Frapha Loc: Tulsa, Oklahoma

After having my sensor cleaned two different places locally with much less than satisfactory results, I finally decided this is something I need to learn to do myself. After substantial reading & research, it appeared that the Copperhill or Visible Dust were the better choices. However, Copperhill's website appears to be completely offline and their products are no longer listed on Amazon, B&H, Adorama, etc. So, I'm left with VisibleDust.

In looking at the VD information, it appears they have three different products, each with different types of swabs and different liquid solutions -- 1) Smear Away (for oil stains); 2) VDust Plus (for water & most oil stain) and 3) Sensor Clean (for water stains) -- all three are sensor cleaning products, but apparently for varying degrees or types of dirt.

Just wondering who's using which of these 3 Visible Dust products and your experience. Appreciate any insight.

juicesqueezer Loc: Okeechobee, Florida

Not sure what is going on with Copperhill. Their site has been down a while now. You might look at Sensor Swab, which is another great product. They have the swab with cleaner and without.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

This is the kit I use and I've had no problems or issues.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1165579-REG/photographic_solutions_ultra_swab_type_3.html

Frapha Loc: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Thx -- will check them out.

mikeysaling Loc: essex uk

I still use the following and very happy - make sure you get the genuine one from amazon or other reputable seller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fetJfPILU3o

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

I've been using Visible Dust for some time but very seldom. I like their system especially the magnifier and the swirling dust brush (whatever their proper name are)
I found the tutorials on their webs site very helpful.

Have never had reason or desire top look at Copperhill so I can offer no comparison.

tjphxaz Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Go to Live Chat on B&H Photo website. Give them your camera make and model and ask for a recommendation or two. Ask if they have a video tutorial or can refer you to a specific You Tube video on how to use their recommended cleaning system.

houdel Loc: Chase, Michigan USA

Oil stains/water stains? I have a bit of a problem with the terminology here. The only way I can picture oil stains would be on a D600 in which case I'd avail myself of the Nikon free shutter replacement. And if I had water stains on my sensor I think I'd have bigger problems than just a simple sensor cleaning.

I purchased the kit below based on recommendations from an earlier thread on sensor cleaning. You can use the swabs dry for most dust plus they include a liquid cleaner to wet swab tenacious dirt. So far I haven't had to wet swab. I use the Rocket Blower first, then swab if I still have dust. Like you I have both full frame and APS-C sensors, so I bought the full frame kit which has 24mm swabs as it will work on both. On full frame sensors swab left-right, on APS-C swab up-down.
http://www.amazon.com/Frame-Digital-Camera-Sensor-Cleaning/dp/B00NIA4ZT6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438275861&sr=8-2&keywords=full+frame+camera+sensor+cleaning+kit

I need reading glasses for close up work; I have cheap WalMart +3 diopter glasses for reading and +2 diopter glasses for the computer as my laptop screen is a bit further away. One trick I've learned is to use both pairs at once for really fine inspection. I tried that when I cleaned my D610 sensor recently and discovered I could see dust on the sensor quite plainly so I think I will be purchasing the LensPen Sensor loupe kit which I think would be more gentle on the sensor than a swab.
http://www.amazon.com/LENSPEN-SKLK-1-SENSORKLEAR-LOUPE-KIT/dp/B003CZ5W1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438276983&sr=8-1&keywords=lenspen+sensor+cleaning

And finally, I use the basic LensPen lens cleaner on my lenses. I have one clipped on my camera strap so it is always with me and I never have to use my shirt. It has a retractable soft brush and an organic cleaner if the brush isn't enough.
http://www.amazon.com/Lenspen-NLP-1-LensPen/dp/B007G5NNOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438277238&sr=8-1&keywords=lenspen+lens+cleaner

WayneL Loc: Baltimore Md

I use V dust plus

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-324474-2.html#5448523

Get a soft NYLON brush about the size of the width of the sensor. Make sure its not coated with anything. Should be able to find it at the hobby store.

Buy a can of compressed air. Get it at Walmart, its costs about 1/2 there.

Clean the brush thoroughly in alcohol (not the kind for drinking). When you are sure its thoroughly clean, clean it again.

Hold the air upright (so you don't get the propellant) and blow through the Nylon bristles, both sides. That sets up a static charge in the brush (remember how you got static in your nylon comb, when you had hair).

You are ready to clean the sensor and it cost a total of $10 for many, many cleanings.

Store brush in dust proof container.

If you are handy make a spatula type device that is flexible approximately the size of your camera's sensor.

Buy Zeiss eyeglass wipes (about $5 per box). Open a wipe, let it dry out slightly and wrap it around the spatula. Wipe in one direction, then the other.

This wet method works great for me, better than Pec Pads and alcohol or those worthless over prices swabs.

Cost is minimal.

Doug B Loc: Edmonton Alberta

Wonder what happened to them. They just vanished?

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

If Copperhill is gone, that would be a shame.... good products, fair prices and good info on their website.

You can get the same products and more, the same info and more at www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com. This extremely detailed and thorough "how to" site is maintained by the guys at www.micro-tools.com, where virtually every sensor cleaning product is available, an who are themselves professional camera repair techs, one of whom (Larry) has literally written a lot of the books on the subject.

Sensor cleaning is a multi-step process.

First cleanings always have to be wet cleanings. This is because there is always oil on the sensor (that cause dust to stick to it). If any of the dry or adhesive cleaning methods are attempted when there is oil on the sensor it will just result in smears, contaminating the cleaning tool, and ultimately will cause dust to adhere more easily.

For wet cleaning I use Eclipse sensor cleaning solution and Pec Pads cut down and fitted onto two different sizes of tools (one for APS-C size sensors and the other for full frame). These are basically what Copperhill sold in their kits and are available elsewhere.

A puff of air from a bulb blower can chase away loose dust. (Don't use "canned air"... The most common types deliver too strong a blast and can spew liquid propellants.)

A brush such as Visible Dust's Arctic Butterfly can be useful coaxing off slightly adhered dust specks.

A low powered vacuum can be helpful pulling air borne specks of dust away from the camera, once they are loosened from the sensor.

A lighted magnifying loupe is almost a necessity to inspect the sensor for gunk and specks.

An adhesive method such as Dust Aid, with single use pads, can lift off adhered dust and traps it nicely. Speck Grabber is a reusable, precision tool to get that last stubborn speck off there. I think someone is now making a larger reusable cleaning pad similar to the "goo" on the end of the Speck Grabber, but haven't used it.

Once the sensor is clean, a Sensor Pen is used to polish the surface and remove the haze that wet cleaning fluids always leave behind. This is always a final step that will help the sensor be more resistant to dust adhering and that usually will make for longer times between needing cleaning, especially more recent camera models with self-cleaning sensors.

It's also good policy to clean the rear element and barrel of lenses... as well as the inside of lens rear caps and body caps... even vacuum out your camera bag occasionally. Use common sense, but don't be afraid of lens changes.

Cleaning sensors yourself is very doable and a good skill to learn... but also is not without some risks. Be careful working in there around the delicate mechanisms of the shutter and mirror, and the sensor itself. Repairs for mistakes are very expensive!

Also, don't use ridiculously small apertures that are costing you fine detail lost to diffraction anyway.... and will showcase even the smallest specks on the sensor, that would be invisible in your images if more practical, larger apertures were used instead.