Cleaning Camera?

[deer boy]

Can anyone recommend cleaning products to clean the surface of the LCD screen & front of lens on my camera that will not scratch either

[ron1863]

I am interested too.
I think Ollie or Glsammy answered something similar a while ago.
I don't feel too confident about cleaning the sensor and even though the camera has a built in cleaning system it will still need to be done from time to time.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by ron1863

I am interested too.
I think Ollie or Glsammy answered something similar a while ago.
I don't feel too confident about cleaning the sensor and even though the camera has a built in cleaning system it will still need to be done from time to time.

Cleaning the sensor is different to cleaning other bits of the optics.

Get your LCD a scratch resistant guard. Clean your lense with a brush and a puffer thing. Ask someone else about cleaning the sensor, 'cos it frightens me. I only change lenses when I have the new lense alongside the camera, back cap loosened. Whip the lense out (body facing down), put it down and swop the back cap to the lense you have taken out. Put the new lense in (body of camera still pointing down. Job done, I hope.

[big bill]

For cleaning your lens and LCD display you can use a lens cleaner that you use for doing spectacles for the Sensor could`nt help but sure Graham covered this at sometime if you check the forum for the posts

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glsammy glsammy is offline
Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire

Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,420

Re: Sensor cleaning
I've just cleaned my 40D sensor, I also do my 20D often.
I used the Eclipse E2 fluid,(It MUST be the E2 fluid, not the older one.)
plus Digi-Pads, type 1.
It's easy to do.
1) Make sure your camera battery is freshly charged. Go to the menu and select manual clean.
2) 3 drops of the fluid on the end of the pad.
3) Place on the sensor screen at one end, gently wipe in one smooth action to the other end. I then turn the pad and make one wipe the other way.
That's it, job done. With luck you'll have all the dirt off.
__________________
Graham

Found the post but do not know how to link so here is this way Graham cleans his search for Sensor Cleaningand you will get the original post

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by ron1863

I am interested too.
I think Ollie or Glsammy answered something similar a while ago.
I don't feel too confident about cleaning the sensor and even though the camera has a built in cleaning system it will still need to be done from time to time.

I've had Olympus DSLRs for 3 years now and never had to even consider cleaning the sensors. I swap lenses frequently under all sorts of conditions, with no sign of dust on any images.

For lens cleaning, I use lens tissue and Kodak's 'Lens Cleaner', which I've had for years. Works a treat and doesn't harm the coating.

Jim

[jay37]

i use a nikon lens pen for my lenses,it has a brush at one end and a wiping pad at the other.our local "real" camera shop offers sensor cleaning while you wait,

[kent marshman]

can anyone recommend a reasonable company to send my camera and lenses to be professionally cleaned

[Brian Phipps]

Here is a email I sent to someone recently about cleaning sensors.............

As for cleaning the sensor, I went to London a few years back when I had my 10D camera to photograph some deer and went to a huge canon dealer called Fixation Fixation - D I G I T A L - S A L E S so they could clean my sensor for £30, ( they are probably the best camera repair shop in Britain).

I watched the chap do it, and after they said they would sell me the gear to do it myself and it looked very easy indeed, and they still use the same stuff and Canon service department still use this stuff today, I used the same method on my 10D, 20D and now my 1DmkII and 40D if it ever needs it. I clean my sensor once a month usually or more if it requires it.

I`ve only ever used this method and got superb results, so I`ve not used anything else.

Here it is.

You buy the appropriate Digi pads either from Warehouse Digipads CCD Cleaning Products - warehouseexpress.com or direct Digipad - Professional Digital Image Sensor Cleaning
and the eclipse fluid and a hurricane blower brush.

I set my camera to sensor cleaning and switch it on, usually shine a small torch on the sensor and have a look!, turn the camera body upside down and blow the hurricane blower brush loads of times and I mean loads, into the camera careful not to touch the sensor. I always turn the camera back over and get the torch out again and have another look.

Now this is the part where you`ve got to be brave, undo the digi pad which is the size of your sensor, drip 3 drops of fluid onto the end and drag the pad across your sensor from left to right, then turn the pad over and do it again left to right with the other side, and that's it, I`ve had to use 2 occasionally to clean stubborn marks and used the blower again but that's it, I`ve never not shifted anything yet, sometimes just the blower brush doest the trick.

But If you send it away it might cost you £30, but if they scratch your sensor they pay for it, I just always take my time and don`t hurry it.

You`ll always see bits through the eye piece, that just bits on the mirror and focusing screen, annoying they may be ,but they will not effect the picture, its nice to try and get rid of them as they could drop on to he sensor.

Cheers
Brian

[Jim Ford]

Isn't one of the 'golden rules' for manual sensor cleaning, to make sure you have a fully charged battery, to ensure it doesn't run flat and the mirror drop down, trapping the cleaning implement?

Jim

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Isn't one of the 'golden rules' for manual sensor cleaning, to make sure you have a fully charged battery, to ensure it doesn't run flat and the mirror drop down, trapping the cleaning implement?

Jim

Not so much the mirror Jim, it's more the danger of the shutter closing and trapping whatever your using to clean the sensor. This could damage both the sensor and the shutter and could get very expensive.

Some of the latest cameras (my Nikon D300 for one) will not allow you to clean the sensor if the battery is less than 50% charged. The menu option is greyed out.

Dave P.