Very dirty sensor!

[Sally]

My sensor is very dirty, they are black spots and dust particles all over it, which shows up really well on pics with a lot of open space (skies etc.). I can't afford to take it to a shop to be cleaned, so does anyone know of a good sensor cleaning kit you can buy?

Thanks. :-)

[yelvertoft]

Sally, before you try anything else, get a rocket blower, such as this one:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/prod...aspx?sku=13374
That will shift a lot of the dirt. If that's not enough, take your pick from a wide range of solutions available. Personally, I use digipads with Eclipse E2 fluid, available from warehouse express.

You might find reading this web site:
http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/
highly informative.

[sassan]

I went through your recent images and gallery and did not see a trace of dust on your image. I am not sure if you are referring to your Nikon as your Panasonic or telephone camera are not falling into category of User cleaning sensor. You can see sensor dust when taking a picture of homogeneous field with a very narrow F stop. Your blossom image was a good choice.

The basic is simple Sally. Dust anywhere in your camera is best to be tolerated but the one on your sensor that needs to be removed a it jeopardizes your image quality.

Not sure about Nikon but Canon that is the line I use predominately, provides you a free sensor cleaning service. All you have to do is to take it to Local Canon (If you are lucky to have one near your residency) or send it by post. They pay for the return postage!
May be Nikon has it too. So Call them on their 1-800 or otherwise toll free phone number and figure it out.

Unlike Duncan's suggestion for rocket blower, I discourage you from using it. If you must, remember that you don't push it too much in your camera, then only use vacuum (Squeeze out side, release when close to dust to suck dust in, again squeeze it outside for several times to get rid of dust in reservoir). If you squeeze inside, you are likely to send the dust into more inner trouble zone. Then remember not to even think of air pressure canes. The high pressure can destroy your many delicate inner camera parts.

The so called "Dry method of cleaning" simply wont work most of times.

I agree with the suggestion on "Wet cleaning" such as a right formula Eclipse when combined with a right size sensor Pad. Both the chemical and pad are the key ingredients. Remember that many people lost their sensor initially by using an earlier Eclipse formula that for eg was corrosive to Canon 5D sensor but not other Canons!
Pads have a short life of use and best disposed with each use.
This treatment is not cheap.

If you are to clean sensor yourself, please be very very careful in what you chose or do. I am a careful person and did ruined a sensor of mine due to ignorance... It did cost me a hefty $300 to replace the filter in front of sensor that was scratched :{

Once done with cleaning remember to change your habits that may contribute to development of dust on sensor. People who change the lenses less frequently or in an environment where dust is not abundant, are less likely to have a problem. Camera brand has nothing to do with development of dust. If you are having a newer body with active or passive, possibly both, dust cleaning/reducing mechanism, you are a lot more immune to this problem.

[Sally]

Many thanks for Sassan and Yelvertoft for the replies!

I will try out some of the suggestions. Sassan, I have only noticed the black spots and hair like particles, on recent photos, I also edited out all the spots. So there definitely is a lot of dust on the sensor!

[sassan]

Sally one effective and very easy way of dealing with sensor dirt is pre-treated swabs that are already wet with the right amount of solvent so you need to open one pack at a time, clean and throw the swab away. Here is a link

L I N K

This is the cheapest yet effective therapy. I have personally used this one and found it easy and effective. When ordering pay attention to the width of swab. If you have full frame DSLR, you need 24mm and if factored sensor (Such as D40) you need 17mm version.
You can't beat this one on price and comfort, combined.

[Sally]

Thanks Sassan, I have since ordered the Rocket Blower that Yelvertoft suggested and my OH found a camera cleaning kit and had a go at cleaning the sensor, which worked a little...It's a lot better than it was!

The cleaning swabs sound great, I will have a look at the link.

Thanks!

[miketoll]

No free cleaning from Canon in the UK I am afraid Sassan.

[Joe]

No free cleaning from Canon in the UK I am afraid Sassan.

Too bad she got a Nikon here in blighty

I would echo Yelvertoft's suggestion. Those rocket blowers shift quite a lot of dust. I've found them to work quite effectively. Worth noting that it is a good idea to position the camera body so dust falls out of the open mount, rather than having it with open mount face up. The last thing you want to do is blow any extra dust from the mirror box assembly onto the sensor!
Worth doing the blower before opting for a full-on sensor swap