How to Check and Remove/Clean sensor dust on your CCD or CMOS sensors on your Digital Cameras.

May 20th, 2007 Administrator Posted in How it works, International Photography, Main, Useful Photo Links, philippine photographer |

Recently got an email asking how I clean my camera.. so i decided to put a short list of acceptable cleaning practices digital photographers use today.

There are two ways to clean the sensor fo your DSLR.

dry cleaning method - is the safest way to clean your sensor since you dont touch the sensors surface. Only setback here is that it only takes out dust held on by static.
wet cleaning method - is more aggresive cleaning method that forces you to wipe the sensor with cleaning fluids using special pads or brushes, used mainly for dust that gets stuck to sensor with moisture.

The Best commercial Sensor Dust Cleaning products on the market not ranked in any particular order..

http://www.giottos.com - Use the rocket air.. only problem with this is that when the rocket air blows out air and dislodges the sensor dust, the rocket air also sucks in air.. if dust is sucked in then you will have a problem in your next cleaning session.

Cleaning your sensor
2. http://www.visibledust.com/ -The Artic Butterfly has a AAA battery that is used to power small motor to spin the brush to generate a static charge, once brushed on the sensor forces the dust to stick to the charge. only drwaback here is that there may be a build up of dirt on brush if it is not cleaned well enough. Visible dust cleaning

3. http://www.dust-aid.com - The dust aid is an adhesive based cleaning solution that uses a special foam tape with a magic wand to get thos pesky “sticky” dust particles out of the sensor. I wonder what happens if residue is left from adhesive and moisture is mixed with the cleaning agent? This product is made by a photographer so i guess real world application and function has been studied in actual photography settings

dust aid for digital slrs

4. http://www.photosol.com/ - the maker of the “eclipse” the only solution recommended by camera manufacturers. it cleans sensor grime and does not leave any residue combined with sensor swabs make a perfect cleaning product for your digital slr. This is the the first cleaning solution ive tried and still using to this date. Available at most camera shops or direct from

5. http://www.delkin.com/products/sensorscope/digitalduster/- SensorScope, SensorVac, SensorWands, and SensorSolution.. taken as a kit makes a very good travel cleaning solution for your digital photography.The Sensor scope is useful to see for visible dust helps limit your touching the sensor with the swabs. The sensor solution on the other hand hasnt gotten favorable reviews from big product testers. Might be tricky to use especially if some write ups on the net claim that residue is left behind.
Sensorscope cleaning sensor kits

How to Check your Camera for Dust.

Set the camera to the following:

Mode - Manual
Shutter - 1sec or more depending on available light (indoor use)
Setting - Manual to f/22
Lens - Manual Focus set to infinity
How to take a Photo - shoot camera facing lighted subject like a blank tv screen, a blank computer monitor or even lightbulb (but you will have to move your camera around to get an even lighting on image).
Check the Image - You will see visible dust as streaks or spots on photo