What cleaning tools should I use for an APS-C camera sensor?
Asked 7/9/2012
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I'm preparing for a trip and want to carry the right tools for cleaning an APS-C sensor. I've seen different cleaning routines involving a blower, chamber cleaning, and wet or dry sensor cleaning, but I'm not sure what is actually recommended.
If I'm shopping from the VisibleDust range, what type of kit or tools are appropriate for an APS-C sensor, and are there any basic best practices for cleaning safely?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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I've had the VisibleDust Arctic Butterfly 724 Travel Kit for two years by now, and it has been enough for my needs. I do change lenses often, including outdoors if needed, but I don't dust and wash my gear on purpose. The kit is available in two sizes, full-frame and "1.6 crop"; 1.5 crop APS-C sensors should also use the 1.6 version.
When starting to clean, make sure the air and working surface is reasonably clean (but not windy) so you won't get new dust into the body. Clean outside of the camera with the same spirit in mind.
As I've understood, blowing is more of a emergency workaround than a proper cleaning routine. You will get the dust moving, but you won't have much control over where it lands, and those places could be harder to reach. But maybe it's just me and my memories from childhood when my mum didn't think much of my cleaning-by-blowing-dust-away attempts. So my advice is to skip blowing in your planned routine and save it for the day you're out of town without cleaning kit and need to buy a quick weapon against an evil dust bunny.
Charge the brush by giving a quick spin, stop the motor. Set your camera into cleaning mode - so its mirror is up and shutter open, lens removed. Brush over the sensor (avoid hitting inside walls of the camera with your brush, they're greasy).
Attach a lens to the camera and take a test picture of an even light-colored surface, out-of-focus, slightly overexposed, with a narrow aperture. Look at the image on a larger screen; if there are still dust spots, you'll also need wet cleaning. Usually the brush will be good enough, but perhaps not first time.
Put a drop or two of the cleaning liquid on a swab. Set the camera into cleaning mode again. Wipe the swab once over the whole sensor, no back-and-forth scrubbing. If needed, repeat the wipe in the same direction.
Take a test shot again, hopefully the sensor is clean now but you might need another wet round. When studying the test image, pay attention to its corners - perhaps you'll need to use one of the corner swabs. So far, I've never had to.
Originally by user4390. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4390
14y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For an APS-C sensor, use tools sized for crop sensors rather than full-frame. In the VisibleDust range, the APS-C/“1.6 crop” version is the right size and should also suit 1.5x APS-C cameras.
A sensible approach is:
- Work in a reasonably clean, still environment.
- Clean the outside of the camera first so you don’t introduce more dust.
- Use a blower only as a first step or emergency measure; it can move dust around without much control.
- If dust remains, use a proper sensor-cleaning tool sized for APS-C, such as a dedicated sensor brush or swab system.
- Wet cleaning is for more stubborn contamination, and should be done carefully with the correct swab size and cleaning fluid.
From the community feedback, a VisibleDust Arctic Butterfly Travel Kit has been sufficient for regular use, including frequent lens changes outdoors.
In short: choose APS-C-sized sensor-cleaning tools, start with the least invasive method, and only move to wet cleaning if simpler cleaning doesn’t remove the dust.
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AI14y ago
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