Sensor cleaning. What am I doing wrong?

andy_fozzy

andy_fozzy

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Since I've been in photography, I have spent probably the best part of £300, maybe more, on sensor cleaning products, and they never work.

This week bought a Arctic Butterfly, £70.
Yesterday because this didn't make ANY difference, I bought 12 new swabs, £37. Again, made no difference.

I'm at the stage where I'm prepared to say SOD it, and chuck the towel in and give up.
I don't know why, but a dirty sensor bugs the hell out of me, and I have to have it clean.

I've tried the lot. You name it.
Swabs and Eclipse. Butterfly. Dust Aid. Lens Pen (SensorKlear).
None of these bloody things get rid of the dust on my images.

:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:
 
You're not using coarse enough sand paper.

If it worries you that much send it off for a professional clean, then you have a good starting point and you can use all of your products to keep it to that standard
 
I don't think I've spent more than a tenner on cleaning products - you mush have some pretty determined dust or some very high standards. I have to ask this - are you sure it is dust?
 
Andy have it done professionally, i tired it once and wouldn't do it again :thumbs:
 
Uneducated_Rick said:
You're not using coarse enough sand paper.

If it worries you that much send it off for a professional clean, then you have a good starting point and you can use all of your products to keep it to that standard
Click to expand...

I get what your saying.
That may be the next course of action (Not the sandpaper!!).
 
RichardtheSane said:
I don't think I've spent more than a tenner on cleaning products - you mush have some pretty determined dust or some very high standards. I have to ask this - are you sure it is dust?
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I've had this problem with every camera I've own (and it's been a few!!).
Even my BRAND NEW Sony a300 after a few weeks had dust that I couldn't shift. I do everything right. Hold the body face down when changing lens's, have a quick blast on the rocket blower etc......

There's a greasy mark on the sensor, I know that. Dunno where it came from though.
But the rest looks like dust. What else could it be :shrug:
 
Andy, how about posting up an example, maybe someone can give you some suggestions on it. Which eclipse are you using ? There was a thread some time back, where someone was using the wrong formula for the sensor (not sure I quite understand that, but the facts speak for themselves), he got a bottle of the recommended stuff and that did the job.

Oh... don't throw the towel in, that'll knacker the mirror box and shutter too :D...
 
Andy - how meny swabs have you used ?, I've just had to do a 'Wet Clean' as the Artic butterfly etc would'nt shift the crap and it took 5 swab's but i got it clean in the end
 
jgs001 said:
Andy, how about posting up an example, maybe someone can give you some suggestions on it. Which eclipse are you using ? There was a thread some time back, where someone was using the wrong formula for the sensor (not sure I quite understand that, but the facts speak for themselves), he got a bottle of the recommended stuff and that did the job.

Oh... don't throw the towel in, that'll knacker the mirror box and shutter too :D...
Click to expand...

Thanks John....
The website's that supply the stuff recommend Eclipse fluid on the D200 and not E2, so that's I'm using. (Eclipse that is!)
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
Andy - how meny swabs have you used ?, I've just had to do a 'Wet Clean' as the Artic butterfly etc would'nt shift the crap and it took 5 swab's but i got it clean in the end
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Hi mate.
Just done the lot - blower, butterfly and then 5 swabs and Eclipse. Still bloody grubby :bang:
 
Sorry to hear it's been such an (expensive) 'mare for you Andy. :(

I have only ever wet cleaned my cameras with fluid and swabs - works like a charm every time. Two swabs max, and she's gleaming again.

If it's any help, I'll happily clean your sensor for you and show you how I do it, if you're ever in the area? :)
 
irw1 said:
Sorry to hear it's been such an (expensive) 'mare for you Andy. :(

I have only ever wet cleaned my cameras with fluid and swabs - works like a charm every time. Two swabs max, and she's gleaming again.

If it's any help, I'll happily clean your sensor for you and show you how I do it, if you're ever in the area? :)
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Hiya mate.
That's a very nice offer. Which I may indeed take you up on one day!

I'm going to hopefully drop it off at LCE today, and get them to do it properly for me. More expense :razz:
 
Sample shot:

Picture001copy.jpg


Blown, butterflied and 5 swabs!!
 
andy_fozzy said:
Sample shot:

Picture001copy.jpg


Blown, butterflied and 5 swabs!!
Click to expand...



IMHO Andy doing that sort of thing is really just looking for problems.

Try not to worry about it - take a Dust Off Ref photo and use Capture NX to clone it out, but tbh doing auto levels is going looking for problems that are unlikely to show up in real photos.

I'm a firm believer in not going looking for problems, and not to obsess over a bit of dust :)
 
puddleduck said:
IMHO Andy doing that sort of thing is really just looking for problems.

Try not to worry about it - take a Dust Off Ref photo and use Capture NX to clone it out, but tbh doing auto levels is going looking for problems that are unlikely to show up in real photos.

I'm a firm believer in not going looking for problems, and not to obsess over a bit of dust :)
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Thanks Andy. You are right mate I know.
I'm doing some shots for work at the mo, and using large F numbers, and spending more time cloning out dust than taking shots!!!

Thanks for the advice, I need to work on not letting it bother me so much!!!
 
I'd look at this a different way, and try to figure out why you are getting so much dust - fight the cause, not the effect.

Do you blow out your rear lens caps, as you can get build up they. Do you keep the rear element clean (a RocketBlower can do wonders) - are you holding the camera pointing down when changing them? Work on keeping dust out in the first instance.

As a general principle on the D200, I'd try to not go past f/11 (f/13 at the absolute max) - don't use f/16 of f/22 as you are hitting diffraction limits. Are you still seeing dust at f/8?

I should admit that I am very laisse-faire about this sort of thing - I don't worry about dust, or hot-pixels or things that tend to agitate a lot of folks here, I just treat it as one of the things!
 
andy_fozzy said:
Sample shot:

Picture001copy.jpg


Blown, butterflied and 5 swabs!!
Click to expand...

Meh, the sensor on my D80 was much worse than that and the Butterfly got rid of the lot, it took a couple of goes mind you...

Unless you can actually see the dust in your images I wouldn't worry about it, I went to see a D80 for sale 18 months ago that the seller told me had just come back from a professional sensor cleaning and it had much more crap on it than you have on yours now. Come to think of it my refurbished D50 had far more dust on the sensor straight out the box -and that was supposed to have been overhauled by Nikon themselves :suspect:

For £300 you'd be better just getting a new body every time the sensor gets really dirty - it would probably work out cheaper in the long run :lol:
 
seems a lot of money. I have my sensors cleaned once a year at focus or some other show - usually costs less than 30 quid per body so you'd get 10 years out of what you've spent trying to do it yourself.
 
I always use rocket blower first, if the dust don't go away, I use Arctic butterfly, then if the dusts are still there, I use sensor swabs.

It takes patience and practice to master sensor cleaning.

Dont swipe the swabs or the butterfly back, just swipe once, then change/recharge. I found it to be more effective than some tutorials saying use the other side of the swab to clean the remaining part of the sensor.

Here is list of sensor sizes and what Eclipse fluid to use I also buy my cleaning products from them.
 
Andy, I feel your pain!

I used nine Swabs and a SensorKlear before I was happy with the results, it left me with 4 or 5 marks that have never moved regardless what I do but they are only visible if I do the Auto Level thing and not when I shoot at f32.

Can I ask where are you folks sourcing the Arctic Butterfly's in the UK please?
 
puddleduck said:
I'd look at this a different way, and try to figure out why you are getting so much dust - fight the cause, not the effect.

Do you blow out your rear lens caps, as you can get build up they. Do you keep the rear element clean (a RocketBlower can do wonders) - are you holding the camera pointing down when changing them? Work on keeping dust out in the first instance.

As a general principle on the D200, I'd try to not go past f/11 (f/13 at the absolute max) - don't use f/16 of f/22 as you are hitting diffraction limits. Are you still seeing dust at f/8?

I should admit that I am very laisse-faire about this sort of thing - I don't worry about dust, or hot-pixels or things that tend to agitate a lot of folks here, I just treat it as one of the things!
Click to expand...

This is something I wasn't aware of. I don't even know what a diffraction is :D
Well worth bearing in mind though.

I always take so much when changing lens's. I clean my camera and lens's often, including inside the lens caps with a blower and a brush.
Hold the body face down when I change lens's etc......
I just seem to attract the bloody stuff!!!

Still.........

Dropped it off at LCE today. Another £30!
But hopefully it should be spotless, so I can now maintain it at that level.
Or stop letting it bug me so much!!!

Cheers for the advice mate :thumbs:
 
D-an-W said:
Andy, I feel your pain!

I used nine Swabs and a SensorKlear before I was happy with the results, it left me with 4 or 5 marks that have never moved regardless what I do but they are only visible if I do the Auto Level thing and not when I shoot at f32.

Can I ask where are you folks sourcing the Arctic Butterfly's in the UK please?
Click to expand...

Mate it's a never ending nightmare.
And doing it scares the hell out of me. I know it probably shouldn't.......

I got my butterfly from here.
Superb service, always. Used them a few times, and stuff always arrives next day, with no problems.
 
Andy I just use a blower first then a cotton bud lightly over the sensor then give it another good blow and its always clean hope you get it sorted mate
 
Got to admit I tend towards the puddleduck theory, I am quite careless about changing lenses, having dirty end caps, that kind of thing and yet since buying the d300 in October I have never yet had to clean the sensor manually anjd its been everywhere, race tracks, gyms, rain sodden london, sandy beaches in the caribbean, you name it. I have run the inbuilt clean a few times and that has done the trick for any dust on pics, plus blown the dust from the cavity every so often, but thats it. My previous D200 only had 3 wet cleans over the couple of years os so I had it. Its been so long since i looked at a sensor I realised the other day that I have NO idea where my bloody butterfly has gone :bonk:

Maybe its like cats always choosing the one person that doesnt like them, dust only goes to those that are most careful about trying to avoid it :naughty:
 
Dangermouse1964 said:
Andy I just use a blower first then a cotton bud lightly over the sensor then give it another good blow and its always clean hope you get it sorted mate
Click to expand...

COTTON BUD :eek:

I've actually heard of this before, but always been a bit scared to do it!
Never caused you a problem, obviously!
 
Yv said:
Got to admit I tend towards the puddleduck theory, I am quite careless about changing lenses, having dirty end caps, that kind of thing and yet since buying the d300 in October I have never yet had to clean the sensor manually anjd its been everywhere, race tracks, gyms, rain sodden london, sandy beaches in the caribbean, you name it. I have run the inbuilt clean a few times and that has done the trick for any dust on pics, plus blown the dust from the cavity every so often, but thats it. My previous D200 only had 3 wet cleans over the couple of years os so I had it. Its been so long since i looked at a sensor I realised the other day that I have NO idea where my bloody butterfly has gone :bonk:

Maybe its like cats always choosing the one person that doesnt like them, dust only goes to those that are most careful about trying to avoid it :naughty:
Click to expand...

Crikey!!
I probably am over careful TBH. It never does any good!!
 
andy_fozzy said:
COTTON BUD :eek:

I've actually heard of this before, but always been a bit scared to do it!
Never caused you a problem, obviously!
Click to expand...

So long as you dont press on it only loosens any dust then the blower does the rest I clean mine and Eileens this way and never have any problems:thumbs:
 
Dangermouse1964 said:
So long as you dont press on it only loosens any dust then the blower does the rest I clean mine and Eileens this way and never have any problems:thumbs:
Click to expand...

Cool!!
Hey how funny would that be. Me spending out ££££££ for sensor cleaning stuff when a bloody cotton bud does the trick!!!

:nuts:
 
I went on the FREE sensor cleaning demo with Canon and learnt a lot.
 
Got camera back from LCE after the £30 sensor clean.
And perhaps I am obsessed, but it's still not good.
It's better, but I was expecting spotless.

I'm now going to concentrate on ignoring the bunnies.
I have my own cleaning gear now, so I can tackle it when it gets really bad. Until then, I guess I'll have to just stick with the clone tool!
Or get Capture NX........

Thanks for everyone's input :thumbs:
 
Andy it's all well and good having a clean sensor but you also need to clean the strawberry jam off the front of the lens ;) I just use the RobertP method and it cost nowt ;)
 
I guess your (& MY!) idea of clean isn't the same as everyone's Andy.

I now know at least the sensor isn't as delicate as I first thought and cleaning it no longer fills me with dread.

I will be investing in an Arctic Butterfly at some point as that seems to be the best brush type system on the market (Unless someone knows otherwise?).

The Sensor Klear improved mine a lot but I have the feeling it also could have left some of its cleaning material behind.
 
Just a thought but are you cleaning the sensor in the same room each time?
It maybe the room being overly dusty perhaps?

I've never had this problem and I clean with eclipse and pec pads wrapped around a sensor wand, the tests after at F/16 and above reveal 0 specks. The room I clean in is very dust free.
 
Ajophotog said:
Andy it's all well and good having a clean sensor but you also need to clean the strawberry jam off the front of the lens ;) I just use the RobertP method and it cost nowt ;)
Click to expand...

:lol::lol: Strawberry jam :lol::lol:

Tried the RobertP method. Same as the sensor swabs, basically. Didn't really help me!!
 
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