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ok guys,
may be a stupid question (better safe than sorry) is there such a thread (i have looked but not yet found anything) on do and donts when cleaning your camera thing is i just bought all new cleaning stuff as i have some dust on the camera,
but am scared to death i may damage something or make it worse,

any one got five mins just to run through it quick please
 
If the dust is on you sensor, then the first thing you need to do is give it a go with a rocket blower, this has worked every time for me and I've not yet had to clean a sensor. You need to put the camera in mirror lock up first to expose the sensor (Cleaning mode on my Sony, don't know about the Canons). Hold the camera upside down and give a couple of blows with the rocket blower. Give it another test and hopefully this will have worked. If not then you may need to clean the sensor. As I said, not had to do it myself so hopefully someone else will come along with tips on that. (y)
 
It's the same option on the Canon (at least on the 450d). I read somewhere that mounting the camera on a tripod to do this was a good idea as it leaves both hands free. I normally only use the rocket blower, but I did have a lump of stuck on something that wouldn't shift with it, and ended up doing a wet clean as well. I bought a cleaning kit from Camera Clean, surprisingly easy, but very scary for the first attempt.
 
fabs said:
...You need to put the camera in mirror lock up first to expose the sensor (Cleaning mode on my Sony, don't know about the Canons)...
Click to expand...

Canons from the 400D onwards (the ones with auto sensor cleaning) have a manual sensor cleaning mode buried in the same menu as the auto-cleaning options. Select that and it locks up the mirror and opens the shutter. Clear this mode by turning off the camera again.

Edit: oops, simultanious post, sorry!
 
shaun32 said:
thanks fab ill give this a go first cheers
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Make sure that you don't hold the blower too close though, keep it outside the body of the camera.

Chris_D said:
Canons from the 400D onwards (the ones with auto sensor cleaning) have a manual sensor cleaning mode buried in the same menu as the auto-cleaning options. Select that and it locks up the mirror and opens the shutter. Clear this mode by turning off the camera again.

Edit: oops, simultanious post, sorry!
Click to expand...

Yep, exactly the same as the Sony then.
 
Excuse me please and sorry to be n00bish but what exactly does a rocket blower look like/do? would that be the best thing to clean the viewfinder window and all the fiddly camera crevices?

thanks :)
 
I don't want to sound harsh, but if you don't know which bits you should and should not touch then you shouldn't even be thinking of doing this job.
Simply brushing your sensor could simply destroy your camera, accidentally touching the sensor with any tool could be a disaster.
 
HanC said:
Excuse me please and sorry to be n00bish but what exactly does a rocket blower look like/do? would that be the best thing to clean the viewfinder window and all the fiddly camera crevices?

thanks :)
Click to expand...
There's an article about the Rocket Air Blower here.
I found the Rocket Air was all I needed to keep my sensor clean for about 3 years until I came across some dried liquid marks on the sensor recently. If you buy one, get the larger version for little bit more puff. :)
 
I have just bought a rocket blower, my a200 has a few bits of noticeable dust at small apertures.
I will do some before after shoots once I get it.
 
I clean my sensors all the time! It's really nothing to be that worried about despite the dire warnings. There is a filter fitted over the actual sensor (That's the one they change to convert a camera for infra red) so it is unlikely that you would destroy the actual sensor.

I use a rocket blower and a dry cleaning system from Dust Aid. The dry system consists of a plastic stick with a pad on the end that is tacky. You press it against the sensor and it picks off the dirt as clean as a whistle. I've not managed to destroy a sensor yet just by touching it :)
 
cyclone said:
I don't want to sound harsh, but if you don't know which bits you should and should not touch then you shouldn't even be thinking of doing this job.
Simply brushing your sensor could simply destroy your camera, accidentally touching the sensor with any tool could be a disaster.
Click to expand...

hence why i thought i'd ask i wont learn if i dont ask will......

i wasnt born with camera cleaning fuction imprinted in my brain lol

(sorry for the sarcasism)
 
AliB said:
I clean my sensors all the time! It's really nothing to be that worried about despite the dire warnings. There is a filter fitted over the actual sensor (That's the one they change to convert a camera for infra red) so it is unlikely that you would destroy the actual sensor.

I use a rocket blower and a dry cleaning system from Dust Aid. The dry system consists of a plastic stick with a pad on the end that is tacky. You press it against the sensor and it picks off the dirt as clean as a whistle. I've not managed to destroy a sensor yet just by touching it :)
Click to expand...

thanks ali i cleaned mine last night an hey presto it still works lol :clap::clap:
 
cyclone said:
I don't want to sound harsh, but if you don't know which bits you should and should not touch then you shouldn't even be thinking of doing this job.
Simply brushing your sensor could simply destroy your camera, accidentally touching the sensor with any tool could be a disaster.
Click to expand...

I know - thats why I'm asking for information/advice before I attempt anything!



:D
 
Thanks guys for all the links and advice!
 
SW said:
hence why i thought i'd ask i wont learn if i dont ask will......

i wasnt born with camera cleaning fuction imprinted in my brain lol

(sorry for the sarcasism)
Click to expand...

I was trying to help you not make a mistake.
But sod it, open it up and have a poke about, won't cost me anything will it?
 
I don't think there's any harm in asking what's involved in order to learn. If people know what's involved then at least they can make a more informed decision about whether or not to try it themselves.
 
I hate wet cleaning my sensor, about as much as i hate installing heatsinks on motherboards. Cos you know that one slip and it could be all over. Take your time, get prepared before you even start to think of taking the lens off, follow the advice here and you'll be ok.
 
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