advertisement


any good sensor cleaning brushes?

bob atherton

bob atherton

pfm Member
I have two DSLR cameras a canon 5D and a 5D mkII. They are great but dust on the sensor is a real PITA. I get the sensors cleaned about 5 times a year by my service guy and he does a great job but occasionally I send it in for a clean because of one large fibre or piece of crap on the sensor when, apart from this large piece, the sensor is quite clean.

Is there a brush, just a brush, that can be recommended to flick off any large lumps of crud from a sensor to see me through to the next proper clean?

Thanks, Bob
 
bob.

a brush is not the best tool--it is likely to leave stuff behind and merely push dust around rather than collect it. i've got this little thingy with a sticky bit on the end of it. it's still all a big pain in the ass and a massive downside of digital photography.



vuk.
 
I've settled on a system using pec pads and pure alcohol with shaped bits of card (mount card off cuts) one for the horizontal, one for the vertical wipe. A powerful blower, and a lot of patience. The 5d seems much worse than my old 300d but I clean the 300d a lot as its IR converted, so seems more dirt sensitive, probably as I tend to use smaller apertures with IR.
 
Thanks guys. I have just placed an order for the rocket thing. As I said I will leave the regular service and cleaning to my service man but this should get me through in between.

One day I hope manufacturers will sort out the sensor dust issues. I take nearly all of my shots on the minimum aperture using studio flash. These are maybe the worst conditions for the dust problem I guess.
 
I've used DSLR's since they first came out. I've always had a handful of lenses. I probably shoot 10k frames a year and I spend a lot of that time on windswept beaches where there is always salt mist in the air and i'll typically change lenses 20 times a day . I have never had to have a sensor cleaned.

Maybe it's all down to how you switch lenses. I always carry a spare mount cap which goes straight on the body once the lens is off. I never swap lenses with the camera switched on and I never do it without having the camera inverted, ie open mount pointing down.

Might be worth trying to see if it helps.
 
One day I hope manufacturers will sort out the sensor dust issues

There is none so blind as those that do not wish to see

Olympus have been cleaning the sensor or AA filter on their E models whenever they are switched on for about 8 or 9 years now. However they do not have magic names on the camera.
 
sq225917 said:
I've used DSLR's since they first came out. I've always had a handful of lenses. I probably shoot 10k frames a year and I spend a lot of that time on windswept beaches where there is always salt mist in the air and i'll typically change lenses 20 times a day . I have never had to have a sensor cleaned.

Maybe it's all down to how you switch lenses. I always carry a spare mount cap which goes straight on the body once the lens is off. I never swap lenses with the camera switched on and I never do it without having the camera inverted, ie open mount pointing down.

Might be worth trying to see if it helps.
Click to expand...

If you are shooting at the smallest aperture, say f22, then have a good look at your skies. I really doubt that you will not see some dust spots.

I always use mirror up on my cameras and part of the problem is the Teflon breaking away within the camera by always using the mirror up. I do my level best to take great care when changing lenses; it's my profession and the last thing I want is crud on the sensor, but it gets there. Maybe it's more of a problem with Canon?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top