bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

[quote=Handsome Hedgehog]I have a box of Zeiss Lens Cleaning Wipes which I occasionally use to clean my camera lenses. Could they be used on the camera sensor or would I be asking for trouble? I think it contains alcohol... hopefully close to 100% so it evaporates quickly.[/quote

ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOOOooooo!

Your camera's sensor is very delicate and you could destroy it in whole or part if you do not know what you are doing. If you are going to do it yourself, will need specialized products made specifically for cleaning sensors and even then, you could cause damage by not proceeding correctly. It is a job with which there is always some level of risk depending on how you proceed.

There are two main methods. The most common involves the use of the application of a mild liquid using a squeegee like paddle or other applicator. I prefer the dry method that does not introduce the risk of liquids around the most delicate parts of your camera's inner workings. The dry method uses a wand with a slightly sticky block of spongy gel on its end that is used by dabbing it GENTLY on and off the sensor surface. The block picks up any debris from the sensor and then is cleaned by pressing it against a special paper that is slightly more sticky than the gel block on the wand. The dirt is transferred from the gel to the paper which is discarded afterwards; leaving the wand to be reused many times. The downside is that if you press the gel against your sensor too hard, you can lift the sensor or cause other expensive damage. I use my wand regularly and have never had a problem.

Liquid cleaning kits

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=dslr+sensor+cleaning+kit&sprefix=DSLR+sensor%2Caps%2C185&crid=GW6YAECMGH78

Dry cleaning kit (the one I use)

https://www.amazon.com/Eyelead-SCK-1B-Cleaning-Mirrorless-Cameras/dp/B01M3XB4FJ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1542291146&sr=8-5&keywords=gel+dslr+sensor+cleaning+kit

P.S.; Expensive sensor scopes are unnecessary. Photograph a white sheet of paper in direct sunlight and show the image on your computer screen. Any debris will appear as black specks on the white background. Examine the the image at a large screen magnification working your way across and down the image. Repeat the cleaning until you have only a clean white screen.

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

I would like to add my vote of "no--don't ever do that."

Here is Tony's method. I have done this once so far when the rocket blower failed to do its magic. I used both technique and product Tony shows in his video, and it worked for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAiTy3qGg2Y

This is the only drawback of mirrorless cameras: sensors get dirty much more quickly. But then mirrorless sensors are easier to clean too.

PS: When is the last time we ever had a consensus on UHH?

zzzynick Loc: Colorado

The only reason I would use a lens cleaner on my sensor is, if I wanted a new camera.
I could go to my wife and say this one's shot, I need a new one.

Mike D. Loc: Crowley County, CO.

I have heard that camera stores might use it too barring a very expensive “clean room” and much more expensive things. The Delkin system is a great alternative imho.

gwilliams6

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com

http://photosol.com

Educate yourself about sensor cleaning. You can do it yourself without damaging anything, BUT it requires just the right tools and just the right technique. Without them, you're looking at a VERY expensive repair!

charles tabb Loc: Richmond VA.

I use Sensor Clear Loupe.
Look them up on the WEB.
The System has never failed me yet.

charles tabb Loc: Richmond VA.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I have owned a mirrorless camera since 2015, and used it for lots of stills and video work in rough environments, with plenty of lens changes. I have yet to find any sensor spots that I can't blow off with a Rocket Blower.

I DO practice safe handling and lens changes! Either a lens or body cap is on my camera at all times, unless I'm quickly swapping lenses. I like to do lens changes indoors, in still air, or in a car with the windows up and the engine off. Otherwise, my back is to the wind. As much as is possible, I hold the body FLANGE DOWN when the lens is off. I keep my camera case, rear lens caps, and lens mounts spotless. It DOES help that my most often used lenses are weather-sealed with rubber gaskets.

Contrast that with the days when I used Canons and Nikons (dSLRs). I had to clean those bodies' sensors at least once a year, sometimes twice or three times, using Sensor Swabs and Eclipse. And THOSE were just training cameras that saw maybe 5000 shutter actuations per year, in my training classes.

The dSLR mirror chamber can be a nasty environment. That mirror is mounted on a mechanism that wears. It's lubricated. But over time, bits of metal, lubricant, and the foam dampener the mirror "bounces" off of, just below the focusing screen, come loose. The mirror acts like a giant fan, kicking that crap around until it lands on the sensor during exposure. Both the lube and the foam are sticky. The sensor is statically charged...

How do I know this? Well, when I was in the school portrait industry, we had hundreds of Canon dSLRs in the field. 98% of them used a single 28mm-75mm Tamron zoom lens that never came off during the school year, unless the sensor needed to be cleaned. Those cameras averaged around 400 exposures per camera per day, or 2000 exposures a week for about 15 weeks a year... or 25,000 to 35,000 shutter actuations per year. Even though the lenses seldom came off, the sensors got dirty, and when they needed cleaning, it was either professional cleaning, or Sensor Swabs and Eclipse in the hands of someone properly trained to use them.

Mirrorless cameras eliminate most of the sources of internally-generated sensor dust. But no camera can keep dust out if you stupidly leave the lens or body cap off, or lose your body cap.

Daryl New Loc: Wellington,New Zealand

Good info

repleo Loc: Boston

Sensors in some cameras are held in place by a sticky goopy mastic material. The perimeter is where most of the dust etc settles. If you touch the mastic with a blunt cloth like a lens wipe, you will smear the goop all over your sensor and your problems will increase exponentially. The flat tipped sensor cleaning pads make it a bit easier to get close to the edges, but you still need a lupe, a steady hand and a lot of luck.

Learn from my mistakes!!!

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

One day one of those dirt specs on your sensor will get the better of you. This happened to me just a few weeks ago while traveling. Good thing I had the cleaning swabs and the fluid with me on the trip.

I follow all your rules on how to change a lens--they are all good ones. Have for a long time. I never had a problem with any DSLR; I never even took the blower on trips. I even dropped my D7100 in the sand once. (Okay, I spent half an hour cleaning the thing with my toothbrush.)

My Sony A7 III seems to be a dust magnet. Actually, the explanation is quite simple. In a DSLR, the sensor is protected by the mirror. Dirt still gets in, but it is less likely to settle on the sensor. So I now take the blower, the small bottle with the fluid, and a couple of swabs on trips.

patman1 Loc: Pataskala, Ohio

I never put any fluids on my sensors, i use air and a anti static dust brush like i used to clean dust off of negs before printing. The brush should be large enough to swipe sensor in 1 pass. Ive been using this technique since my 1st digital camera about 15 yrs ago, maybe longer, not sure of date. It has always worked extremly well.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

NO!, NO! NO! You'll regret it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Although you're still wiping with a cloth and alcohol, I bet you'd get a lot more lint if you used that lens wipe. If you clean the sensor yourself, be prepared to make several passes over the sensor. The first pass will remove some spots and deposit others. Very frustrating. Using a sensor loupe can make it easy and fast to see if there are any spots left.

https://www.adorama.com/alc/0013666/article/The-Secret-of-Effectively-and-Safely-Cleaning-Your-Digital-Camera-Sensor-Yourself
https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-clean-your-camera-sensor-in-3-easy-steps/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/how-to-clean-your-camera-sensor/
https://luminous-landscape.com/sensor-cleaning/