Wet Sensor Cleaning

[Hector1970]

Hi All,
I had a question about sensor cleaning.
I was cleaning my sensor last night with Eclipse Fluid and the pads that go with it.
I found when I wiped the sensor I ended up with drops formed on the surface.
They showed up quite obviously when I took a photo as F22.
What I don't know is if they would have evaporated away given time.
I wiped them with a dry pad.
The liquid I believe is Ethanol (I think you can get a version of Eclipse that's methanol which I assume is slightly more volatile).
I wasn't terrible satisfied with results.
Dust is amazing the way it can stick to the sensor.
I have a loupe so I can see the dust. Even though it's tiny it pops up clearly at F22.

Is there a more sophisticated modern method or have all methods go their flaws.

 

[Kristofgss]

If it is only dust, then a can of clean compressed air works very well.

 

[neuroanatomist]

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2010/04/how-to-clean-a-camera-sensor

The problem with wet cleaning is that droplets of the cleaning solution can coalesce the dust then evaporate, leaving the dust stuck to the sensor and even harder to remove.

 

[neuroanatomist]

...a can of clean compressed air works very well.

Yes, that works quite well for those who want to risk damaging their camera. The rest of us use a rocket blower.

 

[JonAustin]

Which camera body do you have? I used to have to clean the sensors on my 10D, 20D and 5D, when I would (infrequently but regularly) notice spots in my images. I thought the sensor cleaning feature on my 5DIII was just a marketing gimmick, but I have it set to engage on power-up and power-down, and I haven't had to manually clean its sensor once in more than three years of ownership and regular use in the same kinds of environments as the older models.

If you're getting spots left behind by the Eclipse fluid, you're probably using too much / getting your cleaning pad too wet. It is better to apply less fluid, and iterate the cleaning process a few more times, always using a new cleaning pad.

As stated by Neuro, never use compressed air. He posted a link to an excellent video on dry cleaning, but here's a link to a very informative site on both dry and wet methods, although it hasn't been updated in a few years:

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/index.html

 

[Kristofgss]

...a can of clean compressed air works very well.

Yes, that works quite well for those who want to risk damaging their camera. The rest of us use a rocket blower.

Why is that? You have the balloon pump thingies and they use normal air with all room dust included, so i would expect the cleaned-up compressed variant to contain less particles?

 

[neuroanatomist]

...a can of clean compressed air works very well.

Yes, that works quite well for those who want to risk damaging their camera. The rest of us use a rocket blower.

Why is that? You have the balloon pump thingies and they use normal air with all room dust included, so i would expect the cleaned-up compressed variant to contain less particles?

The can of compressed air delivers too much force and can damage components inside the mirror box. Also, compressed air isn't just air - if you tilt the can at the wrong angle you will spray the propellant into your mirror box.

Bottom line, skip the canned air.

In my experience, the rocket blower doesn't blow dust onto the sensor to any significant degree. Air is pulled in from the bottom of the blower, not from the tip in the mirror box. If you're concerned about that, there are variants with filtered air intake (Visible Dust makes one, they also make the excellent arctic butterfly brush).

 

[Hector1970]

Thanks for the replies.
The camera in question is a Canon 5DIII.
The rocket blower I did use but it wasn't very effective.
The dust seemed to be stuck.

I wouldn't risk compressed air. It's not recommended.

I think maybe I used to much liquid but the instructions were to wet the tip of the wipe.
I think I should have let it evaporate a bit before I started but the instructions didn't highlight that.
The biggest problem is that it seems to be easy to make it worse rather than make it better.

I think a good blow out before opening the mirror and shutter with the rocket blower might have been a good idea.

The incamera cleaning probably does help with static dust. I assume it pushes it down to a sticky bit at the bottom. Buts it's not overly effective.

 

[tcmatthews]

...a can of clean compressed air works very well.

Yes, that works quite well for those who want to risk damaging their camera. The rest of us use a rocket blower.

Why is that? You have the balloon pump thingies and they use normal air with all room dust included, so i would expect the cleaned-up compressed variant to contain less particles?

The can of compressed air delivers too much force and can damage components inside the mirror box. Also, compressed air isn't just air - if you tilt the can at the wrong angle you will spray the propellant into your mirror box.

Bottom line, skip the canned air.

In my experience, the rocket blower doesn't blow dust onto the sensor to any significant degree. Air is pulled in from the bottom of the blower, not from the tip in the mirror box. If you're concerned about that, there are variants with filtered air intake (Visible Dust makes one, they also make the excellent arctic butterfly brush).

Not to mention that propellant has a nasty habit of discoloring things and leaving a residue. That residue is more sticky than any dust. Skip the can air. They also sell a mini-shop vac for around $19. We used to use them to suck out the dust in computers. But I am sure that the rocket blower variant neuro suggested is safer than a vacuum.

 

[JonAustin]

@ Hector1970, re: "I think maybe I used to much liquid but the instructions were to wet the tip of the wipe."

I think you probably used too much liquid, too. You only want to apply 2-3 drops of the Eclipse fluid to the wipe. I would characterize that as "damp" or "moist," rather than "wet."

@ tcmatthews, re: "I am sure that the rocket blower variant neuro suggested is safer than a vacuum."

I would agree; those mini shop vacuums are way too powerful to use inside your SLR body.

 

[slclick]

What worked for me was dipping the tip of each corner of the swab into the bottle and allowing it to spread on it's own for about 5 seconds. A steady hand with a bright light/loupe is key.

 

[ExodistPhotography]

O lord.. Dried droplets are a pain in the ehh..... Use a CLEAN SOFT yet LINT FREE microfiber to VERY gently remove them.

I personally do use the canned air, but I have been using it since the 90's on PC components and I am fully aware of how horribly wrong using it could go with a camera. So I don't recommend it to others. That said, if the air duster does not knock it off, gently (I cant stress the word GENTLY enough) use a microfiber to try to brush away the effected area and then try the duster again. Hopefully this will release the stuck dust. Make sure you have your camera pointed down while doing this, else dust will just fall back into the system. IF this still does not remove the dust spot, it very well could be a chemical spot from oil or even sea breeze off the ocean.. In that case, send it in to Canon and let them do a proper cleaning.

Cheers, Joe

 

[cfargo]

For the record, Eclipse is Methanol. The discontinued Eclipse E2 was Ethanol. If you are getting droplets on the sensor then you are using too much fluid. For the 5D Mk III you are using a 24mm swab and with it you should be using no more than 3 drops of methanol (Eclipse) and after the first swab you don't need more than 2 drops. I have found that when people are having issues with wet cleaning, 90% of the time their problems were caused by using too much chemical.

To clean up streaking caused by too much chemical, you want to use a new swab with the least amount of chemical possible that will still leave the leading edge of the swab moist. You want it just moist not sopping wet, more is not better. If you have just a very small streak you may be able to remove it with a SensorKlear pen. For more reading on the subject along with the pros and cons of all of the major sensor cleaning tools you can visit www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com

 

[[email protected]]

A note on the compressed air... The biggest liability using it is the refrigeration effect.

Whenever you have a compressed gas expand, it rapidly cools. This is how refrigerators work. You will notice that when you use canned air for more than a few seconds, it gets wicked cold. These rapidly cooling temperatures can cause cracks in attachment points, etc. inside the camera. The uneven cooling can cause stresses as some parts shrink at different rates.

It is much worse if you keep spritzing the can over and over again, as the already-now-cold air in the can just gets colder and colder with each spray.

If you've ever used a small propane tank for something (cooking a turkey, or perhaps doing some maple sugaring), you may have had your tank freeze up from the rapid pressure loss. Same effect.

I use canned air with some of my camera equipment, but I do so with a single blast (and not into the body of my camera), and make sure the can doesn't get too cold. I've heard stories of people cracking a lens element in this fashion.

It's pretty cool stuff. If you've never played with it, it's worth $5 to see for yourself.

 

[tolusina]

Three reasons to not use canned air;
1) Propellant hazards
2) Refrigerant effect
3) Cost/expense.

I've found the squeeze bulbs quite frustrating. One squeeze tends to blow dust from one place to another, the ending place of the dust is very often still inside the mirror box waiting an opportunity to migrate back to the sensor.

I tried a foot operated inflatable mattress pump, I spare you the experience and say, don't bother.

I now use a one gallon plant spraying jug/pump similar to this

Pumped up to the maximum you get about 25 seconds of useable and very soft, gentle air pressure for blowing dust out. It's DIY refillable.


I've a 6D with an optional, removable focusing screen. I begin by removing that.
I then lock the mirror up in cleaning mode, blow off the sensor and the mirror box, lower the mirror and blow out the prism area, raise the mirror once more and blow the mirror box/sensor area again.

I then check a snap of a white PC screen such as a word processor at full screen, ISO 100, f22 (or so), focus ∞. Check this snap on the PC at full size, scroll all around.

If any dust remains, which is rare, I repeat the blow off.

If spots remain after all that, it's time for Eclipse wet cleaning.

 

[cfargo]

If you find it a must to use "canned air" American Recorder make a product called Nitro Blast (not cheap) that uses cartridges similar to CO2 cartridges but are Nitrogen instead. These are clean without propellant or refrigerant but quite pricey. I use to use a foot blower quite a bit but have become very proficient with just using a rocket blower. When I'm using a rocket blower, I'm moving it in a sweeping motion while squeezing the bulb and never sticking the tip in pat the lens mount.

Three reasons to not use canned air;
1) Propellant hazards
2) Refrigerant effect
3) Cost/expense.

I've found the squeeze bulbs quite frustrating. One squeeze tends to blow dust from one place to another, the ending place of the dust is very often still inside the mirror box waiting an opportunity to migrate back to the sensor.

I tried a foot operated inflatable mattress pump, I spare you the experience and say, don't bother.

I now use a one gallon plant spraying jug/pump similar to this

Pumped up to the maximum you get about 25 seconds of useable and very soft, gentle air pressure for blowing dust out. It's DIY refillable.


I've a 6D with an optional, removable focusing screen. I begin by removing that.
I then lock the mirror up in cleaning mode, blow off the sensor and the mirror box, lower the mirror and blow out the prism area, raise the mirror once more and blow the mirror box/sensor area again.

I then check a snap of a white PC screen such as a word processor at full screen, ISO 100, f22 (or so), focus ∞. Check this snap on the PC at full size, scroll all around.

If any dust remains, which is rare, I repeat the blow off.

If spots remain after all that, it's time for Eclipse wet cleaning.

 

[mnclayshooter]

I think the even bigger item being overlooked other than the freezing effect is that every can of "canned air" available I've seen in the local stores in the last couple years has a bitterant included in the formula to dissuade people from huffing it to get high, I presume.

That alone should be reason not to use it in your camera body. It's almost certainly an oil/ester being added to the formula, which I would guess might build up over time on surfaces that it falls to rest on... blowing out a PC cooling fan - no big deal... micro droplets of some mystery substance from your $3 can of "air" on your sensor? I'll pass.