Photoclubalpha

a700, got the giotto blower and i got rid of all the dust except a stubborn bit , i am going on a cruise and down antarctica way and the chilean fjords so there will be a lot of whites and blues in the pics and this spot will virtually show in every one, i need to get rid of it by physically cleaning the sensor, i,m a bit nervous about this any ideas and past experiences ie do's & do nots will be a big help, thanks in anticipation

On speck is not worth cleaning the sensor for. It often happens, you just have to clone that one spot out. If you use the wet swab method, it's pretty safe but not guaranteed to leave the sensor totally free of marks even after shifting a stubborn spot (probably lubricant from the shutter). I use the Dust-Aid adhesive pads, they are frightening to use and need great care, and they are not really recommended for anything with a mobile sensor like SSS.

I would suggest as a next step trying the Arctic Butterfly Brush: this can also be carried with you, like the blower, as a field tool.

http://www.visibledust.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

David

ouch that is expensive david, i think your right about the clone tool

by gio67 on Sun Feb 22, 2009 4:13 am
i need to get rid of it by physically cleaning the sensor, i,m a bit nervous about this any ideas and past experiences ie do's & do nots will be a big help, thanks in anticipation

Take a peak at this. I had a severe piece of dirt like soot on my a200 sensor and use this. Using the E2
fluid for Tin Oxide coated sensors, it was a snap just like the video shows.


http://sensorswab.com/demolink.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've used the Sensorclear pen from lenspen on my A100, and I think it has not caused any problems. Having said that I've just bought an A700 as the Antishake in my 100 is unreliable, sometimes getting stuck at the extremes of it's movement. I don't think that's related to using the pen on it, but you never know...

Just Ltd, the Dust-Aid people, have a new £18 sensor swab kit with a pack of 50 cloths you wrap round a long spatula wand and throw away after use. I have collected a sample pack to review - it is intended for shifting stubborn grease or oily spots, which apparently plague Canon and Nikon pro cameras.

David

thanks david that seems more affordable, will try them

The only problem with any swab kit is that you need E2 fluid and you can not take that onboard an aircraft, so no use for most trips.

braeside wrote:The only problem with any swab kit is that you need E2 fluid and you can not take that onboard an aircraft, so no use for most trips.

i did notice that they sold a pack of 12 pre loaded with e2 sealed in separate bags , would that be ok

I wouldn't risk it - aircraft regulations about flammable stuff are very strict.

I second the concerns about cleaning - avoid it if possible. At least my first experiences were that I had an even dirtier sensor after the first cleaning run. So set aside some quiet hours without deadline and take your time. The wet cleaning method can cause heaps of dirt in the border area, so sometimes you will need two or even more cleaning passes. For non-oily dirt sensorfilm (http://www.sensorfilm.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) is a good helper: from my A700 sensor I removed all the factory delivered dirt in one step.
Now some oily spots motivate me to do a wet cleaning - later.