Copper Hill Images
CCD/CMOS Cleaning Tutorial
#5 - Important Points Before Your First Swabbing

These are a few points we would like to emphasize before you swab for the first time:

#1) Take your time, DON'T RUSH! There is no need to make a mad dash into the chamber with your moistened swab. It is MUCH more important for you to see exactly what you are doing, rather than worrying about ambient dust getting into your camera. Your speed will naturally increase as you go on.

NOTE: We recommend waiting about 5 or 10 seconds after applying the Eclipse to begin swabbing. This will allow a good majority of the liquid to migrate away from the tip, making it less likely to streak. We used to remove the lens and then apply the Eclipse to the swab, but now, it works out perfectly to reverse these two steps.

So, your sequence will be: 1) lock up the mirror; 2) put the one or two drops of Eclipse on the 'Swipe's tip; 3) remove the lens; 4) swab the sensor; and, finally, 5) remount the lens, unlock the mirror, and turn the camera off.

#2) VISIBILITY is the key word in sensor swabbing. The highly reflective "mirrored" surface of the sensor makes it a real challenge to guide your swab into the starting corner. This is just as difficult as trying to poke a fish in a pond with a stick. A good light is mandatory and be extra aware of the extremely small space you will have to negotiate the swab onto the sensor. Looking back on my first swabbing, I now realize I could have established a better orientation of where my head, my hand and the light were, BEFORE I went in to swab for the first time. This is why I strongly recommend doing a dry run with the lens off, just like you were going to swab. Experiment with the amount and position of your light source until you have the best view of the sensor possible. At present, I am using a 150W halogen drafting light ($50 at Staples).

*Also, I cannot stress enough the need to be able to see clearly at close-up range. My eyes are about 1½ feet away from the sensor when I swab, and it's absolutely necessary for me to wear my reading glasses at this distance.

#3)  Our own PecPad Strips are the "beesknees" for sensor swabbing, we strongly recommend them over full-size PecPads.  Keep the strips and your SensorSwipe in  zip-lock bags when not in use.

#4) DO A PRACTICE RUN: make your swab with the PecPad and put 1 or 2 drops of Eclipse/E2 on it just to see how the liquid is absorbed, then wipe a piece of glass or a jewel case with it. Hopefully, you'll see that this is a very BENIGN process which is made slightly difficult only by the very awkward positioning of the sensor in the chamber. You will also see how fast the fluid evaporates in back of the swab (from 1 to 3 seconds). This point is very important because I think a lot of the apprehension about sensor swabbing involves the thought of using a LIQUID to wipe the very intricate electronic sensor. A dry run will confirm that there is virtually NO chance of the Eclipse running or "puddling" on the sensor if you use no more than 2 or 3 drops.

#5) Take a couple of seconds to look at the CCD or CMOS. If you see any specks on your AA filter, try to blow them off with a blower before you swab  (I recommend using canned air if possible). DO NOT swab your sensor if you see a speck on it and you cannot blow it off. If you just can't remove it, please send it into the manufacurer for service. This is the one area where you could cause some damage by forcing the issue.

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"Hold it right there, Charles!.........Not on the first date, you don't!" 

Thanks Gary Larsen's The Far Side

#6)  It's a good habit to remove the lens very carefully without a lot of banging against the lens mount. You should position your cam in the most comfortable position for working on the sensor. You can swab with the camera on a tripod at a 45° angle facing up, for example, or you can swab with it laying on its back on your desk, whatever works best for you. There is no need to be a contortionist by swabbing with the camera facing down (unless you're the kind of person who enjoys that sort of thing).
After many years of swabbing sensors, we now favor the camera flat on its back on a desk at 90 degrees. We prepare the SensorSwipe as usual and make the strokes with a sort of "rowing" action with both hands on the 'Swipe. This method somehow gives us much more conrol of the stroke enabling us to get as close to the sidewalls as possible without straying off the sensor surface. Try it, you may see what we're talking about.. 

#7) Even after years of sensor swabbing, we still enter the chamber with the utmost care and respect for the delicateness of the sensor's components. As you continue on with this process, try to strike the perfect balance of total confidence in what you're doing with an appreciation of the sensor's precision construction.

#8) It has been our experience that cleaning an imaging sensor on a regular basis will greatly reduce the super-stuck dust accumulation. In other words, when these stubborn specks are left to sit on a CCD or CMOS, very similar to leaving that bug-splat on your windshield, they get harder to remove. Therefore, we recommend a methanol swabbing at least every two weeks for ALL D-SLRs. I also recommend washing your car and dog once per season. A sensor brush is the perfect companion to your swabbing tools, because it allows you to gather up a day's worth of loose dust particles BEFORE they can become stuck. It's simple - brush the sensor every day or two and swab the sensor every week or two.

#9) If after swabbing a number of times you are still left with 2 or 3 specks of dust, close the camera up and go out and take some shots. Don't swab again for a day or two. Very often these specks will be loosened after a number of cleaning sessions, so don't press your luck in the beginning. If these spots continue to remain on your sensor, and it is really upsetting to you, PLEASE send it back to the manufacturer for service. Don't get careless and force the issue by applying a pressure equal to a bowling ball. I want you to have a perfectly clean sensor, but, more importantly, I don't want you damaging your sensor, no matter what.

#10) After your first very successful swabbing, you may be like most people and say: "Is that all there is to sensor swabbing? That was so easy, I don't know why I waited this long to swab! Piece-O-Cake!" This dawning should tell you how simple this really is, but, more importantly, it should prove conclusively how ESSENTIAL it is to do the research, to assemble the proper tools and materials and to practice a number of times before you do the real thing. People who take this preparation for granted will most likely have a hard time. But if you continue swabbing with excellent results, be very aware of the dangers ahead of you:
*WARNING* Becoming proficient  at this procedure may lead to an unusual phenomenon - an ADDICTION to sensor swabbing. It's accompanied by a relentless determination to maintain ZERO dust on your sensor. This stage we call - "Crossing Over". By the way, once you do cross over, you will NEVER need to revisit this tutorial again, except maybe to say hello. Seriously, though, please check back here from time to time, as we are constantly updating the information contained within.

#11) After crossing over, I don't want to hear any excuses from you - get out there and use the heck out of your D-SLR.

And last, but not least, go have yourself a nice stiff drink, preferably, but not necessarily, after you swabtrink42.gif

Congratulations are in order for getting this far. One more page to go with tips and links.

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#4 - Swabbing Illustration

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#6 - Tips & Links

 

 

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  Introduction
#2 - A Close Look
#3 - Preparing a CopperHill Swab
#4 - Swabbing Illustration
You are here > #5 - Important Points
#6 - Tips & Links
#7 - Essay

2 COMMON MISTAKES MANY FIRST-TIMERS MAKE

#1) Using too much Eclipse; apply no more than 3 drops on an 18 or 24 mm. swab and 2 drops on a 14 mm. swab.

#2) Not getting the swab "squarely" and "firmly" on the sensor's surface. This may be caused by some nervousness, trying to go too quickly or not being able to see what you're doing. What actually happens is that one corner of the swab will be lifted upwards and, consequently, will not be resting flush on the CCD or CMOS. If this happens, you may only remove half of the dust, which is still VERY good for the first time.

NOTE

The good thing about these mistakes is that they are easily correctable once you realize what's causing them. 

Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped. 

 

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Here's a comprehensive review of several dust-shakers::

http://pixinfo.com/en/articles/ccd-dust-removal/

 OUR MISSION STATEMENT:

If you've read everything up to here, you should have sufficient information about sensor cleaning to recognize the advantages of cleaning your own sensor. Here is the protocol we've developed and refined over the past 8+ years:

1) Every camera is going to get chamber lubricant on it, even brand new ones, so the first objective is to get this stuff off of the sensor. This is only acheived by the use of a wet-regimen of tools such as with our CopperHill Method. Your first session should only be concerned with the removal of oil and not so much the elimination of dust-bunnies. Eclipse fluid is the absolute best fluid to use for this purpose - guaranteed!

2) Once step one is completed, you can then use either a static-brush or a SensorKlear pen on a daily basis to keep the dust at bay if necessary. These two dry tools are the easiest sensor cleaning tools out of them all, with the SensorSweep being even easier than the pen. Besides this, it is practically impossible to damage a sensor with them. Keeping loose dust specks off of the sensor means they won't turn into super-stuck specks (K.I.S.S.). However, it will only be a matter of time before more lubricant is splattered on your sensor, and, again, this can only be removed by a wet-cleaning..

3) If you are a professional shooting hundreds of shots per day or even thousands of shots per week, you will most likely need to wet-clean your sensor every week or two, at the minimum.

4) If you are an avid-amateur or a weekend warrior, you will probably need to wet-clean your sensor once a month or two, at the minimum.

5) Having a Wet/Dry sensor cleaning kit means you'll never have to send your camera in for cleaning, saving you $30.00 to $75.00 per cleaning. You will not have to ship and insure your camera to the manufacturer and be without it 7 to 14 days. With a little practice, you will be able to do a much better job removing dust and lube than the typical cleaning done by the manufacturer.

6) OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO WET-CLEAN THE SENSOR AS INFREQUENTLY AS POSSIBLE AND THE USE OF A TOP-NOTCH SENSOR BRUSH OR PEN EVERY DAY OR TWO MAKES THAT POSSIBLE.

 

 

 

 

 "To see a world in a grain of sand,

and a heaven in a wildflower;

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

and eternity in an hour."

...............................William Blake, "The Auguries of Innocence"

 

 

 

 

Things to do when you're bored:

1) Get a friend to fill his mouth with food (crackers work fine), then tell him to say: "I was born on a pirate ship."

2) Call a bowling alley and ask the guy if they have any 10 pound balls. He'll say yes, then ask him: "How did you get to the phone so quickly?"

3) Call a tobacco shop and ask if they have Prince Albert in a can? You can add your own comeback.


"It's abhorrent to me when a fine intelligence is paired with an unsavory character"

 

 

................Albert Einstein

 

"We are what our deep, driving desire is.

As our deep, driving desire is, so is our will.

As our will is, so is our deed.

As our deed is, so is our destiny." ..........The Dhammapada; Brihadaranyaka IV

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