This is our first video tutorial that we are posting on our blog about how to clean your DSLR camera sensor and keep your camera gear clean. Please keep in mind that we shot this video last night and I did not have any time to edit the video or add sample images to the video. I will make sure to post pictures of the process along with plenty of text describing it later this week, for those who have low bandwidth Internet or do not understand my English (which is not even my second language, btw). I had to split up the video into three parts, because Youtube does not allow more than 15 minutes in one video.
I hope you find it educational and I hope your questions regarding cleaning the camera sensor are answered. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below!
Here are the products mentioned in the video:
- Giottos Rocket Air Blower (Large) – $9.99
- Visible Dust Magic Cleaner Microfiber Cloth – $7.95
- Visible Dust Sensor Clean Solution – $35.90
- Visible Dust Vswab 1.0x (for full frame cameras like D700/D3s/D3x) – $39.95
- Visible Dust Vswab 1.5-1.6x (for cropped sensor cameras like D5000/D90/D300s) – $32.95
- Visible Dust Sensor Loupe – $86.24
- Visible Dust Chamber Clean – $29.95
- Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly Pro Kit – $134.95
A cleaning kit with sensor swabs + liquid in one pack is also available from Visible Dust.
You can find cheaper alternatives to microfiber cloth, sensor loupe and brushes online at B&H, Adorama or other camera stores. I would not recommend alternative products to the Visible Dust sensor swabs and sensor clean, unless you know what you are doing. Like I said in the video, I personally use the cheaper method to clean the DSLR sensor (which I will cover in a different video later), but it is a lot more complicated and can lead to more dust if not done properly.
Here is an article on how to wet clean DSLR sensor in less than 5 minutes.
Nasim, thank you for these videos. They were a big help in cleaning the sensor on my DSLR camera. I was having a major problem with dust particles showing up on the pictures that I wasn’t seeing through the view finder. I was able to clean the sensor and it took care of the dust particle.
Hi Nasim,
First I’d like to thank you so much for your youtube channel and website,I have been following your work for a while now, and you have done excellent job.
Dear nasim i have recently messed up my sony nex f3 mirrorless camera with eyeleads dust grabber.I live in Germany and i have used the very original one, and unfortunately i found out later from your forums that these dustgrabbers are not for sony nex sensors.
So, in one of your articles you have mentioned that you have had some experience with this problem and that you have once WET cleaned a sony sensor with gel remains on it, and it took you a lot of time and effort.
Today i found out that it will cost me 40 euros to clean the sensor, but i hesitate to do so because i am not sure if they’ll get it completely cleaned,because i didn’t tell them exactly what kind of durt is on the sensor,they are however professionals.And i dont want to pay a lot more because the body only costs 150 eu on ebay.
Would you recommend to give it a try or to try to wet clean it myself.
Thank you so much.
Great tips, thorough! A lot of in depth details; very very useful and practical to us. Thank you very much for your time to share your knowledge and tips with us. Appreciate it!
Is this the best way to clean oil spots on my nikon d7000? The techichian where I bought my camera confirmeed they were oil spots and not dust. He said that he could clean it for $50.00 but that they most likely would return. He hinted around that I should learn to clean this sensor on the D7000 since it was going to reoccur. After talking to Nikon Service it is obvious that they were not going to admit the oil spots were a problem for the d7000 and eve n told me so in an email.
thanks Bill
Nasim,
first of all I want to thank you for your great site. I really enjoy your articles and have learned a lot about digital photography by it.
Your videos about sensor cleaning a really informative and lucid. But I m still unsettled. Why do you recommend “Sensor Clean” liquid? And what are your negative experience with eclipse by photographic solutions? In my opinion a wet cleanig makes only sense, when there are oil specks on the sensor. And so I do not understand, why visible dust offers 3 different solutions (o.k., they want to get rich).
Eclipse seems to be more versatile, because I clould use it for lenses too. Is there a risk to use it on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coated sensor like the D7000?
Until now I have only tried your dry methods. I could remove some dust, but not all. Most of the remaining seems to be specks (not dust particles). And now I see some annoying dust particles through my viewfinder – must be on the mirror or the focusing screen (most of them are getting more pronounced when closing the apperture). The Blower doesnt help.
Please could you provide use with your tips how to clean the mirror and the focusing screen? Thanks a lot in advance!
Sincere thanks for your tutorial essays and videos
Your article helped me clean my D40. Never thought that Sensor cleaning is so simple. Initially I was very skeptic but now fearless :)
Thanks a ton !
Hello Sir,
I recently had my camera sensor cleaned and Im experiencing a problem with my lens. When i shoot at small apertures, i see this smokey figure on the left side of the photo. Im assuming this is in the rear element of my lens. upon having that cleaned by a nikon technician, it still has the same smokey effect though it is not as bad as before. When I inspect it, I do not see anything in the rear element, there are no scratches either. Trying another lens on my camera body, the smokey effect is gone. This is why im convince that the problem is in my lens. If you could give me a feedback regarding this would be really appreciated. :)
Насим, спасибо за видео! Очень познавательно.
Чистил свой сенсор несколько раз, всегда с помощью груши Giottos ( только маленькой ). Иногда она добаляет пыли ( выбрасывает грязь изнутри, даже если её промыть водой ).
Пробовал почистить сенсор с помощью Lenspen SensorKlear II ( груша больше не помогает ).
Мне он не помог, оставил только дополнительную пыль и разводы.
Хочу попробовать швабры Visible Dust. Как Вы считаете, какая жидкость VDust лучше бы подошла в этом случае?
Hi Nasim,
Greetings from Spain. I’ve just viewed the 3 videos about cleaning and I’ve learned a lot of good points. Thank you very much for your web.
Please, keep teaching us. Good day, Juan