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Thread: Camera Sensor Cleaning

  1. #1
    Amhornedomd's Avatar
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    Camera Sensor Cleaning

    Hi all, please give me some inputs with regards to cleaning my camera sensor. I have an old Nikon D80 and haven't cleaned the sensor for quite a while aside for a regular blowing using an air blower. Lately I noticed some specks of dirt on my pictures and I can't seem to get rid of it despite the regular blowing.

    Thanks in advance.

    Abner

  2. #2
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
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    Re: Camera Sensor Cleaning

    Hi Abner,

    Here's a thread with some comments in and links to earlier threads;
    Dirt or defect on the sensor?

    Cheers,

  3. #3
    Amhornedomd's Avatar
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    Re: Camera Sensor Cleaning

    Ta, Dave. I guess I was too lazy to go over the older threads. I'll try to go over all the links!

    Cheers!

  4. #4

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    Re: Camera Sensor Cleaning

    Abner, unless you feel comfortable doing something like this, i would send the camera out for a cleaning. If your alright with it, i clean mine as follows.......................

    First i clean my computer screen. Then in photoshop, i fill the screen with a sky blue color. Set your f/stop to the highest # (f/22 or more)---turn the auto focus off---hold the camera a couple inches from the screen and take a photo,while moving the camera in small circles. Upload your photo and you will see all the dirt specks on the sensor. (remember the photo is inverted like looking in a mirror so the actual dirt is on the opposite side of the sensor.)

    With a fully charged battery, set your camera to manual cleaning mode (you can find it in the camera menu) This will lock the mirror up so you can clean it. Holding the camera upside down, use a blow bulb and blast any dirt specks off the sensor.

    Next i use a sensor swab (you can order the proper one for your camera on line) They come in packs of 4 pre moistened swabs that are cut to the size for your camera. Place the edge of the swab at one edge of the sensor with enough pressure to bend the swab sitck a little and slide it to the other side of the sensor. Without lifting the swab, rotate it to the back side and pull it back to the starting point and lift it off the sensor. ( your only supposed to use it one time, but i will usually do this 4 or 5 passes before i lift it off the sensor to scrub the dirt off. Often one pass will not remove all the dirt(more like a water stain than dirt) )

    After that , i use a sensor pen to clean up any streaking. (a triangular lens pen made for sensor cleaning and can be ordered on line)

    Then i take another photo of the computer screen to check if i missed anything. Sometimes you have to do this several times to get everything.

    Hope this helps.............there are also a few video's on utube that will give you a visual of the process, before you try it.

  5. #5
    Amhornedomd's Avatar
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    Re: Camera Sensor Cleaning

    This is a lot of help Steve. Thanks! I will surely try this.

  6. #6

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    Re: Camera Sensor Cleaning

    I use a Rocket-type blower and then the SensorClear pen for typical cleaning.

    I don't think there is a need to resort to wet reagent cleansers unless you absolutely have to ( a blob of grease would be a good reason ). There are some combinations of wet reagents and sensor coatings which do not play well together, to make an understatement. The pen works quite well all by itself, and may well be what they would use at repair shop.

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