Clean the DUST on the Image-Sensor

In the time of Film Photography, a trouble of DUST was mostly on the film when we

need to make a print.   Other than that, the dust on the lens or in the camera body

doesn’t necessary appeared on the photo. (May increase the halation. And in a rare case,

dust on a film might appeared as a dot or two).

But in the Digital Photography, DUST on the image sensor is a very visible

serious trouble —– and quite often happening.

On the moment of changing the Lens, a DSLR body’s sensitive part is completely open

and exposed = hence, a DUST can get into at any moment.

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A user of Compact Digital Camera may think their camera is perfectly sealed and safe

against the dust though, strangely, the dust can find the way into image sensor =

collapsed lens or Zoom lens are acting as an air-pomp to suck-in the air and the dust.

Once it is in, the dust can only be cleaned by the service engineer, with prohibitively

expensive charge. (Those small cameras were not designed to disassemble and to repair

= as they were assembled by snap fit without using screw = once fit together they are

very difficult to separate without cracking the plastic

= better forget the Dust = take a dust-mark as your own water-mark, otherwise

retouch one by one until you buy new camera  😀 ).

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Having exposed internal guts, DSLR (and the Interchangeable-lens Compact Camera)

can easily get dust on the image-sensor though, as it is open, it is also

possible to clean DIY.

—– When my picture started to have a dark spot, which was found to be

persistent, same position, same shape in all the pictures, it only means

a dust is on the image sensor, I asked the Boss of Canon what should I do, he said

“Bring it to us” though, their office is bloody far out of London and I’m not an owner

driver. —– I decided to clean it myself.

(Its the same principle = If Canon can, I can do too 😀 )

——- (The dust on the image showed,  Ultra-sonic Dust-off system is not very effective.  Anyhow,

——- even if the Dust was shaken off from the sensor, it stays there unremoved  😀 )

If it was ordinary air-born dust, it can be just blown away.

But if it was water-born, such as the VERY moment when you had removed a lens

“a rain drop got inside” or “you dropped your sliver” —– you may need to take

a measure with a possibility to write-off the camera in the worst case.

** To blow off the DUST, the best I found is to use

an ordinary rubber blower

and a high-quality nylon oil-painting blush.

(such as, Windsor-Newton or Daler kind and

NOT made in China)

(The quality of a blush, came with rubber blower is

pretty bad and it’s hair will fall off then it became yet

another troublesome dust).

** I don’t like Canned Air —– (1) Often its air

pressure is too high.

(2) And with its design, we tend to use its nozzle too close.

(3) The metal nozzle itself could make a scratch. —– After I have accidentally blown

the shutter blades off the slit with those Canned Air blower, I decided to use only rubber

blower to clean the delicate part of the camera, together with paint blush.

(Those Canned Air can blow off the grease on the gear = and the grease may stack

somewhere, always most unwanted place = it’s a Murphy’s law.   😀 )

Those oil-painting blush was designed to withstand against sticky oil paint and to

repeated cleaning in a solvent = they are the best cleaning blush fit for dust-off business,

—– provided if it was washed clean in a pure solvent time to time.

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** Before clean the image sensor, you have to start clean around the lens mount,

even inside of a lens-cap = it got to be through, otherwise dust will come back.

(ideally use another blush) = then, blush inside of mirror box and blow the air around.

(But better not touch the mirror, unless you have a confidence of cleanness of  blush)

—> then, set the Shutter to [B] and press the release button to rise the mirror and

open the shutter. = you will see somewhat shiny green image sensor !

(but you may not to see the Dust itself ) —> then, blow the air toward the sensor

( DON’T blush it on this moment yet = if you can get rid of the Dust without touching

the sensor, it is far better) —> while holding camera body downward, blow the air

toward the inside (hoping the Dust to fall off ) —> then finger off the button.

** Put a lens and set the camera to an Auto-mode and click the shutter while

aiming it to white wall or paper (manual set the lens to off focus)

—> then check the image (not over-exposed = a bit grayish white)

= if there is no dark spot = the dust has cleared   🙂

** But IF the DUST is still in the same place, repeat the cleaning above

again but this time gently sweep the sensor with blush.

—> Then examine the picture again.

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IF the dark spot is still there = there could be a possibility of it is not caused by

a dust BUT the aria of the sensor might have become defective =

it is the time to send the camera to proper service though, mind you, to change the

sensor may cost half the camera price, it might be better to keep retouching the photos

until you buy new camera.

—– So, if you clean the sensor by yourself, be patient and pay good attention.

There is nothing you can’t do = have a confidence.  (And good luck.  😀 )

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