Sensor Cleaning

Do you ever find spots in your blue skies?  Well you are not the only one! 

 Every time I teach a workshop I find clients struggling with dust on their sensor and no ability to remove it in the field. Years ago while doing a three week shoot on the Colorado River  I struggled with trying to keep my gear clean of the fine blowing dust of the south west.  At the time camera manufactures claimed that sensors could only be cleaned at an authorized service center for a hefty fee.  After the Grand Canyon trip I knew I needed to find a better way of cleaning my sensor while actually in the field.  In addition to screw drivers, allen wrenches, and crazy glue (you never know), I now carry an entire sensor cleaning kit  in my repair bag.  After trying several different tools on the market, I settled on the VisibleDust Ultra Sensor Clean Arctic Butterfly 724 (super Bright) Bundle.

It isn't cheap at $295, but for the past few years I have been doing all of my own sensor cleaning no matter how dirty things get.  Usually in the field I first try using the blower which often is enough to clear off any non static charged particles.  If that doesn't do it than I use the sensor loop and Arctic Butterfly to brush the sensor clean.  Only in a few rare cases have I needed to use the wet swabs.  Its a big commitment to spend this much just to keep your DSLR clean and running, but after a couple trips to the "authorized" service center you will be saving money.