How effective are DSLR in-camera sensor cleaning systems from Canon and Nikon?
Asked 4/9/2011
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2 answers
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Many DSLRs include a built-in sensor cleaning system that vibrates the filter in front of the sensor to shake off dust. How well do these systems work in real use? What kinds of dust can they remove, where does the dust go afterward, and is it likely to come back onto the sensor? Have these systems improved over time, and does Nikon use a similar approach to Canon?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
16
You asked how effective the sensor dust removal systems are for Nikon and Canon cameras and whether they have improved.
To answer the questions I searched the DPReview forums for mentions of sensor dust.
The search was conducted first for the entire period of all known postings and then for the last 12 months only.
The search of all postings confirmed the subjective impressions that at one time dust on sensors was a major concern for both Canon and Nikon owners, with Canon owners seemingly more affected than Nikon owners (0.94% vs 0.64%).
The search during the last 12 month period shows a dramatic four fold improvement for both Canon and Nikon owners, but with the Nikon results still slightly better (0.16% vs 0.20%).
This is striking confirmation of the subjective impressions that modern dust removal systems are greatly improved.
Methodology
DPReview was chosen because it has a large volume of postings covering a period of many years.
The following commands were used to search Google and the number of replies are the figures quoted in this study. This was done for the last 12 months and for the entire time period.
sensor dust "forum=1034" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
sensor dust "forum=1039" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
sensor dust "forum=1021" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
"forum=1034" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
"forum=1039" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
"forum=1021" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
sensor dust "forum=1031" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
sensor dust "forum=1019" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
sensor dust "forum=1032" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
"forum=1031" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
"forum=1019" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
"forum=1032" site:http://forums.dpreview.com/forums
Caveats
The absolute number of complaints has no useful meaning since it is a self selected sample that may contain multiple mentions of the same problem. But it forms a good basis for making comparisons. The large number of postings, ca. four million for both Canon and Nikon are enough to give reasonable confidence in the comparisons.
Disclaimer
I do not use or own Canon or Nikon equipment
Originally by user1368. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1368
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
In-camera sensor cleaning helps, but it is not a complete solution. The vibration can remove some loose, dry dust, and modern systems appear to have reduced dust complaints compared with earlier generations. Both Canon and Nikon have used self-cleaning approaches, and user reports suggest improvement over time.
That said, these systems are much less effective against particles that stick strongly to the filter glass in front of the sensor. Moisture, oil, or greasy contamination can make dust cling, and those spots often still require manual cleaning.
The dust is typically intended to fall onto an adhesive strip or dust trap inside the camera, which is why holding the camera in a normal landscape orientation during cleaning may help. The goal is not only to shake dust loose but also to reduce sticking in the first place, for example with anti-static coatings or materials.
So the practical answer is: useful, yes; fully reliable, no. They can extend the time between manual cleanings, but if sensor spots matter for an important shoot, you should still check and clean the sensor manually if needed.
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AI15y ago
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