using a TV for dust removal

[marlboro_smith]

I've heard that since a CRT is such an incredible attractor of dust, you can put

the open camera in front of the tv and turn it on and the dust will literally

jump off the sensor and the inside of the camera.

 

Would this damage the camera in any way?

 

Eric

[JAPster]

You would be wise to check the owner's manual for your camera, to see if has any strong warnings about keeping the camera away from strong magnetic fields. A CRT (cathode ray tube) terminal has intricate coils of copper wire inside, arranged around that main electron gun. These coils shape the magentic field which then guide the electron beam, which then strikes the inside of the screen & generates the image. We were always warned to keep *any* magnetic media away from CRTs, lest they be accidentally erased by the magnetic field.

 

Further, when you first turn on a large CRT, the screen surface creates significant amounts of Static Electricity, which easily energizes anything close to it. You can feel this static electricity by holding your hand or forearm next to the CRT screen, and then turning it on. It is will known that any kind of Static Electicity Discharge (ESD) can FRY certain kinds of computer and/or electronic chips. Thats why computer, memory,and electronic chips often come carefully wrapped in those shiny metallic looking, or sometimes pink foam, packaging that is ESD protective. You don't want any of the sensitive electronic components in your expensive digital camera to get ZAPPED by a static electricity discharge, fed by a large amt of static electric potential feeding off that CRT. (At least, I wouldn't).

 

So, i would be concerned that there is a danger that your camera's memory card might be partially erased by the CRT magnetic field, and possibly damaged by ESD discharge. And also concerned that the magnetic field and surface static electric field might partially erase other firmware in the camera, and might possibly cause ESD damage to sensitive electronic chips in the camera.

 

But, the common sense thing to do is first check the owner's manual, and if it says to steer cleer of strong electrical and/or magnetic fields, then follow that.

 

Probably a safer course of action, if you are having a dust problem in your fine digital camera, is to enquire around your area and try to locate a good camera shop, and see if they can give your camera a good CLA. In fact, a vendor like Nikon recemmends that a CLA be done every couple years anyway.

[don_e]

I have to remember this question for next April Fool's Day, *and* the answer for next year's Global Darkroom Day. We will read it aloud all at once all over the world.

[bueh]

The dust will jump off the sensor if you use hand blower bulb. It's much more sensible than messing around with powerful magnetic fields close to a digital camera. And those dust specks that still sticking to the senor will not be removed by magnetism -- only a physical cleaning will make you happy then.

[craig_gillette]

The field isn't substantially different than that of a crt monitor. Outside of clipping disks to a monitor, there seemed to be more trouble from the speakers often placed nearby - impacting the monitor. And over all these years, one of the urban engineering legends to develop has not been using the monitor to dedust anything.

[Ed_Ingold]

A CRT develops a strong ELECTRIC charge, due in part to the 40K to 80K voltage use to create the electron beam. If anything, this static charge could damage the camera. In practice, the camera is well protected against static discharge, which occurs nearly any time you move and touch something grounded.

 

Magnetic fields fall of rapidly with distance. The magnetic coils in a CRT have a profound effect on the electron beam simply because they are VERY close to the beam and only have to deflect it a little.

[ilkka]

Why not push a vacuum cleaner snout up the mirror chamber? At least that implement is built for the purpose of collecting dust.

[bill a.]

Whereas the TV screen is a good "getter" of dust from the surrounding air, it won't counter the attractive forces holding the dust to the sensor and "pull it off" (why brushes have to be used in the first place)

 

The good news is that your sensor will likely not get any new dust while it is sitting in front of the CRT open (the CRT will grab it first).

 

Do it the right way.