cleaning sensor and focussing screen on DS

Sorry if this is a FAQ

what is the safest way to clean the sensor (1 or 2 spots) and screen (quite a few specs)?

Thanks

Kevin

Giottos Rocket blower available from the ephotozine sister site for only £6.99 incl postage (to UK I guess) at http://www.ephotozine.com/shop/cat_21_24.html

any other suggestions?

i got the kit using eclipse, pec pads, and a wand from micro-tools delivered for about 23USD. it works very well.. i like to mount my DS on a tripod to do the cleaning..

roy

I've used this with good results http://www.warehouseexpress.com/index.cfm?PHOTO/cleaning/visibledust.html Bit expensive though.

I've used Eclipse and PecPads in the past... but I still had traces of stuff (especially when using a pin hole - don't ask!).

So I switched to DSLRclean from http://www.intemos.com/
I have the fluid too, and the CCD was so yucky I had to do it twice - wet, dry, wet, dry.

Now it's good

Matt

DSLRclean is a dry only system from what I see on their website? You immerse the foam sticks in the liquid?
Are these foam sticks anything special? I know someone who buys them in bulk for use on high grade optics (he is a maintenance engineer on spectrometers).

Wet and Dry

Normally you use them dry - they create a small vacuum because of the design on the fibres, and effectively "suck" up the dust. That works great for most of the grime.
However, any organic or oily stuff needs the fluid - you just put a couple of drops on the bud, clean and then follow with the dry bud.

You never can tell from the hype, but I was recommended these by a couple of pros who have tried other systems. And I found they worked really well

Matt

the price is allso reasonable compared to other systems.
For the first cleaning I think a wet cleaning has to be done? I don't believe it is 100% clean out of the factory.
Allthough I might wait a little while before cleaning it. The amount of specks is very small and starts to be visible beyond f/11 when shooting a light background (overcast or clear blue sky).
And since I will be going on holiday in about 5 weeks I do not want risk having to send the body in for repair...

don't these look like the same applicators?

They look pretty much the same - slightly "fluffy" texture to the buds. And when you apply them, the stick bends at the bud so the majority of the bud is in contact with the sensor.

Are they the bulk items?
Matt

Yes, I have asked for the price. Maybe I can get a couple of these things. I could send you one or two so you can compare them.

My biggest worry is that I might scratch the sensor.

My opinion is don't clean the sensor unless you really have to. Over one year on neither Sue or myself have any need to clean the sensors on our *istDS bodies.

sensor cleaning...


well as i understand it no-one actually is cleaning the sensor - what you actually clean is a piece of glass that protects the sensor.

So i thought i'd do a bit of a test, i got a piece of glass (old filter) and a piece of plastic (that should have far less scratch resistance than the glass) and i attacked them with some pec pads

first i cleaned them gently and carefully with the wet pec pads. Then i cleaned them pretty roughly with the pads.

Then i turned the pads round and stabbed at them with the handle of the pec pads.


I just about managed to mark the plastic, and left a couple of tiny marks on the glass. Which i then just rubbed off with a lens cloth.

So i decided that it's probably pretty safe to clean the sensor yourself as long as you are using proper swabs and not a scouring pad.