Vacuum Lens Sensor Cleaner

[Shadowman]

Not advocating the device, just showing that it's out there; at least for some consumers.

http://www.popphoto.com/gear/2014/08...ely-terrifying

[PhotomanJohn]

I would be really surprised if it could generate enough flow and turbulence on the face of the sensor to dislodge anything more than what a blower bulb could do. I would guess it is not nearly as effective as a bulb. Also where is all this air coming from and what is it sucking into the camera? A small vacuum on a small soft brush would probably be a better idea.

But, then again, what do I know.

John

[Colin Southern]

Interesting - and novel.

I wonder if they're filtering the air that goes in?

I've got (and used) just about every kind of sensor cleaning product known to man - might have to add it to the collection!

Personally, I can't see it doing any harm - suspect that it wouldn't get a lot of dust off the sensor - but if the air going in is filtered then it might help get some of the dust out of the mirror box.

[PhotomanJohn]

Colin - Have you tried the German made eyelead sensor cleaning stick with the sticky blob on the end? I have one and I haven't gotten up the nerve to try it. They are supposed to work well. I have heard there are some Asian knock-offs that leave residue on the sensor.

John

[Mike Buckley]

The thing that I like about the concept of using suction is that the unwanted materials are potentially removed from the camera. My objection to using a blower bulb is that it can move that stuff off the sensor and into other areas of the camera, allowing it to fall back onto the sensor again. That explains one way stuff gets onto the sensor even though the lens hasn't been changed.

[Val Mansfield]

I have to agree with Mike, I have always wondered why a vacuum wasn't used rather than a blower that just redistributes dust particles. In theory, air shouldn't go in whilst it is operating, but air will flow in to replace the partial vacuum when it is removed, so maybe remove it in a dust free spot, like inside a plastic bag?

[Glenn NK]

I recall this topic coming a couple of times on other forums - the consensus was that they're better at cleaning out your pocket boot than cleaning a sensor.

Dust can be blown off a sensor with various tools (bulb blower, compressed gas, and that magic brush that has been positively charged by spinning), but when there are spots on the sensor that require at least one wet cleaning, I seriously doubt that a vacuum will do anything at all except cause frustration (much of which will stem from being fleeced).

It's similar to a carpet - the vacuum will pick up loose dirt but will not touch a spill stain.

Glenn

[Colin Southern]

Colin - Have you tried the German made eyelead sensor cleaning stick with the sticky blob on the end? I have one and I haven't gotten up the nerve to try it. They are supposed to work well. I have heard there are some Asian knock-offs that leave residue on the sensor.

John

Yep - got that one

[Glenn NK]

And now for your reading pleasure:

http://www.sensorcleaning.com/what.php

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

You may come to your own conclusions, but what I find interesting is what the manufacturers use in-house (second reference), and that the first reference didn't list any advantages for the Delkin Sensor Vac. Kind of makes me wonder . . . again.

G

[LocalHero1953]

I've tried a number of cleaning systems, but not a vacuum one. The most useful tool I bought was an illuminated loupe, so I could see the critters: unaided, I couldn't see specks that showed up in images, and the loupe saved a lot of trial and error. I use the bulb blower most frequently, and swabs with Eclipse alcohol occasionally. I tried Dust-Aid and found it ok, but got careless one day and left a smear by a bit of sideways movement, so haven't used it since. The water-based swabs just left more residue to clean off. I use an Arctic Butterfly before swabbing, but it is not always effective.

[Shadowman]

And now for your reading pleasure:

http://www.sensorcleaning.com/what.php

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

You may come to your own conclusions, but what I find interesting is what the manufacturers use in-house (second reference), and that the first reference didn't list any advantages for the Delkin Sensor Vac. Kind of makes me wonder . . . again.

G

That's a lot of options. Thanks for the link.

[Colin Southern]

Most of my handywork involves checking with one of the illuminated loupes - go over with a sensor pen - cleanup what it leaves behind with an Arctic Butterfly - and then cleanup what that leaves behind with a sensor stamp.

[Colin Southern]

Blast from the past ... my very first post here was regarding sensor cleaning!

Arctic Butterfly Sensor/mirror cleaning kit / brush

[Manfred M]

Answers:

1. Question: Will using this vaccuum cleaner sensor dust removal tool damage my camera.

Answer: Probably not.


2. Question: Will this tool actually clean my camera's sensor?

Answer: See answer to Question 1.

[GrahamS]

I use Photographic Solutions sensor swabs and Eclipse fluid, and I can clean a sensor in seconds with one pass. It takes practice. I would not advise using tweezers or any other tool to hold a piece of cleaning material or tissue as it is all too easy to scratch the sensor (or AA filter). I would also not advise using fluid made from Windex or a mixture of lens cleaning fluids as these can get between the sensor and the AA filter and form a residue. The only other sensor cleaning device that I have found works is a DustGrabber, which is a thin plastic wand with a shaped sticky tip about 1mm wide. If you have a loupe and can see the dust particle, it works a treat. Most of the other "sensor cleaning" stuff is just to part fools with their money. I never blow air into the mirror box - all that does is move the dust around and introduce more of it.

[Glenn NK]

In the daytime I find the spots by shooting at f/16 or smaller at the sky with the lens de-focused to minimum distance (the sky can be cloudy or clear). In the evening, I shoot at a blank white screen with the lens de-focused at infinity.

In PP software, the spots show up quite well, and their location can be noted (allowing for image reversal both left/right and top/bottom). Doesn't require a loupe.

The last step is always a shot to ensure that nothing was missed during cleaning.

Glenn

[Glenn NK]

It gets better:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FUJIN-Lens-t...item2a419c4ab5

For $109 plus $12 shipping it can be yours.

I guess I'm just a cynic.

G