Dust on the sensor

Like everyone with a DSLR, I had dust on the sensor. For the longest time I use the Giotto’s Rocket-air Blower. After years of dust, the blower just did not work anymore. So I needed to something else to get the dust off the sensor. After speaking with one of the major camera stores, they suggested the Arctic Butterfly. The Arctic Butterfly is a small brush that has a battery and a motor. The motor spins the brush and creates a small static charge. The theory is that the static charge and the brush are will pull the dust of the sensor. To use the brush, you turn the motor on, the brush spins and build up a charge. Turn the motor off and wipe the sensor with the brush. You repeat this process until the dust is removed. The Arctic Butterfly may work for general dust, but it did not work for the dust that was built up on my sensor.

Well, it was now time to do something I did not want to do. I needed to go to a wet cleaning system. I needed something with swabs and cleaning solutions. So what product do I use? That decision was simple to make. When I spoke to the camera store, they said there is only one chemical cleaning product that they were legally permitted to ship via UPS. That product was the VisibleDust System.

This is actually two products, the cleaning solution and the swabs. I have to admit I was a little nervous putting a swab with wet liquid on my sensor, but it was not that bad.
When the product arrived, I read the directions twice and went about cleaning the sensor.

I put a fully charged battery in the camera and switched the camera to sensor cleaning mode. I followed the directions on the VisibleDust package and went about cleaning the sensor.

Basically, you put a drop or two on the swab and wipe the sensor with the swab. Anyone with a DSL will know that this is where the uncomfortable part came in. Well after two or three passes with different swabs, I am happy to say the spots on the sensor are gone!!!

Some things you should know about the swab system:
1) You need a swab for the size of your sensor
2) The swabs should only be used for one swipe per side. Each swab has two sides.
3) The system is not cheap. The swabs are around $40 and solution is around $35.

Posted by: admin | 04-04-2008 | 07:04 AM
Posted in: Photos & Photo information