Sensor Cleaning

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Perry
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I think this is in the correct section, so apologies if not...

I have a Nikon D7000 and I have 2 dust spots coming out on the images, where do you recommend to get the sensor cleaned and approx cost.

I have seen on Jessops it’s £30 for a two day service and there is one in Milton Keynes so local is good. However have there been any horror stories that people know of.

Appreciate any advice.

I have added a quick image to show the spot (not the best image I know [emoji4])

DSC_3483.JPG
 
Try a Rocket Blower first ... Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning ... few sharp puffs, holding the camera mount facing down.
Might be all it needs :)

Thanks will have a look for a blower, have watched a you tube video, seems straight forward.
 
Cleaning a sensor is easy once you get past the first time, there's tonnes of video tutorials out there on wet cleaning a sensor - if the rocket blower doesn't shift the spots first. Buy a sensor cleaning kit, it'll be about £15-20 for a decent one, but you'll get multiple uses from it. Usually they come with about 10 swabs and a bottle of cleaning fluid, you only need a drop or two of this for each clean
 
Cleaning a sensor is easy once you get past the first time, there's tonnes of video tutorials out there on wet cleaning a sensor - if the rocket blower doesn't shift the spots first. Buy a sensor cleaning kit, it'll be about £15-20 for a decent one, but you'll get multiple uses from it. Usually they come with about 10 swabs and a bottle of cleaning fluid, you only need a drop or two of this for each clean

It’s the wet one that scares me [emoji6]
 
It’s the wet one that scares me [emoji6]

I think we were all scared first time of wet ones :D But seriously, once you do it once, you'll wonder why you were so wary of doing it. It is basically putting a drop of fluid on a clean sensor swab, and wiping this across the sensor in one smooth action, reverse the swab, add another drop and do same again. That is it! If the spot persists, use another swab, don't use the same side twice or you may be just putting that dust spot back on. You cannot break or damage anything unless you really try hard to tbh. You won't be actually touching the sensor itself but a protective filter in front of it. I know that helped ease me into doing it the first time, also knowing you would have to really press hard to do any kind of damage
 
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As said, actual sensor cleaning isn't as bad as the thought of sensor cleaning......

Agree, as said above try the rocket blower first, fingers crossed that works.
 
I was never afraid of sensor cleaning, on the grounds that it was my camera and I was happy enough to take on such a simple task. I'd get a reputable brand of cleaning kit for safe liquid and grit-free swabs.
make sure you get the correct size
That's basic.

Doing it once will build confidence. If it hasn't quite worked, do a re-run with a wetted fresh swab. By then you should be in your stride ...

As Dave just said, have the camera battery well-charged before starting because in a dslr it'll be holding the mirror up whilst you operate.
 
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I was never afraid of sensor cleaning, on the grounds that it was my camera and I was happy enough to take on such a simple task. I'd get a reputable brand of cleaning kit for safe liquid and grit-free swabs.
That's basic.

Doing it once will build confidence. If it hasn't quite worked, do a re-run with a wetted fresh swab. By then you should be in your stride ...

As Dave just said, have the camera battery well-charged before starting because in a dslr it'll be holding the mirror up whilst you operate.

Why the edit? it's not basic if people are linking the wrong size for the OP, You are not the OP, it might be more daunting for them and getting the right size is very important, nothing basic about it. Try cleaning an M43 sensor with swabs for a FF sensor and see how 'basic' it is. Before your strange edit you quoted the snippet of what I said as 'that's number two' - now it's basic? :D
 
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Why the edit? it's not basic if people are linking the wrong size for the OP, You are not the OP, it might be more daunting for them and getting the right size is very important, nothing basic about it. Try cleaning an M43 sensor with swabs for a FF sensor and see how 'basic' it is. Before your strange edit you quoted the snippet of what I said as 'that's number two' - now it's basic? :D
I was endorsing your comment - what are you getting uppity about? This effing internet is impossible!
 
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Why the edit? it's not basic if people are linking the wrong size for the OP, You are not the OP, it might be more daunting for them and getting the right size is very important, nothing basic about it. Try cleaning an M43 sensor with swabs for a FF sensor and see how 'basic' it is. Before your strange edit you quoted the snippet of what I said as 'that's number two' - now it's basic? :D

You’ve helped straight away as I never knew there were different size swabs - maybe be basic to some but not me - so thank you [emoji1303]
 
I was endorsing your comment - what are you getting uppity about? This effing internet is impossible!

If I get 'uppity' you'll know. I just wondered why you edited your comment to call my comment 'basic' - strange change. You do realise calling someone's comment basic is borderline belittling it? or I totally mis-interpreted

Another thing to remember, once you have swiped the swab then Do Not re use the dirty side. It really is not hard to clean as when I did my old Canon 70D I used ten wet swabs to clean the sensor, as I`d been sloppy changing lenses.

Yup, I said it earlier only use the swab once per side or you risk putting the dust back on.
 
Swabbing a sensor is pretty straightforward. The only things you need to be mindful of is to have a decent charge in your battery and to keep clear of your cameras switch off button. The last thing you need to happen is to power off while a swab is through the shutter blades.
 
calling someone's comment basic is borderline belittling it? or I totally mis-interpreted
Keith, to say that something someone said is basic, is to endorse it. Your hobby-horse seems at this minute to be over-endowed with testosterone (or something else) - please hop off it for a moment. This isn't a contest. Be cool, brother.
 
Keith, to say that something someone said is basic, is to endorse it. Your hobby-horse seems at this minute to be over-endowed with testosterone (or something else) - please hop off it for a moment. This isn't a contest. Be cool, brother.

Wow, this guy and words ... not the best mix. Don't edit your posts to make you look stupid. Best advice I can offer, other than that stop boring me and messing up the thread.

Swabbing a sensor is pretty straightforward. The only things you need to be mindful of is to have a decent charge in your battery and to keep clear of your cameras switch off button. The last thing you need to happen is to power off while a swab is through the shutter blades.

This is important for dslr owners, just to note though, for mirrorless cameras you don't need to worry so much .... unless you own the EOS R
 
It’s very easy todo a wet clean , the likes of jessops and others quote two day turn around to make you think it’s a big task and pump up the prices .. it’s not it’s really easy and quick.. average times are between 30 seconds and 2 minutes depending how dirty your sensor is
 
For "most people" it's easy to wet clean - definitely best to do it yourself as you will still find that having opened it and messed about for five minutes is a good way to get one or two fresh specks.
This can equally well happen if it's done in a store or whatever.
Good news is fresh specks are more likely to blow off [with a proper blower] which should always be first thing to try.

If your eyesight isn't brilliant or you have a degree of fumble fingerness ideally get someone else on hand trained up ;)
 
That's a big sensor spot.

As said, you can DIY clean or find a reputable place to wet clean it. I am lucky as AJ Johnston in Glasgow aren't that far from me and are a Nikon Authorised repairer. They do a better job than I can do (I found I left streaks from the fluid once after a wet clean)

Nikon Camera's come with an inbuilt sensor cleaning that apply a small vibration through applying a current - try that. It's quite effective.
 
For God's sake don't go to Jessops.

They "cleaned" my old Canon 5D MK2 sensor and it was dirtier afterwards than before. Also it's a dryt clean using a carbon brush (moves the dirt around).

Their excuse was my dust collection box was full!!

I eventually wet cleaned it myself and was easy and took one clean.
 
Nikon Camera's come with an inbuilt sensor cleaning that apply a small vibration through applying a current - try that. It's quite effective.

So does the Sony I use; I had to clean the sensor last night, and twice through the sensorcleaning routine and a few puffs with a blower cleaned it.
 
Just what I came here for to ask: sensor cleaning. Will try it once more myself. Should my efforts not be successful, can anyone here recommend a place that does a full sensor clean near Matlock?
 
Just what I came here for to ask: sensor cleaning. Will try it once more myself. Should my efforts not be successful, can anyone here recommend a place that does a full sensor clean near Matlock?
Lehman’s in stoke on Trent
 
in all my time with DSLR I don’t think I ever had a requirement to clean my sensor, however when I switched to mirror less I quickly started to get dust spots on my images. The first time I went to clean the sensor, I was absolutely bricking it, terrifies of causing damage. However in the end I bit the bullet and watched a few videos and got on with it. Now it is such a simple process, I now do it as a matter of general housekeeping. Takes a few minutes to do once you get the hang of it. I certainly wouldn’t pay anyone to do it now
 
in all my time with DSLR I don’t think I ever had a requirement to clean my sensor, however when I switched to mirror less I quickly started to get dust spots on my images.
Interestingly my experience has been the opposite. When I ran a Canon full frame outfit it was a fairly regular requirement for me to clean the sensors but since I went entirely mirrorless I haven't cleaned a sensor once. I put that down to the sensor cleaning technology in all the cameras I now use.
 
My first and only attempt at wet sensor cleaning was a nightmare.
I went through two packs of pecca pads before I got it right.
 
As it goes Digital Camera magazine came with a blower this month so purchased and puffed and all seems ok now, so fingers crossed, thanks everyone for all the help and advice.View attachment 247425

I do not know why they show using a blower like that, any dust will just move about and end up somewhere else in the sensor "box" and eventually on the sensor. I am sure that is why so many people say that their blower did not get rid of the dust spots.
It is much better to have the camera opening facing down so that any dust falls out, leave it for a bit facing down and then blow it out again. A tripod is very handy whilst doing that. It is also advisable to blow out the mirror "box" before raising the mirror to get rid of any dust before the sensor is exposed.
The same applies to lenses, use the blower so that the dust falls out and don't forget to clean the rear element as dust on there will go straight into the camera.
 
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I do not know why they show using a blower like that, any dust will just move about and end up somewhere else in the sensor "box" and eventually on the sensor. I am sure that is why so many people say that their blower did not get rid of the dust spots.

I'm glad to know it's not just me then. I've seen so many cock-ups and bad advice given in magazines over the years that I stopped buying them over twenty years ago. :banghead:
 
I do not know why they show using a blower like that, any dust will just move about and end up somewhere else in the sensor "box" and eventually on the sensor. I am sure that is why so many people say that their blower did not get rid of the dust spots.
It is much better to have the camera opening facing down so that any dust falls out, leave it for a bit facing down and then blow it out again. A tripod is very handy whilst doing that. It is also advisable to blow out the mirror "box" before raising the mirror to get rid of any dust before the sensor is exposed.
The same applies to lenses, use the blower so that the dust falls out and don't forget to clean the rear element as dust on there will go straight into the camera.

Must admit I did it on a tripod pointing down, not like the image in the magazine [emoji1303]
 
I always clean by own camera sensor, but having the right tools makes it a lot easier. The best way to check is by using a "Loupe" , may be a bit expensive at the outset but using it over the years has save me a fortune in professional cleaning, let alone being without a camera. Also having an "Arctic Butterfly" to attract the dust off a sensor is way far better than any blower. Of course for more stubborn dust/marks then the use of swabs and extreme such on dirt cleaning fluid.

FQKHNZR.jpg


Cost wise this kit in a presentation box from a camera show 10 years ago cost me £115. Then number of times I have cleaned my cameras has more than paid for itself.

Doing it yourself you know that no "muppet" has damaged/ failed to clean properly


Arctic butterfly spins at high speed and after about 5 seconds builds up static electricity to attract dust, so just switch it off before using brush

Seeing sensor thru Loupe to check for dust/dirt

5lf3hVf.jpg
 
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