sensor cleaning

L

lawrenceots

Banned : Trading/Abuse of Classifieds
Suspended / Banned
Messages
4,395
Name
Lawrence
Edit My Images
Yes
I clean my sensor by mirror lock up and then switch on the vac and hold it about 3-5 inches from the body. Sometimes, I almost put it inside the camera if there s a bit, its also good fro getting rid of viewfiner dust. Now when my dad saw me doing this he reckons it could damage the camera. anyone with more knowledge than me have any ideas??

tks:)
 
Hi Lawrence, provided you're very careful and you don't effectively seal the whole mount area when doing it I don't see a problem.
I would also take care to to keep the vacuum cleaner cylinder away from your camera body because vacuums can kick out quite a bit of dust if the filters and not regularly changed / cleaned.
 
Blimey! I wouldn't do that ;) Sounds riskkkyyyyy

I have just bought a sensor cleaning kit & am putting off using the swabs, i'm too chicken
 
Sounds a bit risky & probably OTT. There shouldn't really be any dust that needs a vacuum to get rid of it. Also I would have thought, as Huw says, that you are quite likely to introduce more dust that way.

I use a rocket blower; this gets rid of 90% of the dust on the sensor. If there is anything left that annoys me enough, I'll use my Arctic Butterfly sensor brush.

Although, if you've used it thus far with no problem, I guess it can't be too bad?
 
I can't see a problem with a good suck.:naughty:

Quite how a high speed volume of air going out of the camera is going to INTRODUCE dust or do damage is beyond me. Have you thought of just how much inertia the mirror system is designed to withstand in normal use? It is pretty tough and a bit of wind isn't going to knock it off its hinges.:thinking:

I think the bigger danger is from clouting things with the end of the pipe - so provided you are not so ham fisted as to stuff the nozzle in the hole I can't see how you will do any damage. A rocket blower is perfectly adequate though (and what the Nikon technicians use on the bench) - so for the sake of under a tenner, get a rocket blower from Mr. Giotti and keep it in your bag for emergencies. If the sensor needs more than a puff from the rubber rocket then you need to sit down and clean it properly, carefully.

With swabs the biggest danger is in how the fluid dries. It is actually quite easy to get streaks through nothing worse than using the wrong fluid or inorrect technique in trying to be too careful and going too slowly - don't let the swab linger. Line it up and then move it swiftly and in one direction - after you have removed loose particles with the puffer.

Most gremlins on the sensor are loose - swabs are only needed for grease, usually from shutter lube splashing out. It is rare. The other cause of dirt on the sensor is people fiddling with trying to clean their sensor that didn't need cleaning in the first place.:bonk: IN all the time I have had my D3s I have had the sensors cleaned once....how long have they been out? 3 years is it now? The rest of the time it is just airborne particles that get on there - they can be wafted off with a bit of air.
 
I would just add that I definitely wouldn't put the hose inside camera body and before I attempted any thing like this I would use my Arctic Butterfly or blower first :)

Having said all that I still think you shouldn't do any harm provided you are very very careful. All at your own risk of course ;)
 
+1 for the Giotti Rocket blower.

How well the vac will actually work, I don't know. Do they not normally need a fairly good seal around the area to be cleaned to work?
 
Lensflare said:
Quite how a high speed volume of air going out of the camera is going to INTRODUCE dust or do damage is beyond me. Have you thought of just how much inertia the mirror system is designed to withstand in normal use? It is pretty tough and a bit of wind isn't going to knock it off its hinges.:thinking:
Click to expand...

My vacuum cleaner tends to kick up a bit of dust, not loads but certainly enough to show up on a sensor. Also the hose is not exactly dust free either.

I wouldn't expect the mirror to be damaged by the wind either.

Rocket blowers are your way forward :)
 
thanks guys. ;) I am always ULTRA careful, and its not often I do it, just every once in a while. I will get a rocket blower. :lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top