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No matter which tool you use to clean your sensor, you'll need to have a CLEAN and STILL work area for this task. Specifically, NO frisbee, NO dogs, NO cats, NO rug-rats, NO jet engines, NO dandruff, and of course - NO powdery contraband allowed! OK?
There should be no drafts of any kind, even from a heater or air conditioner. The amount of airborne dust, dirt and miscellaneous particles in the ambient air is unbelievable, to say the least. So to achieve a workable, sanitary environment, you have to go the extra yard here, even to the point of "obsessive compulsive" behavior. Also, do not touch the wiping area of the PecPad because the oils from your skin are easily transferred to the sensor. If you are totally new to this procedure, you might consider powder-free latex gloves, at least in the beginning.
FIRST AND FOREMOST: You must visually inspect your sensor before you clean it. Have good lighting or a tool like the SensorView to see big pieces of grit or debris on your sensor. You must try to blow them off before continuing. We here use short bursts from canned air, keeping the can perfectly vertical (TIP: let some air out of the can before blowing off your sensor; a small amount of propellant will come out first if the can has been sitting idle for a period of time). Another way to dislodge a huge particle is to sweep it off the sensor with a sensor brush. When you get a good look at your sensor surface, it should become obvious whether to proceed or not with a swabbing.
IF YOU CANNOT BLOW AWAY THE PARTICLE OR IF YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO, PUT THE LENS BACK ON AND GO OUT AND USE THE CAMERA FOR A DAY OR TWO. IN MANY CASES, THE PARTICLE MAY GO AWAY. BUT IF IT DOESN'T, DO NOT PROCEED ANY FURTHER. JUST SEND YOUR CAMERA TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR CLEANING. THIS IS THE ONLY AREA THAT CAN CAUSE YOU PROBLEMS IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL.
NOTE: Rehab is for quitters.
After the PecPad is secured to the SensorSwipe, you are ready to put your camera into "sensor cleaning" mode and swab your sensor.
The BIGGEST risk you will take self-swabbing is if specks of dirt or debris somehow enter the CCD or CMOS chamber, or are on your swab, that's why getting a good look at the sensor is Job #1 and keeping the PecPad contaminant-free is Job #2.
Once you get a handle on the swabbing basics, you'll probably take from 10 to 25 seconds to swab and then return the lens. Going as fast as you can is NOT necessary to get a dust-free sensor, so please don't make that a goal. If your controlled work area is as clean and still as possible, you will have much more leeway in swabbing slowly and methodically. A gifted surgeon is incredibly steady and precise with every movement of his instruments, and that's not a bad image to keep in mind.
The Copperhill method of sensor cleaning requires you to wrap a well designed swab with a PecPad, put 1 or 2 drops of methanol on it and wipe a small surface that is similar to glass. THAT'S IT! Once you've swabbed your sensor a number times, you'll never look at these alternative methods and tools as being "easier" than swabbing! You may then see a pattern in our testimonials, one that has the newbie-swabber actually feeling a bit "embarassed" when it finally dawns on him how easy this really is.
DON'T GET DISCOURAGED!
YOU ARE NOT TOTALLY INEPT!
This is really a simple procedure, but you'll have to keep swabbing to learn how much pressure to apply and how to get all the dust in one "double-swipe".
Let's roll!
Throughout this tutorial, I address how crucial it is to take on a whole different mind-set in handling and caring for a digital-SLR as compared to a film-SLR. When someone tells me in an e-mail that he's left a fingerprint on his sensor (yes, I said fingerprint), I emphatically urge him to either sell or incinerate his D-SLR immediately! But right before giving him this piece of advice, I'll make it a point to mosey on down into the woods, with the sound and smell of pine needles all around me; I'll encounter a tranquil moss-covered rock, surrounded by sun-dappled ferns, gently dancing with the soft breeze; I'll assume the lotus position; I'll take about 10 deep, slow cleansing breaths, and then I'll let loose a
PLEASE, whatever you do, DO NOT touch your sensor!
NEXT: The Dirty Deed
Not for weenies.......
There are quite a few photographers who use PecPads and Eclipse in their very expensive cameras, including digital backs, so the fear, uncertainty and dread that you may read about on this topic is a state of mind for "weenies" only. Sensor cleaning demands a certain level of common sense, no matter what tools you use, and if you are lacking in that, you'd be well-advised to send the camera to the manufacturer for cleaning.
OUR GUARANTEE:
The "Copperhill" method uses PecPads, whereas the traditional method uses Sensor Swabs. Even though the materials are slightly different, there has never been an incident where a PecPad in and of itself has marred a sensor, that's right, NEVER.
TIP: Eclipse works fantastic to clean the CPU contact points on the lens mount. You don't need to buy DeOxit or anything else. We've been using Eclipse for a long time and it will remove all foreign material and buildup on the lens mount of the camera and lenses.
WARNING: Do not use any of the following to clean your sensor:
• Vacuums of any size or strength.
• Scotch tape or any other adhesives (see opposite sidebar). DON'T DO IT!
• Sensor-film - just like adhesives, a truly horrible and scary idea for coated sensors. And not a good scenario when the compound gets on anything else besides the filter, and not a good scenario if your power goes out and the mirror comes down. Not only NO, but HECK, NO!!!! DON'T DO IT!
• Homemade sensor wands
• Sensor Wands
• Lens cleaner or lens tissue
• Off-the-rack artist brushes
• Foot-pumps
• Flame-throwers
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