Cleaning Sensor?

[Photofarmer]

Put a photo on a FB forum a while back weeks and weeks ago.

Few comments clean your sensor clean your sensor.

Took it to camera store they said looks fine and just gave it a blow no charge which i could have done.

How many on here clean there sensor with swabs etc?

Ive got big farmer hands and sausage fingers, but doesnt look that finicky.

I operate in slightly to very dusty conditions but rarely if ever change lenses out doors, storm chases lenses attachd before i leave.

 

[Kwazy]

I cleaned it once, pretty easy. Set aperture as high as it'll get, like f18, take a photo of a white sheet of paper, load it up and see if there are black/grey dots present.

The sensor, although covered with glass, is pretty delicate; and there are other sensitive parts that can be easy to damage. So if you don't have very good dexterity and delicate touch I wouldn't recommend trying it. But if your handwriting is good, it's a pretty easy and quick fix. The cleaning kit is like $15 here.

 

[David Berry]

I have never seen the sensor of my R5.

When the R5 is switched off the shutter closes automatically to protect the sensor from dust. In a way this is similar to a film SLR in which the shutter defaults to ‘closed’ between shots (its ‘sensor’ being film!).

 

[Kwazy]

I have never seen the sensor of my R5.

When the R5 is switched off the shutter closes automatically to protect the sensor from dust. In a way this is similar to a film SLR in which the shutter defaults to ‘closed’ between shots (its ‘sensor’ being film!).

Great on you for being so vigilant!!

I've swapped lenses after forgetting to switch off the camera in the middle of a grass field. Once. Resulting in over a hundred particles of pollen and other microscopic debris splattered over the sensor.

Pointing the camera down while swapping lenses helps mitigate this.

 

[David Stallard]

swab cleaned my old 1dxmk2 many many times (mainly oil spots from the shutter) not yet had to do the R3. First time is very nerve racking but take your time and be gentle.

 

[Nick L]

Hi, I have cleaned sensors on APC and full frame for years, I have cleaned the R5 a couple of times when I have spotted a spot that does not go, shoot a blue sky at F22 to see the dust, switch off in body IS otherwise the sensor will move. try a blower first, open the shutter and hold the camera downward and blow air across the sensor with airblower (do not use canned air!)

if this does not work use a cleanish room (window shut and not dusty)

I normally use 3 sensors swabs and a couple of drops of fluid on the middle swab. first swab do a dry clean, left to right then right to left using the other face of the swab, throw the swab away switch off the camera and reattach a lens and test at f22 if the dust is gone you are all done!

If dust is still there put a couple of drops on swab 2 near the edge and wait for them to spread do not get the sensor wet, clean left to right and right to left, throw the swab away and the use a third swab to clean again and test again, hopefully all done at this point, if not repeat with new swabs.

Hope this helps

Nick

 

[R7andyking]

Really helpful info - just ordered some swabs as I have the same problem with a dust spot. Thanks

 

[lostnomore]

I recently bought this (CDN price). It's like the very popular and much cheaper Rocket Blower, but with a HEPA filter on the intake with the intention of not introducing new dust. I'm not sure if the filter is a gimmick, but there seems to be a number of good reviews. I haven't noticed dust since I've started using it.

A more crazily-expensive option (3x more) is this that I just learned about yesterday, something I guess for the most obsessed about dust, but like a blower, I don't think it removes oil-based spots. Only a swab would do that. I don't own this and I'm not sure if I'd ever buy one myself, but thought I'd make people aware of it.

 

[Photofarmer]

looks a bit gimmicky doesnt it? who knows if it works last for years though

 

[Nick L]

I have a couple of these one at home one in the bag.

Giottos GTAA1900 Rocket Air Blower​

 

[R7andyking]

Hi, I have cleaned sensors on APC and full frame for years, I have cleaned the R5 a couple of times when I have spotted a spot that does not go, shoot a blue sky at F22 to see the dust, switch off in body IS otherwise the sensor will move. try a blower first, open the shutter and hold the camera downward and blow air across the sensor with airblower (do not use canned air!)

if this does not work use a cleanish room (window shut and not dusty)

I normally use 3 sensors swabs and a couple of drops of fluid on the middle swab. first swab do a dry clean, left to right then right to left using the other face of the swab, throw the swab away switch off the camera and reattach a lens and test at f22 if the dust is gone you are all done!

If dust is still there put a couple of drops on swab 2 near the edge and wait for them to spread do not get the sensor wet, clean left to right and right to left, throw the swab away and the use a third swab to clean again and test again, hopefully all done at this point, if not repeat with new swabs.

Hope this helps

Nick

I might be being thick, but how do you open the shutter with the camera switched? (or, come to that, with it switched on but no lens on?)
Thank you
Andy

 

[AntonLargiader]

With the R3 and the R7, simply turning the camera on exposes the sensor, lens or no lens. You can opt (in the menu) to leave the sensor exposed when powered down.

 

[Nick L]

Either select manual clean (sensor open - camera on, which is the way i have done it (IS off of course)) or as Anton said you can stop the shutter closing when off but makes it more accessible to the dust unless you set it back after the cleaning. As i said I have only cleaned twice in 2 1/2 years I do check regularly that the sensor is clean. one single spot on the edge is not worth a clean but one in the middle is. Hope that helps.

 

[R7andyking]

With the R3 and the R7, simply turning the camera on exposes the sensor, lens or no lens. You can opt (in the menu) to leave the sensor exposed when powered down.

Thank you

 

[David Berry]

With the R3 and the R7, simply turning the camera on exposes the sensor, lens or no lens.

I suspect that this is so with every mirrorless camera, irrespective of brand or model.

Does anyone know of exceptions?

… David

 

[koenkooi]

I cleaned it once, pretty easy. Set aperture as high as it'll get, like f18, take a photo of a white sheet of paper, load it up and see if there are black/grey dots present.

The sensor, although covered with glass, is pretty delicate; and there are other sensitive parts that can be easy to damage. So if you don't have very good dexterity and delicate touch I wouldn't recommend trying it. But if your handwriting is good, it's a pretty easy and quick fix. The cleaning kit is like $15 here.

And to make it worse: if your camera has IBIS the sensor isn't rigidly mounted, so pressing down on it needs more care.

 

[dmgadagio]

Put a photo on a FB forum a while back weeks and weeks ago.

Few comments clean your sensor clean your sensor.

Took it to camera store they said looks fine and just gave it a blow no charge which i could have done.

How many on here clean there sensor with swabs etc?

Ive got big farmer hands and sausage fingers, but doesnt look that finicky.

I operate in slightly to very dusty conditions but rarely if ever change lenses out doors, storm chases lenses attachd before i leave.

I clean my camera sensor often, make sure to use a reliable cleaning kit like the Sensor Swab kit by Photographic Solutions

 

[RazzleH]

Why is it necessary to physically clean the sensor on my R5 when cleaning is done automatically when switching on/off, please?

 

[Bryan Conner]

Why is it necessary to physically clean the sensor on my R5 when cleaning is done automatically when switching on/off, please?

I would say that it is only necessary if you can see dust spots on your images....and you don't want to remove the dust spots in your image editor. Personally, I have not had to clean an image sensor since purchasing a Canon 40D in 2008, which was my first Canon with built-in sensor cleaning.

Of course, I am not about to stop a lens down to f32 or something and take a shot of a cloudless sky to check to see if there are spots. I went down that rabbit hole years ago and almost didn't recover.

 

[RazzleH]

I would say that it is only necessary if you can see dust spots on your images....and you don't want to remove the dust spots in your image editor. Personally, I have not had to clean an image sensor since purchasing a Canon 40D in 2008, which was my first Canon with built-in sensor cleaning.

Of course, I am not about to stop a lens down to f32 or something and take a shot of a cloudless sky to check to see if there are spots. I went down that rabbit hole years ago and almost didn't recover.

My thinking and experience is similar, Bryan, which is what led to my question. Puzzling!