CCD Cleaning @ Nikon UK

[iangriffiths]

Hi all,

 

I'm off to Nikon tomorrow (5 hour round trip) to get my CCD cleaned by them as I

couldn't wait the possible 3 weeks if I sent it in for repair.

 

What I would like to know is, if any one else has taken their camera to them?

If so, are they happy to show you how to clean it, or is it a closely guarded

secret?

 

I was told on the phone that it would only take 10-15 mins, but for around �22,

I would like to see how it's done.

 

Many thanks

 

Ian

[walterh]

"...or is it a closely guarded secret?"

 

Ian cleaning filters once was a well guarded secret. Soon the word spread how you can do this :-)

 

Cleaning the sensor requires a bit more care and it makes one a bit nervous because the sensor is more expensive to replace than a filter in case of an accident. You are wise to go to a professional to have it done if you feel too nervous about it. Nevertheless have a look at the many threads in PN (search). You will find that many clean the sensor of their camera on a regular basis. Just as a note while you read the threads you will find: I would always try first to clean without the use of a liquid and only if this fails to use a commercial kit with a liquid.

[walterh]

Ian this may be a good staring point:

 

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

[markgooding]

Ian,

 

It's well worth learning to clean it yourself, you don't want to have to do a 5hr round trip every time you change lens in a dusty place.

 

I got a sensor cleaning kit from http://www.cameraclean.co.uk/ which came with pretty clear instructions. It took me a couple of tries to get the CCD clean the first time, but it still worked out cheaper that 22gbp But there's also a lot of info on the web.

 

Mark

[Richard Williams]

A quick blast with a Giottos Rocket air bulb with the shutter open in cleaning mode is often all that's required. You can buy one from:

 

http://www.speedgraphic.co.uk

 

http://www.cameraworld.co.uk

 

http://www.warehouseexpress.com

 

If you want professional cleaning and are near London, try:

 

http://www.fixationuk.com

[iangriffiths]

Thanks for the help so far, very much appreciated.

 

@Walter, Thanks for the "How to" link. I'll have a good read.

 

@Mark, Looks like I need an Intro Pack, but what type for a D70s?

 

@Richard, Already have a Rocket, this definitely needs a wet clean.

 

Cheers

Ian

[ShunCheung]

Anybody who uses a DSLR should learn how to clean the sensor. As Walter (kind of) points out, it is not that much more difficult than cleaning a lens or filter and should take only a few minutes to do it yourself. That will save you some of those 5-hour train rides and 22 Pounds. Depending on usage, that is something you will probably need to do every few weeks to every few months.

 

See this article by Thom Hogan: http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm

If you do a web search, you'll find other similar articles.

[ilkka_nissila]

Or never. I haven't yet needed to clean a sensor after 23000 shots on DSLRs.

[roto]

I just finished cleaning the sensor of my D2x for the first time. We had an awful amount of pollen in the air a few weeks ago and the sensor was a mess.

 

I had to use 6 (six) sensor swabs before I got a decent result (I still have 5-6 spots at the edge of the frame) and finally gave up.

 

Has anyone here ever managed to get a perfectly clean sensor? Just trying to understand if I'm dumb or if it's just a fact of life that one has to live with some dust on the sensor.

[vivek iyer]

"Has anyone here ever managed to get a perfectly clean sensor?"

 

That would be most of the dSLR users all the time.

[daviddbfotoart]

I'd say I've taken close to 100,000 shots with the d70 i've had for the last 12 months, and changing lenses regularly has caused many a dust issue. Sometimes it's an issue, but I spend a lot of time shooting with an open aperture, and the problem goes away.

On the odd occasion, I've have been so fed up with the spots, i've stuck a tissue around my little finger, stuck it down the hole, given it a good scrub, bit of a blow through pursed lips, and hey presto, a (fairly) clean sensor.

There seems to be some magical thing surrounding sensor cleaning. I wouldn't suggest anyone regularly do what i have done, but i'm a lot less carefull than many would suggest.

 

P.S. Camera still works fine.

[ShunCheung]

<I>On the odd occasion, I've have been so fed up with the spots, i've stuck a tissue around my little finger, stuck it down the hole, given it a good scrub</I>

<P>

Are you talking about tissue such as Kleenex? If so, IMO that is not a good idea as you may risk putting tiny scratches on the sensor surface (or more precisely, the surface of the anti-aliasing filter on the sensor).

<P>

I clean my sensors once in a while, perhaps every two months or so. And I use proper tools.

[markgooding]

Pretty sure it was Type II. But that info was on the internet somewhere... here we are... http://www.photographicsolutions.com/swabproduct.htm

 

Mark

[upul_abeywarna]

This Video helped me to get the small dust bite that was stuck on my Nikon D80 CCD.