So does everybody clean their own cameras and if so, how.
I notice that I have a recurring spot and it had to be in the body as it does it with any lens.....I called the place where I buy most of my stuff and they wanted to send it out - for two to three weeks!! Well, I panicked at that. Obviously, it is in my hands every day and I can't imagine sending it off for that length of time. However, I am a little leery of trying to do this on my own.
So, I figured if anybody knew how it would be the other folks that can't give up their cameras for weeks on end.
Thanks,
Cathy
I live in a large city but does not have many camera repair places. The place where I buy my film developing supplies actually does it in house and says that a sensor clean takes ten minutes. You can do it yourself, but call around. Ask where they send it to and call them directly.
So far, manually cleaning the sensor with an air blower has moved all the dust spots I've had. I got a Rocket Air Blower from eBay, and there's a setting on the camera that flips the mirror to allow manual cleaning. I spend about a minute blowing air on the sensor and then turn the camera off to exit the manual clean mode.
I was in the same situation as you are now and didn't want to leave my camera to be cleaned. So in speaking with some of my camera club members, they all told me it was easy and it was something you should be used to doing. So as nervous as I was I went to the camera store and asked for the sensor cleaning kit for my Nikon D7000. It cost me $20 and I took it home and looked at it for a few days, checked out Youtube and waited. Then I decided it was time. As Humphrey mentioned there is a setting that locks the mirror into place for manual cleaning. Then it is easy to do. Just add the drops on the brush swab and make a clean sweep across the sensor and this will remove the grease spot. My hands were shaking when I was doing it and was very proud of myself once I did it. Check Youtube for your camera and you will see many entries for this procedure. Good luck you can do it.
the pen thing is good for the lens when out and about. Sounds to me like you should take the lens off the body and use the rocket blower inside (dont depress the shutter when you do this. You just want to blow in and around the inside to dislodge any dust around there, the mirror and on the perspex above it which leads to where you look thru the viewfinder.
Also dont forget about the inside of the lens
It'd also probably be worthwhile to get something like a spectacle cleaning cloth + liquid and clean out the lens
I get my sensor swabs from Amazon, only about £8.00 for a pack and a little bottle of cleaning fluid. There are some excellent tutorials on youtube and most DSLR's are the same principle for cleaning, just be sure you've watched it step by step and write the steps down if you have to.
I'd say on a personal note, that you shouldn't do the wet clean if it isn't necessary, use it as a last ditch attempt at removing grease and grime from the sensor. Be firm with it the first time and you shouldn't have to keep cleaning it day in day out. I always use the blower first and hold the camera with the front facing down when doing so, blow, then leave for a second, blow again, leave for a sec...and so on for a minute. If that doesn't shift it, get the swabs out. Good luck :)
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the pen thing is good for the lens when out and about. Sounds to me like you should take the lens off the body and use the rocket blower inside (dont depress the shutter when you do this. You just want to blow in and around the inside to dislodge any dust around there, the mirror and on the perspex above it which leads to where you look thru the viewfinder.
Also dont forget about the inside of the lens
It'd also probably be worthwhile to get something like a spectacle cleaning cloth + liquid and clean out the lens
I just ordered a Rocket Air Blower and hope to learn to use it fearlessly.
I'd say on a personal note, that you shouldn't do the wet clean if it isn't necessary, use it as a last ditch attempt at removing grease and grime from the sensor. Be firm with it the first time and you shouldn't have to keep cleaning it day in day out. I always use the blower first and hold the camera with the front facing down when doing so, blow, then leave for a second, blow again, leave for a sec...and so on for a minute. If that doesn't shift it, get the swabs out. Good luck :)