First sensor cleaning job

[retro]

Had a bit of an accident with my D40 while its body was wide open and ended up with a REALLY dirty sensor. I had heard about the great job that the Lenspen Sensor Klean does... and gave it a go. Overpayed for it I'm sure (15 quid) but heres the results:

100 % cropped, different colours due to different backgrounds used.

Dirty

Clean

 

[Joves]

Nice job of cleaning your sensor for the first time. I havent used that product myself but it looks as if it worked quite well. I like to use my rocket blower which often gets the dust off.

 

[PS-RagE]

I use a SensorBrush myself. I normally don't care much about a few dustbunnies to clone out of the images but when they get too numerous they brush off easily

 

[retro]

Yeah, it took about 5 rounds on the sensor to get all the stubborn ones off. Defenitely worth it. Now I can get back to trying to be a photographer.

 

[Justintoxicated]

I don't have any cleaning tools for my SLR yet I was looking at the rocket blower, should I get this Lenspen Sensor Klean and the rocketblower?

 

[mwarps]

I am scared shitless of that eventuality. I've never cleaned a sensor and I'm not under warranty.. Rage, you mentioned sensorbrush. Googling now, but is it nearly idiotproof?

 

[ApEtc]

I've cleaned my sensors using specially size swabs (with a flat edge the exact height of the sensor) with a few drops of liquid.

See the left half of this pic:

Once the camera is in cleaning mode and the lens removed, you open the packaging for the swap, put a few drops of cleaning liquid on it and then wipe it across the sensor. Then flip it over 180 (so you are now using the back side of the swab) and then rub it the other direction over the sensor. You then throw out the swab.

In the few times I've done it so far on 3 different cameras, it's given me an absolutely perfectly clean sensor with just one swab. Memory serving, the bottle plus a few of the swabs can be had for under $20. The supplies I used (and I believe in the picture) are made by Photographic Solutions. Keep in mind that in all cases the cameras were fairly well cared for and were never previously subjected to anything like changing lens in a dust storm.

I do own a lenspen, but use it just for cleaning glass.

 

[PS-RagE]

I am scared shitless of that eventuality. I've never cleaned a sensor and I'm not under warranty.. Rage, you mentioned sensorbrush. Googling now, but is it nearly idiotproof?

Its pretty easy. You lock the mirror up out of the way, charge the brush with canned air and give a single swipe (the brush is the same width as the sensor). Take an unfocused pic of a blue sky and check for spots. Repeat if necessary. Quite often a single pass is all it takes

 

[Derrict]

I've cleaned my sensors using specially size swabs (with a flat edge the exact height of the sensor) with a few drops of liquid.

I'm using the wet solution/pec pad method, also. Once people overcome the fear of cleaning the sensor, it's very easy. It usually takes me 2-3 passes to clean the sensor since I tend to always get one or two spots that get moved to the edge.