Damaged sensor while cleaning: Has anyone here ever damaged the sensor while cleaning the sensor? I have seen all the threads about how carefull one must be when cleaning the sensor.

Hypno Loc: Miami

Has anyone here ever damaged the sensor while cleaning the sensor? I have seen all the threads about how carefull one must be when cleaning the sensor. The swabs come sterilized. (Small cuts to your body can be cleaned in an ER with tap water. why do I need sterilized sensor swabs?) Just how sensitive is the sensor and has anyone here ever damaged a camera sensor. I have cleaned a few cameras more than once without problem, so far.

Niner6

I would spend the $40 and have sensor cleaned by a professional if he ruins it his store or company is on the hook to stand by their work......just my opinion

jesteer

Hypno wrote:

Has anyone here ever damaged the sensor while cleaning the sensor? I have seen all the threads about how carefull one must be when cleaning the sensor. The swabs come sterilized. (Small cuts to your body can be cleaned in an ER with tap water. why do I need sterilized sensor swabs?) Just how sensitive is the sensor and has anyone here ever damaged a camera sensor. I have cleaned a few cameras more than once without problem, so far.

please advise (since i am not nearly an expert in cameras) what were the symptoms that initiated the cleaning? thanks

jimberton Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Niner6 wrote:

I would spend the $40 and have sensor cleaned by a professional if he ruins it his store or company is on the hook to stand by their work......just my opinion

totally agree!!!

have spent thousands of hard earned bucks on my stuff...sure not going to cheap out over $40.

hangman45 Loc: Hueytown Alabama

I clean mine regularly and have never had a problem on any of my three DSLR's they are not as fragile as some make them out to be

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Hypno wrote:

Has anyone here ever damaged the sensor while cleaning the sensor? I have seen all the threads about how carefull one must be when cleaning the sensor. The swabs come sterilized. (Small cuts to your body can be cleaned in an ER with tap water. why do I need sterilized sensor swabs?) Just how sensitive is the sensor and has anyone here ever damaged a camera sensor. I have cleaned a few cameras more than once without problem, so far.

I've done the same...I've heard the cautions but never ran into a person that tried and seriously damaged their camera.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Hypno wrote:

Has anyone here ever damaged the sensor while cleaning the sensor? I have seen all the threads about how carefull one must be when cleaning the sensor. The swabs come sterilized. (Small cuts to your body can be cleaned in an ER with tap water. why do I need sterilized sensor swabs?) Just how sensitive is the sensor and has anyone here ever damaged a camera sensor. I have cleaned a few cameras more than once without problem, so far.

I don't think the damage would be caused by wiping the sensor with the approved swab. I think being clumsy, slipping, dropping - something like that would cause the damage. Is anyone really going to rub the sensor hard enough to do damage? Seems unlikely.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

Niner6 wrote:

I would spend the $40 and have sensor cleaned by a professional if he ruins it his store or company is on the hook to stand by their work......just my opinion

WISE not to be ignored advice

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

I've had occasion to clean mine with the swab without problem - just be slow and careful

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

Not all tap water is created equal. I use distilled water to remove a smug from my sensor, once. I have well water which is high in dissolved minerals. Not sure if you could ever get hard water deposits off a sensor once dried. The distilled water left no residue. It was I who screwed up to start with trying to clean the sensor without the proper products, lesson learned. I thought I had stop doing stupid stuff long ago, but on occasion..

Hypno wrote:

Has anyone here ever damaged the sensor while cleaning the sensor? I have seen all the threads about how carefull one must be when cleaning the sensor. The swabs come sterilized. (Small cuts to your body can be cleaned in an ER with tap water. why do I need sterilized sensor swabs?) Just how sensitive is the sensor and has anyone here ever damaged a camera sensor. I have cleaned a few cameras more than once without problem, so far.

plessner Loc: North Dakota

fstop22 wrote:

Not all tap water is created equal. I use distille... (show quote)

My local place charges $75 for a cleaning so I am thinking I need to learn how to do this. So are you saying I should forget about getting the swaps and just use distilled water?

peterg Loc: Santa Rosa, CA

Cleaned them for years. Never damaged a sensor.
You're not actually cleaning the sensor but something (e.g. filter) over the sensor, which is fairly durable. Search this forum and other places for reliable info.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

City tap water is treated with all kinds of chemicals (a good thing, keeps you safe). Most of us who live in rural America and are on well water use a conditioning system (like a water softener) to remove lime, rust, sediment etc. These can also leave chemical in the water. Some of these chemicals can potentially harm your camera and that's the advantage in purchasing the sterile swabs. Plus they will leave no residue.

GW Loc: Idaho

If you really want to do it your self at least look into a cleaning kit from Micro Tools . Not that expensive ,but worth the precation .

Stryder Loc: Texas

Peterg is correct. You are not on the "sensor" There are a couple of layers of filters on top of the actual sensor. U/V, Defraction, etc. Still, it would be prudent to use use appropriate cleaning materials.