The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Residue from sensor cleaning--advice

Shashin

Well-known member
I was cleaning a sensor with a Visible Dust solution. It has left a residue on the sensor. Can anyone offer advice to fix this?
 

Shashin

Well-known member
I think I have my answer, but a confirmation would be nice. I think I can solve my problem with Sensor Swabs with Eclipse.
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
I was cleaning a sensor with a Visible Dust solution. It has left a residue on the sensor. Can anyone offer advice to fix this?
There are four types of sensor contamination.
dust , dirt, and lint
oily
soapy
salts

Dust, dirt, and lint, unless stuck by an oily or soapy material, can usually be blown away with a puff of air from a hand blower.

Alcohol based solvents such as eclipse work well on oily materials and to a usually adequate extent, to soapy films.

Salts require a bit of water to dissolve them.

The visible dust solutions are water based but one of the two that they sell can cause a soapy residue to be left behind.

For my own sensor cleaning ritual, I do the following:

1. Try a blower. Something like a large Rocket blower or the visible dust filtered blower usually works, and f you are careful, canned "air" can be used from a half-full can.

2. if there is something that looks crystalline, such as a small salt particle, and only if there appears such particles, then a water based cleaning fluid can be used. Distilled water is the best IMO, however you can also use a soapy fluid such as the visible dust solution. The visible dust solution since it seems to contain a soap of some sort will also mostly clean off oils, but may leave a soapy film behind, especially if it is used too liberally.

3. Oily based droplets are best removed with a fluid such as eclipse.

Personally I do step 1, then step 3, and if that fails, then step 2 followed by a repeat of step 3.

Since I m paranoid, I use a blower before each wet cleaning step to reduce the possibility of dragging a sharp hard particle across the sensor cover glass.

-bob
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Bob, thanks. I suspect I have that soapy Visible dust solution. I guess I will try Eclipse to remove it.
 
Top