…and the bane of anyone else who uses a DSLR. Every time the lens is changed little specks of dust get sucked onto my sensor and show up in my photos as dark spots that I have to Photoshop out. The Nikon manual practically shouts to send it in to the manufacturer, but you don’t have to, and this video that Scoble shot with Thomas Hawk is a really helpful video. Out of the 4:27 video, about 1:30 deals with the actual process, which proves that it’s much easier than the manufacturers want you to think. (Note: On the Nikon, the menu setting to clean the sensor is “Mirror lock-up”, not “sensor cleaning mode” like the Canon)
B&H Photo sells the sensor swabs and cleaner. Do NOT — I repeat — do NOT try to clean your sensor with anything but sterile sensor swabs and cleaner designed to clean DSLR sensors. It’s about $30 for three swabs and the cleaner and worth it. Trust me — you will hate yourself if you do it any other way.
(Disclaimer: Sending to authorized repair is an option — this is just another way for anyone familiar enough with their camera to accomplish the same goal more often and keep their camera in better working order)
Update: I just checked over at B&H, and they’re selling 12 Photographic Solutions swabs for about $45.00, just over $3.00 each, or Visible Dust swabs for about $33.00/dozen. I haven’t tried the Visible Dust swabs, so can’t say whether they’re as effective as the Photographic Solutions brand.
Technorati Tags: sensor dust, sensor cleaning, Nikon, Canon, Robert Scoble, Podtech, Thomas Hawk, Zooomr, photowalking
