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Clean my DSLR

C

callmesteve

Senior member
I've had my camera for just over a year now (Rebel XTi), and I have been using it to its fullest. That being said I got some stubborn dust particles on my sensor. It doesn't show up in my pictures but I see it in my viewfinder. I've used Giottos Rocket Blaster in the past and its worked fairly well, but its just not cutting it this time.

What do you guys recommend me using to clean it? Should I get it sent in? All advice is much appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Originally posted by: callmesteve
I've had my camera for just over a year now (Rebel XTi), and I have been using it to its fullest. That being said I got some stubborn dust particles on my sensor. It doesn't show up in my pictures but I see it in my viewfinder. I've used Giottos Rocket Blaster in the past and its worked fairly well, but its just not cutting it this time.

What do you guys recommend me using to clean it? Should I get it sent in? All advice is much appreciated.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It's not on your sensor, most likely on your focusing screen or mirror.

I think you should just ignore it.
 
http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm

If the rocket blower doesn't work, a dry sensor brush is a good next step. Then you can go onto a wet method like Eclipse Fluid + Sensor Swabs. The cost of sending it in to get cleaned is probably going to be more than the cost of you buying all your own cleaning materials.

EDIT: Yeah, just reread your post. If it doesn't show up in the pictures, then it's trapped behind your viewfinder, maybe on the focusing screen or on the viewfinder glass itself. You can try taking a rocket blower and blowing up into the viewfinder cavity to see if that helps.
 
Thanks for the tip guys, I'll try the rocketblower on the viewfinder. I was ignoring it for the past 3-4 months, but now its just pissing me off. If I could get it cleaned why not?

fuzzybabybunny, are these the cleaning utilities you use after a hiking trip? ^^
 
Originally posted by: callmesteve
Thanks for the tip guys, I'll try the rocketblower on the viewfinder. I was ignoring it for the past 3-4 months, but now its just pissing me off. If I could get it cleaned why not?

fuzzybabybunny, are these the cleaning utilities you use after a hiking trip? ^^
Click to expand...

You want to blow INTO the viewfinder cavity, so stick the rocket blower up into the cavity from the front end of the camera, the lens mount.

If you want, you can completely take out the focusing screen to give you very good access to the viewfinder cavity:

http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/files/install7.pdf

Heh, all I use is a bulb blower that I got from CVS to clean my sensor. For really stubborn spots I have been known to stick my camera out the car window while going at a high rate of speed. This has a high chance of epic disaster but it worked during the times I did it. Other times I wrap a sheet of lens cleaning paper around the tip of a pointed (but not sharp) object and gently try to loosen up whatever's on the sensor.
 
The XTi has built-in sensor cleaning, so chances of getting dust on its sensor are reduced compared to cameras which lack this feature.

Just take a rocket blower to your viewfinder mirror and you should be good. If that doesn't work, you can always wet-clean your mirror and focusing screen
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Heh, all I use is a bulb blower that I got from CVS to clean my sensor. For really stubborn spots I have been known to stick my camera out the car window while going at a high rate of speed. This has a high chance of epic disaster but it worked during the times I did it. Other times I wrap a sheet of lens cleaning paper around the tip of a pointed (but not sharp) object and gently try to loosen up whatever's on the sensor.
Click to expand...

you do the strangest things to cameras
 
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Heh, all I use is a bulb blower that I got from CVS to clean my sensor. For really stubborn spots I have been known to stick my camera out the car window while going at a high rate of speed. This has a high chance of epic disaster but it worked during the times I did it. Other times I wrap a sheet of lens cleaning paper around the tip of a pointed (but not sharp) object and gently try to loosen up whatever's on the sensor.
Click to expand...

you do the strangest things to cameras
Click to expand...

I would go one step further and replace "strangest" with "stupidest." Why would you do that to a $1500 Nikon D300? I mean, yea if you had a cheap camera, I can understand doing some things to it just because you can, but doing that to a D300 is almost like throwing cash out the window.

Seriously. Better hope Nikon's warranty department doesn't read AT
 
Last year I had some dust on my 5D's sensor. Blowing didn't get it - so I did some local research and found very good local tech in a local camera shop who would do the job for #30.

I took it to him and in two days I had a clean 5D sensor. I find $30 to be a very reasonable fee for quality service locally. Then a friend took his 5D and 1D for the same treatment. Total satisfaction.
 
Originally posted by: corkyg
Last year I had some dust on my 5D's sensor. Blowing didn't get it - so I did some local research and found very good local tech in a local camera shop who would do the job for #30.

I took it to him and in two days I had a clean 5D sensor. I find $30 to be a very reasonable fee for quality service locally. Then a friend took his 5D and 1D for the same treatment. Total satisfaction.
Click to expand...

This is in Arizona right? I'll have to find one here in the NYC area. On a side note, 2 days is quite long no?
 
Originally posted by: callmesteve
This is in Arizona right? I'll have to find one here in the NYC area. On a side note, 2 days is quite long no?
Click to expand...

Yes - Tucson to be exact. 2 days is long? Not for me. Beats a week or more to send it elsewhere. I don't trust myself for that job. 🙂

I actually took it in on a Tuesday about noon - and I got called the next day that it was ready. I chose to pick it up Thursday as a matter of convenience.

NYC should have lots of good places. Check with some of the pros in the area - where they take things. I like personal recommendations for that sort of thing.

 
Originally posted by: corkyg
Originally posted by: callmesteve
This is in Arizona right? I'll have to find one here in the NYC area. On a side note, 2 days is quite long no?
Click to expand...

Yes - Tucson to be exact. 2 days is long? Not for me. Beats a week or more to send it elsewhere. I don't trust myself for that job. 🙂

I actually took it in on a Tuesday about noon - and I got called the next day that it was ready. I chose to pick it up Thursday as a matter of convenience.

NYC should have lots of good places. Check with some of the pros in the area - where they take things. I like personal recommendations for that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

I agree that recommendations for this sort of thing is best and $30 is cheap, I'd even dish out more for a full clean. Like you said I don't trust myself with that type of job. Any pro's you want to recommend? ^^
 
Originally posted by: callmesteve
Originally posted by: corkyg
Originally posted by: callmesteve
This is in Arizona right? I'll have to find one here in the NYC area. On a side note, 2 days is quite long no?
Click to expand...

Yes - Tucson to be exact. 2 days is long? Not for me. Beats a week or more to send it elsewhere. I don't trust myself for that job. 🙂

I actually took it in on a Tuesday about noon - and I got called the next day that it was ready. I chose to pick it up Thursday as a matter of convenience.

NYC should have lots of good places. Check with some of the pros in the area - where they take things. I like personal recommendations for that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

I agree that recommendations for this sort of thing is best and $30 is cheap, I'd even dish out more for a full clean. Like you said I don't trust myself with that type of job. Any pro's you want to recommend? ^^
Click to expand...

i got a shower and a moving vehicle...
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: callmesteve
Originally posted by: corkyg
Originally posted by: callmesteve
This is in Arizona right? I'll have to find one here in the NYC area. On a side note, 2 days is quite long no?
Click to expand...

Yes - Tucson to be exact. 2 days is long? Not for me. Beats a week or more to send it elsewhere. I don't trust myself for that job. 🙂

I actually took it in on a Tuesday about noon - and I got called the next day that it was ready. I chose to pick it up Thursday as a matter of convenience.

NYC should have lots of good places. Check with some of the pros in the area - where they take things. I like personal recommendations for that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

I agree that recommendations for this sort of thing is best and $30 is cheap, I'd even dish out more for a full clean. Like you said I don't trust myself with that type of job. Any pro's you want to recommend? ^^
Click to expand...

i got a shower and a moving vehicle...
Click to expand...

No way~ You would do that for me *touched* ^^
Also, I took off the viewfinder piece and used my rocket blower, and some of the dust / lint or whatever it is disappeared, but I still have other spots. I must sound like some anal perfectionist haha
 
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