# Sensor cleaning question 7D



## JohnTrav (Jul 18, 2012)

I have a canon 7D and was wondering how ofter you should have the sensor cleaned?

Should I just buy a sensor cleaning kit and do it myself or just pay someone at a certified canon camera shop to do it?

My friend also told me to keep a can of compressed air with me to blow off the sensor.  Wouldn't that harm the sensor?


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## Big Mike (Jul 18, 2012)

How often it needs to be cleaned, will depend on plenty of factors.  For example, if you change lenses a lot, especially outdoors (or dusty indoor locations) then you'll likely have to clean it more often.  Some clean once a week, or once a month, or once a year etc.

Keep in mind, there are levels of cleaning.  First is just using the self clean (probably happens automatically when you shut it off).  
Next is blowing the dust off.  DO NOT USE COMPRESSES AIR.  That air in a can, may have propellant or something else in it, which can put moisture onto your sensor (dust will stick to it and dry into worse spots).  Also, the blast is so strong that it's likely to cause a tiny dust storm...so the odds of ending up with a clean surface can get pretty low.  
The tool for blowing on your sensor is a bulb blower...preferably a rocket type blower (intake at the bottom, nozzle at the top).  

The next level is physically brushing the sensor.  There are tools like the Arctic Butterfly sensor brush.  It spins the brush to build up a static charge, which then attracts the dust.  Rather expensive, but will last a long time.

Sometimes there is dust/crap that still won't come off, so you need to do a wet cleaning.  You need some type of sensor swab and some cleaning fluid (follow the directions).  It's pretty easy to do, if you're careful.  

Of course, you could take/send it in for cleaning....but it would likely cost you as much as 6 years worth of cleaning supplies.

Keep in mind that you're not really cleaning the sensor per say...just the window in front of the sensor so don't sweat it.  A more likely part to get damaged would be the mirror or the shutter (both held open when you activate the sensor cleaning mode).  So be careful and make sure that your battery isn't on the verge of dieing when you start the mode.


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## Derrel (Jul 18, 2012)

Delkin Products...Sensor Scope...awesome!!!!

I use Pec Pads (a brand of sensor swabs) and Eclipse Fluid cleaning solution..ONE drop of fluid on the swab...not more,not less!

It's like making an omelette--it might LOOK hard the first time you see it done, and you might kind of mess up the first time or two you do it on your own, but the third time you'll have it all figured out. At $3 per sensor swab, your learning curve tends to be pretty "straight", if you get my drift.


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## JohnTrav (Jul 18, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> How often it needs to be cleaned, will depend on  plenty of factors.  For example, if you change lenses a lot, especially  outdoors (or dusty indoor locations) then you'll likely have to clean  it more often.  Some clean once a week, or once a month, or once a year  etc.
> 
> Keep in mind, there are levels of cleaning.  First is just using the  self clean (probably happens automatically when you shut it off).
> Next is blowing the dust off.  DO NOT USE COMPRESSES AIR.  That air in a  can, may have propellant or something else in it, which can put  moisture onto your sensor (dust will stick to it and dry into worse  spots).  Also, the blast is so strong that it's likely to cause a tiny  dust storm...so the odds of ending up with a clean surface can get  pretty low.
> ...



Thanks for the info.  I added everything you mentioned to my amazon wish list to but once I get a chance.

Compressed air will not be used ever on my camera.



Derrel said:


> Delkin Products...Sensor Scope...awesome!!!!
> 
> I use Pec Pads (a brand of sensor swabs) and Eclipse Fluid cleaning solution..ONE drop of fluid on the swab...not more,not less!
> 
> It's like making an omelette--it might LOOK hard the first time you see it done, and you might kind of mess up the first time or two you do it on your own, but the third time you'll have it all figured out. At $3 per sensor swab, your learning curve tends to be pretty "straight", if you get my drift.




Thanks.  Amazon actually sells a kit that has everything you mentioned in it so i will be ordering that once i get a chance.


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