What am I doing wrong with my sensor cleaning?

[gerald.d]

Hi all -

I just can't seem to get this right.

I"m using the Phase One kit, and following the instructions closely, but I keep ending up with streaks across the width of the sensor following application and evaporation of the second fluid.

What I do is this -

1. Wrap two of the cloths around the black scraper, then wet the edge with solution A.

2. One firm, relatively quick swipe across the sensor, holding the scraper at an angle of around 45 degrees to the sensor, and just firm enough that it bends ever so slightly.

3. As per (1), but with fresh cloths and solution B.

4. As per (2).

I've watched this video - Cleaning kit | Phase One P+ digital camera back - YouTube but am a little confused because it doesn't appear to follow the instructions on the box.

Any help gratefully received!

Kind regards,

Gerald.

 

[stephengilbert]

Solution A tends to leave a residue on the glass that takes a few solution B cleanings to remove. They recommend using solution B before the solution A dries; good luck with that. I usually avoid solution A unless cleaning with solution B alone doesn't do the job.

 

[dougpeterson]

Agreed. Skip A unless you have something especially grimy. If you have to use A only use it once and resign yourself to the fact you'll need to do B several times in a row to clean up the resulting soap residue.

The Leaf wipes are a bit more absorbant than the Phase wipes. Though I use the Phase wipes several times a week (rental, demo, research, testing) and they work just fine as.

 

[gerald.d]

Thanks chaps. So the streaky residue is from Solution A then?

I'll have a good go at it tomorrow using just Solution B, and let you know how I get on

Kind regards,

Gerald.

 

[Bryan Stephens]

I usually only use Solution A once in a while, when the sensor really needs a good cleaning, and then it usually takes 3 or 4 swipes with Solution B to get rid of all the residue and streaks.

 

[Shashin]

Gerald, this sounds like the same stuff Visible Dust sells. I don't use it anymore--it certainly gets rid of the dust (and replaces it with something worse). I would look for the Eclipse solution. It is really easy to use and leaves no residue whatsoever.

 

[Wayne Fox]

Solution B is the same as eclipse solution. Solution A should rarely if ever need to be used. Only if a couple of cleanings of B fail to get something. Once you use A, it may take 3 or more cleanings with B to get everything off.

A few comments about the video. Make sure you use a fresh cloth for B, from the video I get the impression they are putting it on the same one. If you hold the cloth in the right way, you can actually "roll" it around the edge a fraction, thus exposing a clean part of the cloth. When you use solution B, after each swipe, you can do this. Also as you get close to the edge, you can "straighten" and move completely into the edge of the sensor, if you don't you will frequently see issues at that side.

Finally I don't like leaving the sensor on it's back, as dust can fall on it. I hold it on it's side. Also if you have a good bright LED light you can shine it across the sensor and see how clean it is. No need to ever shoot a frame to tell if it's clean.

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Use E wipes... no A or B solutions, dries fast. Just remember to use only one side per wipe to avoid dragging dust across sensor.
When you use the word "scraper" when describing a sensor cleaning , makes one cringe. Hasselblad recommends these for cleaning sensors, and even supplies a few with new products. Here's a link...



e-wipe box of 24 packets - Digital Camera Cleaning - Photographic Solutions

 

[Jack]

Solution B is great, works just like Eclipse and and both are essentially the same fluid as used on E-Wipes (an E-Wipe is a PecPad pre-soaked with Eclipse). The trick to using solution A (only when absolutely necessary) is to then do 2 wipes with pure, distilled water -- not tap water, not bottled drinking water, but actual store-bought distilled water. (Even better is de-ionized water if you can find it.) Anyway, then follow up with a final swipe with solution B and you should be good as new.

PS: Note that Eclipse, Solution B and E-Wipes are all hydrophilic, which means they will suck water right out of the atmosphere and into them in a hurry. So the longer the "wet" pad stays out, the more water it absorbs, the more water it absorbs, the more likely you are to get streaks.

 

[KeithL]

Never had a problem with e-wipes.

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

Gotta say I use the Visible Dust Butterfly nine times out of ten. Works perfectly for dust - the liquid cleaning is only needed if the sensor has been exposed to "other than dust". (Like I breathed on it once - baaaad!)
Bill

 

[gerald.d]

Thanks for all the advice - got the sensor nice and clean just using the B solution, and also applying a little more pressure.

Bad news though is that what I thought was a very small fiber stuck to the glass, is actually underneath the glass. Goodness only knows where it's come from, or how it got there.

I'm assuming this will be a "back-to-base" fix?

 

[archivue]

i have just ordered Vswab 30-33mm from visibledust... i will used them with Eclipse solution... i have heard that "alcool isopropylique" should work also... ?

 

[bahr]

I'm getting bad vibes with all this sensor talk. I have never cleaned my h4d-50 sensor properly. . Looks ok except for one or two dust spots.

 

[jotloob]

Never had a problem with e-wipes.

:thumbs: True enough . Never had any trouble with e-wipes either .

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I use Eclipse , Leaf pads and the scrapper ( bad name) for digital backs . Always worked great.

 

[Dan Santoso]

Buy regular pec pads from B&H.

I had a problem all the time until I'm running out of my cloth. I open my new pec pads and 1 cloth cleans the sensor without any streak!!!

So in my opinion the problem is the cloth is too thin.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Why I use the Leaf cloths they are just the right amount of thickness. Most likely DT and CI sell them. I got mine from CI

 

[Wayne Fox]

I also use the Leaf pads. There is an issue with a phase back where the edges can "grab" a thread from a pad and then you have a real problem trying to pull it free (we're talking loupe and plastic tweezers). The leaf pads are thicker and seem to be a different type of material. I've never had an issue with one of those. I clean my sensor frequently when in the field, often each night if the previous days conditions were dusty (slot canyon, sand dunes, beach, etc).

 

[wentbackward]

I used soln A when I had some oily substance, presumably from the DF shutter or sucked in via focusing old lenses. Otherwise B has been fine for spots etc.

Also had the same problem Wayne mentions with a small trapped thread.