Gear advice Cleaning camera sensor

[Jack]

Hi. I’ve asked this before, but ill ask again. I tried to clean my camera sensor, and i though I’ve cleaned right, sadly no. When o edited some Images from my last trip I noticed again some dots presented on my images. Not sure how to clean the camera well, to get rid of these particles or maybe some dust.

Any advice please ?

 

[Andy Smith]

did you clean the lenses also? it may be one them not the sensor.

 

[Jack]

did you clean the lenses also? it may be one them not the sensor.

As far as I know, I've cleaned my lenses.

How you'd clean your lenses? Maybe I haven't done it properly.

 

[Andy Smith]

I use a blower mostly and a soft cloth

 

[Jack]

I use a blower mostly and a soft cloth

Like a little hoover ?

 

[Andy Smith]

Like a little hoover ?

I would never use a small hoover for fear of damaging the electronics..
When I say a blower I mean a rubberized air blower, the same as you get in all camera cleaning kits

 

[Jack]

I would never use a small hoover for fear of damaging the electronics..
When I say a blower I mean a rubberized air blower, the same as you get in all camera cleaning kits

Apologies, I was slightly confused. I got one of them as well, but not sure if helps much .

 

[panos_adgr]

Hello Jack!
I've been cleaning my cameras sensors since I remember myself owning a camera.
It is a bit frustrating in the beginning but there some tips I follow to do my job in the best possible way.

I have a brush with a blower with which I clean the interior of the camera carefully before I clean the sensor. Have in mind that I'm using only DSLRs. ( I used to do the same when I owned a mirrorless in the past).
So with the brush I remove all the dust particles that are around in the interior (mirror, internal walls etc).
I do this WITHOUT blowing air and with the came pointing downwards.
The I open the shutter with the sensor cleaning setting and I place the camera on a very clean surface and I have a desk lamp to light the interior of the camera.
I take special cotton swabs for sensor cleaning and I wipe gently from one side to the other.
I never blow with my mouth air because it is very possible to blow mouth drops in the sensor. (You understand what I mean..) When I finish the cleaning I close the shutter.
I take some test sots (3-4) with closed aperture against a white backround completely out of focus to achieve a plane white shot and when it is dark I overexpose. I do this to force dust particles to settle after the first cleaning.
Then I check where the dust is and I repeat the sensor cleaning with the swabs. I take test shots to recheck and I repeat if it is still needed.

Usually I'm done with 2 to 3 repeats.

 

[Jack]

Hello Jack!
I've been cleaning my cameras sensors since I remember myself owning a camera.
It is a bit frustrating in the beginning but there some tips I follow to do my job in the best possible way.

I have a brush with a blower with which I clean the interior of the camera carefully before I clean the sensor. Have in mind that I'm using only DSLRs. ( I used to do the same when I owned a mirrorless in the past).
So with the brush I remove all the dust particles that are around in the interior (mirror, internal walls etc).
I do this WITHOUT blowing air and with the came pointing downwards.
The I open the shutter with the sensor cleaning setting and I place the camera on a very clean surface and I have a desk lamp to light the interior of the camera.
I take special cotton swabs for sensor cleaning and I wipe gently from one side to the other.
I never blow with my mouth air because it is very possible to blow mouth drops in the sensor. (You understand what I mean..) When I finish the cleaning I close the shutter.
I take some test sots (3-4) with closed aperture against a white backround completely out of focus to achieve a plane white shot and when it is dark I overexpose. I do this to force dust particles to settle after the first cleaning.
Then I check where the dust is and I repeat the sensor cleaning with the swabs. I take test shots to recheck and I repeat if it is still needed.

Usually I'm done with 2 to 3 repeats.

Thanks for this useful information panos_adgr . May I ask how often are you cleaning your camera ? Just our of curiosity.

I will need to do the way you do when I’m off day.

 

[panos_adgr]

Thanks for this useful information panos_adgr . May I ask how often are you cleaning your camera ? Just our of curiosity.

I will need to do the way you do when I’m off day.

It depends.
I do not have a systematic routine.
I shoot a lot long exposures. And when I do long exposures I close the aperture at f/11 or more. When the aperture is closed then the dust particles become more visible. If I have in frame 3 to 5 I remove them with the spot removal tool in post processing. When they are more and it becomes frustrating the I use bulb mode and I blow with a blower with the camera facing downwards. Or I use the in camera sensor cleaning. Usually these tips do help a lot. But if the particles persist then I clean the sensor with the special swabs.

The good thing in my case is that I use DSLRs which in a way keeps the sensor less exposed. Anyway dust will reach the sensor in any case no matter what.

I also change lenses the least possible when I'm out. And If I'm out I change my lenses having my back turned to the wind direction in case it is windy and I avoid changing lenses in dusty environments.

 

[Jack]

It depends.
I do not have a systematic routine.
I shoot a lot long exposures. And when I do long exposures I close the aperture at f/11 or more. When the aperture is closed then the dust particles become more visible. If I have in frame 3 to 5 I remove them with the spot removal tool in post processing. When they are more and it becomes frustrating the I use bulb mode and I blow with a blower with the camera facing downwards. Or I use the in camera sensor cleaning. Usually these tips do help a lot. But if the particles persist then I clean the sensor with the special swabs.

The good thing in my case is that I use DSLRs which in a way keeps the sensor less exposed. Anyway dust will reach the sensor in any case no matter what.

I also change lenses the least possible when I'm out. And If I'm out I change my lenses having my back turned to the wind direction in case it is windy and I avoid changing lenses in dusty environments.

Did you had any issues with dust being presented inside the lenses ?
I do try not to change lenses outside or very often, however you can’t avoid that.

 

[panos_adgr]

Did you had any issues with dust being presented inside the lenses ?
I do try not to change lenses outside or very often, however you can’t avoid that.

Yes I did have and I will still have. It is inevitable.
Dust finds the way to enter even in the most unimaginable places. 😅
Some lens designs have some weak spots from where dust can enter into the elements.
In example I have an old crop zoom Nikkor AF-S 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 which the front part extends and it is not isolated. Dust enters all the time when I zoom in and out and settles behind the front element. I once serviced it to remove the dust but since then it has gathered dust again. My other zooms are ok but I clean my gear all the time. I try to keep everything in the best possible state and condition. My primes are less sensitive to dust but their design is different with no lens breathing like the zooms.

 

[Jack]

Yes I did have and I will still have. It is inevitable.
Dust finds the way to enter even in the most unimaginable places. 😅
Some lens designs have some weak spots from where dust can enter into the elements.
In example I have an old crop zoom Nikkor AF-S 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 which the front part extends and it is not isolated. Dust enters all the time when I zoom in and out and settles behind the front element. I once serviced it to remove the dust but since then it has gathered dust again. My other zooms are ok but I clean my gear all the time. I try to keep everything in the best possible state and condition. My primes are less sensitive to dust but their design is different with no lens breathing like the zooms.

Means that there are more chances to get dust in zoom lenses than prime lenses ? Also have you tried to remove dust from the lenses yourself ?

 

[panos_adgr]

Means that there are more chances to get dust in zoom lenses than prime lenses ? Also have you tried to remove dust from the lenses yourself ?

Well yes. Zooms are easiest to gather dust. Only if the function is internal they better shielded. It depends also on the design and if they have dust and water shielding.

 

[GeoffM Photography]

Hi. I’ve asked this before, but ill ask again. I tried to clean my camera sensor, and i though I’ve cleaned right, sadly no. When o edited some Images from my last trip I noticed again some dots presented on my images. Not sure how to clean the camera well, to get rid of these particles or maybe some dust.

Any advice please ?

I use a blower first and then dedicated sensor swabs wiping slowly and carefully in one direction. I then flip the swab to the clean side and reverse. Very occasionally I will add just a TINY touch of sensor cleaning fluid, but I don't like doing that. If in doubt, don't. As others have mentioned, sometimes it is a passing spec on the lens so I always keep a soft microfibre cloth handy. I have also been known to clone out distant birds which can appear as a spec in the image! (No wildlife is actually harmed).

 

[panos_adgr]

I use a blower first and then dedicated sensor swabs wiping slowly and carefully in one direction. I then flip the swab to the clean side and reverse. Very occasionally I will add just a TINY touch of sensor cleaning fluid, but I don't like doing that. If in doubt, don't. As others have mentioned, sometimes it is a passing spec on the lens so I always keep a soft microfibre cloth handy. I have also been known to clone out distant birds which can appear as a spec in the image! (No wildlife is actually harmed).

Instead of using any fluid you could try tiny amounts of distilled water on the swab. It leaves no traces and it is harmless. Only tiny amounts.

 

[Jack]

Well yes. Zooms are easiest to gather dust. Only if the function is internal they better shielded. It depends also on the design and if they have dust and water shielding.

All my zoom lenses are water and dust sealed. To be honest I didn't even checked if there can be dust inside.

Can you remove the dust from inside the lens yourself?

 

[Jack]

I use a blower first and then dedicated sensor swabs wiping slowly and carefully in one direction. I then flip the swab to the clean side and reverse. Very occasionally I will add just a TINY touch of sensor cleaning fluid, but I don't like doing that. If in doubt, don't. As others have mentioned, sometimes it is a passing spec on the lens so I always keep a soft microfibre cloth handy. I have also been known to clone out distant birds which can appear as a spec in the image! (No wildlife is actually harmed).

Thanks for advice, I do have cleaning kit and bower as well. But the problem is, after I cleaned the sensor, I noticed some small dots on the photo, especially when I increase the Dehaze in Lightroom.

 

[GeoffM Photography]

Thanks for advice, I do have cleaning kit and bower as well. But the problem is, after I cleaned the sensor, I noticed some small dots on the photo, especially when I increase the Dehaze in Lightroom.

Any dust on the back lens or the mirror (if dslr) won't show on the photo. The only thing I can imagine is one or more 'dead' or stuck pixels. I had them on an early Nikon. They clone out I assume? Shot in RAW as explained in the text of this article which might throw some light (!) on the subject:

How to Identify Stuck Pixels and Remove Them from Your Digital Photos

If you’ve noticed hotspots in your digital photos, areas where a stuck pixel in the camera’s sensor has rendered very bright spots of color that don’t belong in the image, you’re not alone. It’s an incredibly common phenomenon, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with it. Read on as we...

www.howtogeek.com

 

[Jack]

Any dust on the back lens or the mirror (if dslr) won't show on the photo. The only thing I can imagine is one or more 'dead' or stuck pixels. I had them on an early Nikon. They clone out I assume? Shot in RAW as explained in the text of this article which might throw some light (!) on the subject:

How to Identify Stuck Pixels and Remove Them from Your Digital Photos

If you’ve noticed hotspots in your digital photos, areas where a stuck pixel in the camera’s sensor has rendered very bright spots of color that don’t belong in the image, you’re not alone. It’s an incredibly common phenomenon, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with it. Read on as we...

www.howtogeek.com

Thanks for the info, I will go and read. It could be some dead pixels as well. Means I need new camera 😅.