Hi, well I decided to clean my own CCD (Sensor) after getting fed up of paying £25-£35 a pop for the privilege. I did some research and went for the Sensor Swab solution by Photographic Solutions Inc.
The items come separately or you can get them as a kit. I got mine from Amazon as it is a trusted e-retailer. I also got the rocket blower to remove the particles from the sensor which is know as a dry clean. You can also use the blower as a first step in cleaning your optics as you don't want to rub grit into your expensive glass! The lint free wipes are used to wipe your glass and with a drop of the cleaning fluid you can get a good wet clean. It is the swabs and the solution which are actually used to clean the sensor. A point to note is the swabs come in different sizes as the sensors are different physically, i.e. DX vs FX. Mine are type 3 for the FX camera but I found out that this swab worked perfectly well on my DX camera by sweeping it vertically across the sensor as opposed to horizontally on the FX.
The first step in the process is to find out how dirty the sensor is. You do this by taking a picture of a clean white sheet of paper with the camera focus set to infinity and then open the image in photoshop. By using levels you can better see the offending particles that you are trying to remove. This picture can also be used to see how well we have cleaned the sensor. This is a test image of my D700 before cleaning:
The RAW image does not give much away so using levels is essential in seeing those sensor particles.
The sensor is pretty dirty and needs a clean so we start with the dry clean method with the rocket. But first it is worth cleaning the interior and mirror first to remove any particles that have built up in the compartment. The particle build up is a consequence of lens changes which is why many pros have multiple bodies with their favorite lenses attached so they rarely have to change them. Unfortunately I mostly use my D700 and do a lot of lens changes. Just remove the lens and clean the interior with the rocket.
I tend to tip the camera upside down to let the blown particles fall out of the camera.
I tried this method and got rid of the loose particles but the main blobs did not want to budge. You then need to open the shutter and mirror to expose the sensor so that you can inspect it and clean it. You do this through the camera menus but make sure your battery is fully charged before you start as you don't want the shutter to close when you have the swab inside the camera body. This is of course a Nikon camera other makes will be different.
Once the mirror is up you can see and inspect the sensor by eye. There are products that you can use to magnify and illuminate the sensor surface for better viewing called a sensor loupe. I have not purchased one of these as I expect to do a wet clean of the sensor most of the time. You can always take another image of the white surface to check how good a job you have done in cleaning the sensor. This does not mean that I will not buy it later as I get more experience.
Once the mirror is up attempt a dry clean and take a test shot after you have finished to inspect your work . Obviously you need to put the lens back on to take the picture. Of course owning the sensor loupe would let you know if you missed any particles as you progress. When you use this method ensure the tip of the rocket does not touch the sensor just in case you mark it.
To begin the wet clean process you need to take the swab out from its protective bag. Remember it was manufactured in a clean-room environment and immediately sealed. Once you have used it throw it away as you don't want to re-pollute your clean sensor with a dirty swab.
Once out of the bag put some of the cleaning solution on the tip of the swab.
Carefully place the swab into the camera against one end of the senor while being careful not to hit the sides of the sensor chamber as you put it in.
Then carefully but firmly sweep the swab across the sensor in a single motion while maintaining a constant pressure.
When you have swept across the surface you then need to reverse the direction but without lifting the swab from the sensor. Simply pull it across in the opposite direction but use the clean trailing edge of the swab.
When you are done quickly inspect the sensor. Remember the longer you leave the shutter/mirror open the more the chances you will get more crud on it. If you are happy turn the camera off and the shutter will close.
Replace the lens and take another test picture of the white sheet. Open it in photoshop and adjust levels to see the particles. After my first attempt I didn't quite get it right as there were a few blobs and a smear. The smear was a consequence of my not putting the swab in cleanly and the edge caught the sensor, This is no problem as it is a soft material and it is only a smear. I then had to repeat the process.
After the second attempt the sensor is as good as clean. There are a few blobs in the very lower left had corner but nothing that phtoshop can't cure.
This final clean was good enough. The price for cleaning it myself was £5 plus a few pence for the fluid. This was due to the swabs costing £2.50 each which is still 1/10 of getting it done professionally. I wrote this blog after my first attempt on my D700 but I had a go cleaning my D2x last week and that was a doddle too.
I hope this has helped you and as long as you take your time and be gentle you will have no problem.
The items come separately or you can get them as a kit. I got mine from Amazon as it is a trusted e-retailer. I also got the rocket blower to remove the particles from the sensor which is know as a dry clean. You can also use the blower as a first step in cleaning your optics as you don't want to rub grit into your expensive glass! The lint free wipes are used to wipe your glass and with a drop of the cleaning fluid you can get a good wet clean. It is the swabs and the solution which are actually used to clean the sensor. A point to note is the swabs come in different sizes as the sensors are different physically, i.e. DX vs FX. Mine are type 3 for the FX camera but I found out that this swab worked perfectly well on my DX camera by sweeping it vertically across the sensor as opposed to horizontally on the FX.
The first step in the process is to find out how dirty the sensor is. You do this by taking a picture of a clean white sheet of paper with the camera focus set to infinity and then open the image in photoshop. By using levels you can better see the offending particles that you are trying to remove. This picture can also be used to see how well we have cleaned the sensor. This is a test image of my D700 before cleaning:
The RAW image does not give much away so using levels is essential in seeing those sensor particles.
The sensor is pretty dirty and needs a clean so we start with the dry clean method with the rocket. But first it is worth cleaning the interior and mirror first to remove any particles that have built up in the compartment. The particle build up is a consequence of lens changes which is why many pros have multiple bodies with their favorite lenses attached so they rarely have to change them. Unfortunately I mostly use my D700 and do a lot of lens changes. Just remove the lens and clean the interior with the rocket.
I tend to tip the camera upside down to let the blown particles fall out of the camera.
I tried this method and got rid of the loose particles but the main blobs did not want to budge. You then need to open the shutter and mirror to expose the sensor so that you can inspect it and clean it. You do this through the camera menus but make sure your battery is fully charged before you start as you don't want the shutter to close when you have the swab inside the camera body. This is of course a Nikon camera other makes will be different.
Once the mirror is up you can see and inspect the sensor by eye. There are products that you can use to magnify and illuminate the sensor surface for better viewing called a sensor loupe. I have not purchased one of these as I expect to do a wet clean of the sensor most of the time. You can always take another image of the white surface to check how good a job you have done in cleaning the sensor. This does not mean that I will not buy it later as I get more experience.
Once the mirror is up attempt a dry clean and take a test shot after you have finished to inspect your work . Obviously you need to put the lens back on to take the picture. Of course owning the sensor loupe would let you know if you missed any particles as you progress. When you use this method ensure the tip of the rocket does not touch the sensor just in case you mark it.
To begin the wet clean process you need to take the swab out from its protective bag. Remember it was manufactured in a clean-room environment and immediately sealed. Once you have used it throw it away as you don't want to re-pollute your clean sensor with a dirty swab.
Once out of the bag put some of the cleaning solution on the tip of the swab.
Carefully place the swab into the camera against one end of the senor while being careful not to hit the sides of the sensor chamber as you put it in.
Then carefully but firmly sweep the swab across the sensor in a single motion while maintaining a constant pressure.
When you have swept across the surface you then need to reverse the direction but without lifting the swab from the sensor. Simply pull it across in the opposite direction but use the clean trailing edge of the swab.
When you are done quickly inspect the sensor. Remember the longer you leave the shutter/mirror open the more the chances you will get more crud on it. If you are happy turn the camera off and the shutter will close.
Replace the lens and take another test picture of the white sheet. Open it in photoshop and adjust levels to see the particles. After my first attempt I didn't quite get it right as there were a few blobs and a smear. The smear was a consequence of my not putting the swab in cleanly and the edge caught the sensor, This is no problem as it is a soft material and it is only a smear. I then had to repeat the process.
After the second attempt the sensor is as good as clean. There are a few blobs in the very lower left had corner but nothing that phtoshop can't cure.
This final clean was good enough. The price for cleaning it myself was £5 plus a few pence for the fluid. This was due to the swabs costing £2.50 each which is still 1/10 of getting it done professionally. I wrote this blog after my first attempt on my D700 but I had a go cleaning my D2x last week and that was a doddle too.
I hope this has helped you and as long as you take your time and be gentle you will have no problem.
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