CCD Cleaning Supplies

[frankgh]

Would someone kindly post the link to the very expensive sensor swabs. Is there a safe, cheaper alternative?

[radmanmike]

I could also use this information, as I saw a spot when I was looking at some pictures that I took.

Thanks

[lightwrangler]

Sensor swabs are great (I use them) but pricey.

Check out;

http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning

You might prefer this and save some $$ too.

[lightwrangler]

Sensor Swabs are from:

http://www.photosol.com

[ballroom_boy]

I use PecPads around a modified spatula. MUCH cheaper than sensor swabs..

[bjnicholls]

Pec-Pads on a spatula work better, too. Sensor Swabs have a foam-tipped stick that doesn't support the full width of the swab (the swab is a folded Pec-Pad). This means it took me 5 expensive swabs to clean off gunk that my (now banished) bulb blower sneezed onto the CCD.

The spatula provides even cleaning pressure across the swab surface. The cleaning is more effective and efficient.

[bjnicholls]

Photographic Solutions just came out with a new Sensor Swab that has a wide, supportive insert (sounds like a spatula design). They also claim that Pec-Pads aren't the same material that they use with Sensor Swabs. If it's not the same, it's very, very close. They make a big deal over assembling the swabs in clean room conditions. But users won't be in a clean room to work on their cameras, so that's not much of a selling point to my mind.

$48 for a package of 12. I'll take the homebrew approach, works great in my experience.

[Tom V]

I used my sensor swabs at least twice, sometimes four times.

The reason (I guess) that you are to make one pass, flip the swab and make a final pass is that they don't want you to drag a piece of picked up dirt across the whole sensor. - - - - - Well - what happens when you wipe up some dust at the very beginning of the sweep? It drags all the way across.

I lightly sweep as directed, then I move the shift the pad on the swab stick so I am using new material. I make a couple more passes. I then take the swab apart and flip the cloth over, and using the ex-backside, make a few more passes. I don't touch the pad with my fingers, I use a set of clean hemostats.

I wear a LCD headlamp when I clean the camera sensor to help me see.


:beerchug:

[pauly99]

Tom, you have 4 eyes and you still need help seeing? ;)

[Tom V]

Originally posted by pauly99
Tom, you have 4 eyes and you still need help seeing? ;)

I can see plenty, but I am not very bright. I need help.


:beerchug:

[bjnicholls]

If you're going through the hassle of rebuilding your swabs with hemostats, you should really try ol' Mr. Spatula...

[Ben]

Hi all,

Yes it was that time again, really I mean it, when you do the 'blue sky at f16', test, and PS7 auto levels ScArE YOU !! Then you know its time.

I tried my first clean with a can of dry air, and ended up at ' doctor FUJI', they fixed her 90%, but there was stil a spec here and there.

The second attemps was 3 months later, after I ordered some sensor swabs from the US, that was three months ago, I never received them :(

Only to my delight :)) to find out that one week after I placed the order a company in South Africa now stocks the Profisol range, buy buy $42.

I bought the Sensor Swabs and Liquid. My first 2 attempts didn`t even clean one mark from the CCD, and BOY did I prepare, all had to perfect. I even used the Office clean room.
Guess what the CCD was smudged ANYWAY. I took the third Sens.Swab and wetted it with the Sensor liquid, and it seems as if the SensorSwab was contaminated (so much for their sterile clean swab theory). It left a blob of goop on the CCD that you cannot believe. Subsequint attempts smeared it around nicely !

'Dotor FUJI' it was again, after several attempts with ascetone, they fixed her again. So much for my own attemps, and lots of money later. .

My next step, to build a 'look a like' camera body with CCD housing.
I will make a box and put a piece of glass at the bottom and build a model that has the dimentions of the S2 inners. I also got some PecPads with the Liquid, I will now try the Spatula approach.
I will practice on the moc-up until I get the feel for things.

The only way to do things right is to try it again and PRACTICE. Now I just need to find the 'perfect' spatula.