[peteh]

Hello

Can anyone tell me what are the best tools for this job on a Canon 10d?
Is it just a matter of using a blower brush to blow the dust off?

Cheers
Pete.

[Cubbsy]

Pete, NEVER touch the sensor with anything, and be carefull with the blower Brush.

[malgos]

Canned air, available from most camera shops is the best option. Two things to be careful of, dont touch the sensor with the nozzle and don,t shake the can before using it.

[Adey Baker]

I wonder why you can get various products for blowing the dust around but nothing for sucking the dust out, like a mini-vacuum cleaner?

[Andrew03]

Hi
I wouldn't go anywhere near the sensor with a brush, and certainly not canned air - the potentail for damage is high, as is just swirling large amounts of dust around to land back on the sensor. I think www.luminous-landscape.com/ had a good article on sensor cleaning once - should still be there; also seach the web. Things like pec pads and eclipse fluid are popular.
Regards
Andrew

[christineredgate]

Andrew,I have been to your website,and checked out the details,and it looks very complicated,so thinkI may have to send the camera away to have it cleaned.It is a very interesting article and gives great detail,but think it is beyond my capabilities.I wonder if anyone else has sent their camera away to be cleaned,and could recommend a reputable company.

[tufty]

My mate has a Canon 10D and I'm sure there is a 'sensor cleaning' option built in on one of the menu's. I presume it just vibrates it to hopefully shake off the dust. Don't know how effective it is though.

[christineredgate]

A dealer I have been in contact with today,said he did not recommend the canned aerosol,it is difficult to handle.Apparently sprays out very cold,and can do damage.He seemed to think a blower brush is the best option.Tufty,do you know if the 300D has the sensor cleaning option?.
Incidentally if anyone is interested ,there is a 6 week waiting list for the 10D and even then there is no guarantee that Canon can produce the number that people have ordered.

[Doug Greenberg]

I confess that I have used aerosol "canned air" to blow dust off of the CCD of my Nikon D100. The trick is to take all necessary precautions to avoid spraying "cold liquid" on the CCD. This means holding the can upright, not shaking it, and most importantly, emitting a few preliminary blasts of vapor far away from the ultimate target. And also, it's important not to spray from point-blank distance.

For me, this works. The truth is that you don't just "blow the dust around"; most or all of it actually is expelled from the sensor region. I suppose it's possible that a few stray microparticles will land on the CCD again. However, lightly blowing in this way works most of the time.

It's when you have something on the CCD that can't be dislodged with air that more complication intervention is needed. However, I have only had to "swab" my CCD one time in fourteen months of owning the camera and using it just about every day.

Oh, for the Nikon it's a VERY good idea to use the "optional" AC adapter, which enables a mirror lockup for an indefinite period of time. I don't know if the Canon is similar in this respect.

[LzyPhotographer]

Get one of those great Giotto rocket blowers from B&H - set the camera to clean, turn it upside down, and blow. You'd be surprised at how many dust bunnies fall out. That rocket blower is the best ever... I wish I'd known about it sooner.

[juninho]

I clean my ccds regularly using the pec pads/spatula method demonstrated at www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd-cleaning .Yes,it is nerve wracking,and I hate doing it,but sometimes blower brushes just aren't enough.I've been doing it for over a year on my D-100 and S2 Pro-haven't plucked up the courage to do it to my D2H yet! I recently talked to one of the world's top wildlife pros about it and he never touches the ccds on his 1Ds's-mind you,he carries round an immense blower brush he picked up in the US,don't know the brand,maybe one of those Giotto rockets.
Best wishes,Pete

[stevo]

You can actually get a mini battery powered vacuum cleaner from Maplins for around £5.00.The same vacuum cleaner is also available from Jessops but comes as part of a kit costing around £10.00.I have one of these vacuum cleaners but I haven`t used it to clean the sensor on my 10D.Hope this helps.

Regards Steve.

[christineredgate]

Thanks for the info re the sensor cleaner on the 300D.Yes I checked with the dealer,and they said it moves the mirror and one just blows the dust from the sensor.Hopefully my camera will be returned tommorrow.This company seems very good,and when they return the camera will put their details on the thread .They received the camera yesterday,and are returning it today,so I will receive it tommorrow,I call that very good service.

[birder]

Hi Doug - I'm interested to hear teh AC kit from Nikon was worthwhile - I've been contemplating buying one - any more comments on this?

Birder

Originally Posted by Doug Greenberg

I confess that I have used aerosol "canned air" to blow dust off of the CCD of my Nikon D100. The trick is to take all necessary precautions to avoid spraying "cold liquid" on the CCD. This means holding the can upright, not shaking it, and most importantly, emitting a few preliminary blasts of vapor far away from the ultimate target. And also, it's important not to spray from point-blank distance.

For me, this works. The truth is that you don't just "blow the dust around"; most or all of it actually is expelled from the sensor region. I suppose it's possible that a few stray microparticles will land on the CCD again. However, lightly blowing in this way works most of the time.

It's when you have something on the CCD that can't be dislodged with air that more complication intervention is needed. However, I have only had to "swab" my CCD one time in fourteen months of owning the camera and using it just about every day.

Oh, for the Nikon it's a VERY good idea to use the "optional" AC adapter, which enables a mirror lockup for an indefinite period of time. I don't know if the Canon is similar in this respect.

[Doug Greenberg]

[quote=birder]Hi Doug - I'm interested to hear teh AC kit from Nikon was worthwhile - I've been contemplating buying one - any more comments on this?

Not really. I purchased the AC adapter specifically because I was told that to clean the sensor using just the "bulb" setting was risky in various ways. So when I have blown air at the sensor (carefully!) I mount the camera on a tripod and use the AC adapter. That's about it.