jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Obviously a camera that old has old dirt, and the new cleaning tools that Nikon uses can't deal with it.

Whoever wrote the reply saw "D3," and knew that they didn't have parts, so that automatic reply got sent. Imagine bringing a 1955 car to be detailed and being told, "Oh, sorry. We don't have anything to clean a car that old."

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, a loupe is great for cleaning the sensor because you don't have to keep taking pictures of the sky to see if the sensor is clean. I have a Carson loupe.

https://smile.amazon.com/Carson-Camera-Sensor-Magnifier-SM-44/dp/B0091SS310/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=camera+loupe&qid=1623237417&sr=8-7

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

When I first got a Nikon D200 DSLR I was reluctant to get into the camera to clean the sensor. After a few years there were spots but I lived with them.

Then I got a new D3. I was even more reluctant to get into the camera to clean the sensor. But people said it wasn't hard, so since I had a dirty D200 sensor I thought I'd try cleaning that one and see how hard it was. I got a rocket blower and a set of pre-moistened swabs for the DX sensor and tried it out. The rocket blower, as expected, didn't do much on a sensor with years of stuff on it so I got to try the swabs. One swab got 75% of the crud off. The next one got more. The third swab got it down to the point where I didn't see anything significant.

The next day I went out and got a set of FX swabs and did the D3. Have been doing the D3, D4, D5, and D800e since then. It's not rocket science, only needs a reasonably steady hand. You want to use the swab only once to avoid collecting abrasive crud and dragging it across the sensor. You angle the swab so you're using one side of it and drag it across the sensor, then you angle it the other way, using the other side, and drag it back the other direction across the sensor. Then you throw it out.

One thing to consider is that it's not the sensor you're cleaning. It's the antialiasing filter/Bayer filter mounted above the sensor. Those items are significantly cheaper than the actual sensor. I highly recommend learning to clean your own sensor.

Another thing: looking for dust on your sensor does not require a picture of the sky. That's inconvenient. All you need is a picture of a featureless uniformly bright surface. You can use a wall, but a lot of walls have texture. Defocusing can mitigate that, but it's still possibly distracting. The easiest way I have found is to sit at your computer, bring up a blank page on your word processor. Turn off autofocus (so focusing is not necessary to trigger the shutter) and set the lens to a small aperture (large number), place the lens up close to the monitor and take a shot. Yes, the monitor is composed of r/g/b dots, but they are highly defocused and will not affect the quality of the shot. The real advantage for the lazy photographer is that you're sitting at your computer so you can look at the image immediately on the monitor. It's much easier to see dust on a large screen than on the tiny camera monitor. Since you are at your desk you can clean the camera right there. No moving back and forth to find a spot to check for dust.

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/user-page?upnum=2857

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Quixdraw, what is on the sensor? Perhaps one of us (who have experience with sensor cleaning, lens cleaning/repairs, etc.) can offer some help/guidance.

The cleaning effort is not particularly complicated. For example; I do have a D7100 that had some sort of "solid blob" (no idea what or how it got there, but it caused a small distorted looking area just off-center)...regular sensor cleaning, and a wet sensor cleaning system would not remove it....so.....I put a small "wet patch" of lens cleaning tissue on the spot for a few minutes, maybe 15min., and then gently swirled and removed the wet patch, re-did the swab cleaning and viola, no more dirt or blob. I clean all my sensors (as needed, since going digital years ago) and have many successful "cleanings", no failures.....you can do it too!!

Al Beatty Loc: Boise, Idaho

Hi quixdraw,

I recognized the words "Beaucoup" & "Nikon since '68" in your post. Any chance you were "in country" when you got your first Nikon? That's when I got my first F2. Take care & ...

BurghByrd Loc: Pittsburgh

I also have a D3 purchased many years ago that I still use occasionally; which I agree is still a joy to use even if it doesn't have all the features of newer cameras. About a year ago I noticed defects on the images which provided the oportunity to investigate sensor cleanliness, no surprise there after over 10 years of use. In short I found dust or dander on the sensor in addition to what appeared to be oil or the like. Having no prior experience with this the hardest part was overcoming the fear of causing damage by trying to clean it myself; that is now no longer the case. In short there are videos on Youtube that will illustrate how it's done (confidence builder) and kits available from B&H and the like for obtaining the equipment (cleaner, swabs etc.). A good blower for disloding any loose material, sensor cleaning solvent, the full frame sized swabs a source of light and a magnifier (some purpose made) are the necessary kit. I would encourage you to give it a shot, it's a usefull skill. In my case I found that it took several swipes (get several swabs) to remove the oil spots and more pressure than just barely making contact (a little swab deflection). In the end the sensor was cleaned and I now have the kit and confidence to take care of a soilded sensor; a useful skill for a changable lens camera system.

kt72sf

Al Beatty and Quixdraw,

Vinh Long Airfield, about 50 miles southeast of Saigon, Mechanized Stock Control and Accounting, ...a long, long time ago, repress memory.

Kerry in San Francisco

Quixdraw Loc: x

I did not serve in Viet Nam. My best friend did, and my first Nikon kit was purchased there, and traded for on his safe return. I am still in regular contact with him and a few years ago gave him back that kit (ex one lens) which he regards as a souvenir of those days. Suppose that and recent Memorial Day activities kicked up the word. One of several I picked up from him and other friends who served there.

Quixdraw Loc: x

I do understand that it is actually the filter that gets cleaned, and I suppose I'm just going to need to give it a try. Haven't had a lot of issues since I'm careful with body and back caps and change lenses only under good conditions. It is a useful skill, but like fixing brakes on my car, one I would prefer to avoid!

Abo

These guys are Nikon authorized repairers and
will be happy to make your D3 literally better
than a brand new unit... having said that, shipping cost may be an issue:

https://camera-clinic.com/index.php/en/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkZ2MuxVl_8&t=23s

The above is part one of a 3 part series of interviews with Wayne Rogers; a camera tec at The Camera Clinic.

I had a problem with an old 50mm f1.4D Nikkor on my D700...
both the camera and lens were long out of production.

Anyway Wayne removed the lens from the camera took it to his bench, ran a test
and came back with it in less than 1 minute with a decisive, definitive, resolution...
that could only have been made by someone with a 100% understanding of the
system and a 100% understanding of the interaction between the light coming
through the lens and the camera itself. Problem solved in less than one minute and no charge.

At that time their minimum charge was $50... so I donated $50 to the Perth Royal Childrens Hospital
(formerly Princess Margret Hospital For Neo Natals) and sent the receipt to the Camera Clinic as a token
of my appreciation of the outstanding and generous service they provide.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Thanks!

dougbev3 Loc: Pueblo, Colorado

I too, do not trust myself cleaning the sensor. I have never done it, but I know it has to be done right or a person can mess things up beyond repair. We have a camera store in the next town and I trust them to clean it when it needs done.

BebuLamar

I am thinking of buying a D3. It's the first digital camera Nikon made that I would want. I don't want any of the DX stuff. I always thought it was a bad idea when they introduced those any way.

Quixdraw Loc: x

I find it an amazing camera, and am constantly reaching for it. The only disadvantage is that it is large, heavy, and hardly unobtrusive. They can be had affordably even with low shutter counts compared to rated shutter life. IMO You will be providing yourself with some considerable period of enjoyment if you get one.

BebuLamar

I love heavy camera so no problem there. I do at times want a small camera but if it's not small enough to fit in my pocket then it's the same as a big camera. So the D3 size and weight is no problem for me. However, I am concerned that it can not be repaired any more.