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MINiTEST<br />
Sensor cleaners<br />
Sensor cleaning can be daunting, but there<br />
are plenty of products that’ll make it painless<br />
Y<br />
ou’d be forgiven<br />
for thinking that<br />
modern<br />
interchangeable lens<br />
cameras can keep dust<br />
at bay using their<br />
integrated sensor<br />
cleaning systems. But<br />
shoot in dusty environments<br />
or change lenses frequently<br />
and it’s only a matter of time<br />
before your sensor will need<br />
to be cleaned manually.<br />
You’ll know when to break<br />
out the cleaning products as<br />
images of clear blue skies or<br />
plain backdrops will begin to<br />
feature unwelcome dark<br />
spots, especially obvious at<br />
narrow apertures. But don’t<br />
despair, as with a steady hand<br />
and the right cleaning kit you<br />
can restore your sensor to its<br />
former glory. DSLRs are<br />
slightly trickier to clean than<br />
mirrorless cameras, as you’ll<br />
need to first lock the mirror<br />
up to access the sensor, and<br />
don’t forget to fully charge<br />
your camera’s battery<br />
beforehand. Then it’s just<br />
a matter of using a squeezy<br />
blower, brush, or a sticky pad<br />
to remove loose dust, while<br />
more stubborn dirt can be<br />
dislodged using swabs and<br />
cleaning solution.<br />
Of course it helps to have<br />
a decent view of what you’re<br />
doing, and though a good old<br />
head torch and magnifying<br />
glass will do the job, a<br />
cleaning kit with a dedicated<br />
LED magnification loupe will<br />
reveal even the smallest speck<br />
or stain.<br />
FIVE THINGS TO LOOK OUT For<br />
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be able to banish that<br />
pesky dust from your sensor quickly, effectively and safely<br />
01 Wet or dry?<br />
If carefully used, specially designed swabs and solution will remove<br />
most gunk from your sensor, whilst a simple air blower puffs dust<br />
and debris away for a quick clean.<br />
02 The perfect view<br />
A kit with a magnifying loupe and light will really help you see where<br />
needs cleaning. Some ingenious designs also allow you to clean while<br />
the loupe rests on the lens mount.<br />
03 Plan ahead<br />
A basic blower will never run out of puff, but if you plump for a wet<br />
cleaning kit, the included swabs and solution will only go so far. Make<br />
sure replacements are readily available and don’t cost a fortune.<br />
04 Fit for purpose<br />
Camera sensors are delicate, so only use swabs and solution designed<br />
specifically for cleaning imaging sensors, not just optical glass.<br />
05 Less is more<br />
Squeezy blowers may be safe for a sensor, but don’t be tempted to up<br />
the ante with a compressed air canister. Their high pressure and<br />
freezing propellant can cause serious damage.<br />
LensPen<br />
SensorKlear<br />
Loupe Kit<br />
£50/$60<br />
www.lenspen.com<br />
LensPen proudly asserts that<br />
its cleaning equipment is used<br />
by NASA on the International<br />
Space Station. This kit includes<br />
a range of gadgets for<br />
performing a dry sensor clean.<br />
Identifying any dust is a cinch<br />
thank to the SensorKlear Loupe<br />
with LED illumination. Its focus is<br />
adjustable to cover different<br />
sensor sizes and it rests<br />
securely on the lens mount.<br />
There’s also a very useful<br />
opening on the side so you can<br />
clean with the loupe in place.<br />
But while you get a great view,<br />
cleaning performance is hardly<br />
out of this world. The included<br />
Hurricane Blower will dislodge<br />
loose particles, however simply<br />
blasting air like this can result in<br />
dust being blown onto the<br />
sensor. A better tactic is to use<br />
the SensorKlear II cleaning pen.<br />
Its hinged tip ensures a good<br />
contact with the sensor, though<br />
it doesn’t attract debris quite as<br />
effectively as the SpeckGrabber<br />
or Dust-Aid Platinum tools.<br />
VERDICT<br />
Pros: Decent loupe gives a perfect<br />
view for cleaning<br />
Cons: Blower isn’t always effective;<br />
won’t remove oil or stains<br />
We say: A reasonable kit for the<br />
money, but you can do better<br />
Overall<br />
VisibleDust<br />
Arctic Butterfly<br />
724 Super Bright<br />
£100/$100<br />
www.visibledust.com<br />
Here’s an electric brush<br />
designed to attract dust away<br />
from your sensor via the<br />
wonders of static charge.<br />
The brush’s ultra-fine bristles<br />
are attached to a rotating shaft<br />
driven by a pair of AAA batteries<br />
in the handle. Ten seconds of<br />
spinning prior to cleaning<br />
causes a centrifugal force that<br />
both ejects dust from the brush,<br />
and, with the help of the fibres’<br />
nano-coating, recharges the<br />
bristles’ static attraction. Then<br />
with the brush stationary again,<br />
lightly drag it across your sensor<br />
to pick up any loose particles.<br />
A pair of LEDs light your way,<br />
which is especially important as<br />
you don’t want the bristles to<br />
contact areas surrounding the<br />
sensor, due to the risk of debris<br />
or mirror lubricant getting<br />
dragged onto the sensor.<br />
Loose dust is picked up pretty<br />
well, but the brush doesn’t hold<br />
on to particles as reliably as the<br />
SpeckGrabber, making the high<br />
price hard to justify.<br />
VERDICT<br />
Pros: Easy and fun to use; fairly<br />
effective for removing dust<br />
Cons: Premium price, yet will only<br />
clean dry debris; no loupe included<br />
We say: It’s a novel concept, but<br />
the cost is high for limited versatility<br />
Overall<br />
104<br />
www.digitalcameraworld.com
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