Cleaning Digital Cameras

If you are in The Houston/Galveston area or are planning at being at the Feather Fest in Galveston, Come by for one of our free sensor cleaning classes being offered. http://galvestonfeatherfest.com/leader/curt-fargo/

Check out these Sensor Cleaning Videos by The Dust Patrol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l4YH_I7M1A&feature=youtu.be

So just why do you want a clean sensor? Cleaning your sensor only takes minutes, just a fraction of the time you spend removing sensor dust in post processing. Having a dust free sensor provides you with the sharpest possible image that your sensor and lens combination can capture. If there is dust on your sensor, it is degrading the quality of your image even if you can’t see the hard specs. Dust always works as a diffuser and softens an area of your image. In certain circumstances, it will even leave a dark speck in your image. Content Aware Fill works wonders, but it takes time and still isn’t as sharp as if you would have had a dust free sensor to begin with.

The Sensor Cleaning Kit I Personally Carry Here is my personal sensor cleaning kit and some explanations on why I have each of the items in it. 1. 1 Micnova 7X Lighted Loupe: Being able to inspect your sensor is of the utmost importance as you should never try to clean your sensor without inspecting.... 2. 1 Giottos Rocket Blower: The blower is always the first tool you should use in the cleaning process and Giottos makes the best non-filtered blower. 3. 2 16mm D-SLR Brush: This brush is most always the first tool I use after blowing. As a matter of fact, 90% of the time I can get my sensor clean with just the loupe, blower and brush. I carry a second one as I’m quite often helping others to get their sensors cleaned and too often on Nikon cameras I have soiled the brush by running it through stray lubricants that had made their way onto the sensor. 4. 1 Bottle Beta Optical Cleaning Fluid: This is a non-flammable sensor cleaning fluid that I find very effective when needing to do a wet cleaning. 5. 1 Bottle Gamma Optical Cleaning Fluid: This is pure Methanol and flammable so I leave this one at home when I’m flying. I will use this chemical when the Beta is having issues with a stubborn spot and visa versa. 6. 20 Full Frame Size Alpha Swabs: Better to have too many than not enough and it gives me extras so I can help out those around me. The Alpha Swabs are the best swabs available on the market today. 7. 20 APS-C Size Alpha Swabs: Although I don’t usually carry an APS-C sized camera with me, maybe those I’m out with do have one and I’m always cleaning for others. 8. 1 SensorKlear Pen: I use the SensorKlear pen for spot cleaning and/or polishing off when a film is left behind. 9. 10 Long Low Lint Cotton Tipped Applicators: I use these with either Beta or Gamma for spot cleaning. 10. 1 Pair of Fine Tweezers: These are used for removing lint or hairs that find their way in near the sensor. 11. 1 Flashlight: I use this to see what I’m doing while using the tweezers. 12. 1 Wooster Shortcut Brush: I use this brush to dust off the outside of the camera BEFORE I remove the lens or body cap. These can be found at most any hardware store. 13. 2 CR2032 Batteries: Without my inspection loupe, I can’t/won’t do ANY of the sensor cleaning steps so I carry some extra batteries for it. 14. 1 Lens Cloth: While I’m cleaning my sensor I quite often take the time to clean my lens too. This is NOT used on the sensor. See more