Cleaning Time - MFDB

[BlueLemon]

which system do you use cleaning your sensors - and why would you recommend it ?

What are the flaws and benefits

PhaseOne, Hasselblad, Leaf users - Come Together
Its just photography ;-)

 

[archivue]

artic to start...

 

[stephengilbert]

Step One: blow dust off. There's a blower with a HEPA filter here: http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showpost.php?p=256109&postcount=1

Step Two: brush with a clean brush. The Artic Butterfly is one option; it has a batter powered motor that spins the brush prior to use, allegedly removing any dust, and possibly imparting an electric charge. (Is that my imagination?)

Step three: if One and Two do not suffice, use a wet cleaning system with some sort of Isopropyl alcohol and a fine cleaning cloth and spatula. Capture Integration sell both wet cleaning kits and extra cloths.

There's a recent discussion of this issue here: http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18592&highlight=arctic+butterfly

 

[Jack]

1) Bulb blower; and if that fails:

2) Canned air; and if that fails:

3) Eclipse 2 fluid or Phase cleaning solution #2 and pec pads with custom fit spatula; and if that fails:

3.5) On the rare occasion I've needed to go beyond step 3, I have been known to try a brand new lens micro-fiber and a little spit, followed up of course with another pass of step 3; but if that fails:

4) I would revert to Phase's included and dreaded cleaning solution #1 with pec pads and spatula, which requires a follow up with option 3. If that fails:

5) you're basically screwed and have a ding in your sensor glass...

 

[GrahamWelland]

If that fails:

5) you're basically screwed and have a ding in your sensor glass...

There is a slight saving grace in that the glass you're cleaning is actually the very thin UV/IR cut off filter that sits above the actual sensor assembly and this can be replaced, albeit at a not an inconsiderable cost, although a LOT cheaper than a new back. Go further and get dings on the next layer of glass over the sensor and you're marked forever. If you are lucky then shooting an LCC frame & dust spot removal in Capture One Pro will fix most of even this level of damage (I don't recommend it btw, I now have a Leaf backup with a about 6-7 permanent spots due to this type of damage through a destruction derby i had one time, but hey, it still spanks most DSLRs even with a few correctable spots).

 

[David Schneider]

Funny, but I was just at Hasselblad in NJ today and asked about that. Guy just used a Giotis or something blower on the sensor and said he uses, I think he said, Eclipse pad, carefully using a swipe, then folding it over and swiping again so no particles picke up on the first swipe goes on the second swip. He did say he doesn't buy the pads in bulk because they dry out.

 

[baudolino]

Eclipse solution (the original one) plus pec pad spatulas.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I use Eclipse 2 and leaf sensor cleaning pads. I bought these pads from Capture Integration. Steve Hendrix over there recommends them highly and I do like them.

 

[Dustbak]

Same as Guy. I no longer have the Leaf sensor cleaning pads so now I use Pec-Pads (I have enough of those to last me a life-time).

Before using the fluid I use the Rocket blower.

I avoid the canned air like the plague. I once messed up the sensor of a Nikon body with that (replacing the regular UV/IR filter with a IR-Photography filter). It took months for the fluid to clear up on that sensor. Since that I stay away from it.

 

[greygrad]

1. Air from a rocket blower

2. P1 solution No. 2 (clear)

If that doesn't help

3. P1 Solution No. 1 (blue)

4. P1 solution No. 2 (clear)

I always have two pec-pads wrapped around the spatula. I keep an old 'blue' one and 'clear' one that I reuse on the inside (when I use the blue and clear liquids respectively) - but always a new one on the outside.

Other people seem to dread the P1 blue solution - but I've never had any problems. I think the trick is to introduce the clear solution (No. 2) as quickly as possible after wiping with the blue solution - don't let the blue stuff dry.