Thanks for that very comprehensive tutorial. You gave me the confidence to try cleaning my camera's sensor myself.

just done the dry method and it worked perfectly! thank you so much and I will subscribe to you! all the best, John.

Thank you! This is one of the best and well explained and narrated videos!

Thanks for a very well produced video. I would add one thing. Everybody says hold the camera upside down when blowing it out. I would say that the particle size is so small that gravity would have a negligible effect on the direction in which the displaced particles would move. To those particles, the air is like thick soup. They are more likely to be carried upwards in the warm air currents from your hands or lights. Because of the danger of damaging the sensor with the blower I suggest holding it in whatever is the best position for you to handle it and see inside and get the most light into it so you can see what you are doing.

Thank you! I thought I would have to send my camera in to get professionally cleaned but this worked! Much appreciated!

what kind of camera bag is that at 2-44?

Thank you very much! This will help in cleaning my sensor for the first time. Thanks again!

Excellent presentation and explanation, thank you.

This guy knows what he's doing.

Awesome tutorial - Thanks so much

A UV flashlight is cheap on ebay and makes a huge difference in what you see on the sensor

Good info. My favorite part of the video was the hand washing demo using dramatic tilted framing.

Great job explaining each method!

excellent video. Well explained, so now I'll get the kit and have a go.

Thanks for sharing your thorough technique. 💯

I would suggest checking with the camera manufacture's guide on cleaning the sensor. While this may work for some/most mine says do not use cleaning solutions, may cause fogging and damage. Also only one direction and change the cloth each pass. That is just mine, I'm sure others have different approaches. Great video on how to do the general procedure and taking the test shots. Thank you.

Only issue I will add to this video is that each time I remove a lens I hold the camera upside down. When replacing a lens, I also hold the camera upside down. It is important to remember that dust is always floating around in the air and that it is crucial to keeping it out of our equipment. Many thanks for the video, enjoyed it very much. Regards, Tony

Thank you Doug! Super informative!

enjoyed the video, this worked well for me. cameras all clean now and ready to shoot

As a novice to photography and new to dslr cameras i thought it was an eccelant video as i had noticed small marks in photos and wondered how to clean it myself excellent and saved me some money .Scotland

Excellent Video...I am going to have a go at cleaning my sensor. Thank you.

Greetings from the Sahara, my camel didn't hold still but I got it done. Thanks.

thank you doug for this you really help my

very detailed! ty so much! im a horse trainer / riding instr and have taken thousands of jumping pics over the yrs and this was so helpful! I like to call myself an amateur photographer as I take what I do seriously, I dont mess around lolol

I never know about that thank you so much for teaching!

Thanks a lot! Just what I was looking for. Finaly got rid of the dust :)

Good video. Thanks. I use a nice Sensor Loupe to see the the dust on the sensor. It saves me tons of time rather than shooting a photo to see the dust.

Can't fault your vid, very informative. Cheers

Nice one Doug, thank you.

Awesome explanation

You made it look very possible, even for me, thanks.

Thankyou so much will give this a try

I was afraid to touch the thing until you mentioned that the front of the sensor is glass. I got a cleaning kit and now my D70 shoots like new again. I love that old camera and now I can take her out for a spin again. Like driving a classic car :)

Thanks Doug... big help. Thumbs up...

Your're a good teacher fella!

Thanks, great help!

Thank you doug I had a commercial clean once and found that when I got it back it still had spots.

Thank you for your detailed and helpful explanation. However I have one question. Is there a risk that by using mirror lockup with the shutter open you will allow dust to fall on the sensor? If so, is there any way that this can be prevented? I tried your test by taking a picture of a white reflector at F22 and I could only find 3 tiny specs of dust on my sensor so is it really worth the risk of making it worse by leaving the shutter open with the mirror locked up?

thank you Sir for sharing

very helpful...thank you

Hi Doug! I looked through 10 videos, before I found one that was specific, to my camera that went at a speed that allowed me to understand, and follow along. Kudos to you I do have a question though. in using a high magnifier and looking in my camera the mirror appears to have some dust underneath it. I'm not able to get it off what would be recommended?

Thanks for that... Good video.

Thank you!! You just saved me $100!!!

I agree with everything in this except leaving all the caps off in your bag. But that's a choice.

Great video! Thanks :)

Thx so much for this video. But just to clarify when you are either dry or wet cleaning the sensor is that with the mirror up? Thanks

In the Dry Cleaning method, do I have to use a special brush?

Thank you so much

thanks for the info

Thanks so much!!

I would recommend doing this in the bathroom, run the shower as hot as you can for a good 10 mins before to get it steamy so all the dust in the air will settle to the ground after run your bathroom fan to take the extra moisture out of the air

Thanks for the Info...

This isn't a sensor related question but I was cleaning the mirror with my lens cloth and it's left with a smear like oil. In through my view finder there is grey dots which I assume are dust or dirt. I used a blower like yours but these dots in the viewfinder is this there.

Thank you!

useful video!

Thank you, thumbs up..

I know a lot of camera assistants who simply use lens tissue and a cleaner like Pancro to clean camera sensors on studio cameras with great success and without damaging the sensor. However, I've noticed everything on the web says to use special swabs and cleaning solutions to clean much cheaper dslr sensors. Is this because dslrs have a different coating on the sensor or is Pancro actually a suitable replacement for eclipse cleaning solution? Hard to believe you'd have to baby a $2000 dslr more than a $30000 studio camera.

very helpful 👍

Leaving the caps off during a shoot could be the end of your shoot if the location is windy and dusty, something I would not recommend personally. I take my cameras in for cleaning but its always better the more you can do yourself, that way your never stuck! good tutorial.

Hi Doug. I have a Canon 5D4 and need to start doing the cleaning myself. What brush can I use for the dry cleaning part. Do you have a preferred name?

Good tips... I thought my sensor smudges but actually the LCD screen got dead pixels.

TRANSCRIPT, with edited and corrected text: For this video we'll be looking at how to clean DSLR sensors. AdoramaTV presents 'Stay Focused' with Doug McKinlay. For this video we'll be looking at how to clean DSLR sensors. I think it's a necessary task and one that every photographer should know how to do it correctly. It might seem a little daunting at first but with the right care and attention it's relatively easily done. Yes you can have your sensors professionally cleaned but it's not cheap, at least not where I live so by following these simple steps you should be able to get the sensors clean for most environmental conditions. First the essential tools I Will need to get the job done. 1. A blower 2. A statically charged cleaning brush 3. Eclipse cleaning fluid 4. Cleaning swabs 5. A lens cloth 6. Aa small headlamp or torch, flashlight 7. A bright white surface or a clear blue sky shooting backdrops and; 8. Either a small zoom or a 50mm lens. You can add a can of compressed air to this list but just remember never blast it directly into the camera as it can damage the mechanisms Personally, however, I just stick with the blower. Before we get into it, though, let me just point out that for the most part you're not cleaning the sensor itself but the low-pass filter that sits in front of the sensor. For argument's sake we will call it sensor cleaning here. Now there are two methods to cleaning a camera sensor. The dry method and the wet method. The dry method is one that you should be doing most. It's easy and fast. As for the wet method, it is something that may be needed only once or so a month, depending on how much shooting you do. Now, just a couple of things to be aware of... A very important first is; Make sure the camera battery is fully charged. If not, the mirror could drop and the shutter could close just as you have the cleaning instrument inside the camera. Thus potentially causing damage. Secondly. Do the cleaning in an environment that is as dust and wind free as possible. There is no point in cleaning the sensor while mounted on the back of a camel in the Sahara Desert. Most kitchen table tops with good light should suffice. Make sure you wash your hands before you begin cleaning. Just remove any grease or dirt that you may have picked up doing your normal day. When taking on the task of cleaning the sensor you should really be thinking about cleaning all of your camera equipment at the same time. How dirty your gear becomes depends on your photography style and the environment you work in. For instance, when I'm working, I take all the lens caps and back covers off of my lenses when they are in my camera bag. The reason why is that I can change the lenses faster. The downside is that they collect dust and even though I always carry a lens cloth in my back pocket for a quick wipe, I don't get anywhere near as clean as when I do a dedicated proper cleaning session. So before popping the lens off the camera body, give it a good wipe down, we don't want to introduce any extra grime into the camera. OK, it's time to get started... First things first. Get a blank memory card, insert it into the camera and take a picture of a bright background. For me, it's the white side of a reflector. To get this right and see the visible dust you need to shoot at a low ISO. We are not looking for the noise here, and use a small aperture, f/22 for instance. We're not worried about things such as diffraction or tack-sharp focus. In fact, if the shutter is a little slow it will work in your favor. When taking the test picture, move your camera a little bit, even pan a little. This will blur any marks on your shooting surface, so only the dust and dirt on the sensor will show up. Once zoomed into 100% use the navigation tool and start in the top left corner and work your way across and then down and backward and forward all the way to the bottom of the frame. By doing this you should be able to see how dirty the sensor really is. OK The camera is wiped down and the lens has been removed. Now on the menu, find the camera cleaning setting and switch to manual. This will lock the mirror in the UP position when the release button is pressed, making the sensor visible. It will close again once the camera main power is turned OFF. Take the blower, invert the camera body lens facing down, and carefully blast a few shots of air into the cavity. ** DO NOT ** touch the sensor with the tip of the blower. It will damage the sensor. When this procedure is completed, snap the lens back ON. Take another picture as done previously. Have a look at the LCD screen again and if dust is still visible, move on to the dry clean method. For my dry cleaning needs, I use a statically charged brush. Keep in mind these brushes come in different sizes for different size sensors. There are two ways to charge these brushes. The cheap and the more expensive way, such as canned air. I use the cheap way, the blower. Simply take the brush, give the bristles a couple of whacks on the edge of the table, just to loosen any collected bits of dust, then blast it with the blower, a few times and the brush will be electrostatically charged. Insert the brush into the camera body. This is where a headlamp, or torch/flashlight comes in handy. Draw the brush across the sensor from one side to the other with only the tips of the brush making contact, and then without turning the brush over, draw it back again. This should remove most surface dust. To be sure, fit the lens back on, take another picture and repeat the zooming method. If it's all clear or relatively clear, that's all you need to do. Keep in mind that the depth of sensor cleaning to be matched to what you shoot. If you are a documentary photographer or the apertures you use are relatively big, say f/8 to f/2 and small specks of dust probably will never show up in the final image, but if you are into a small aperture landscapes etc, f/11 to f/22 and you will most likely need to give the sensor a deeper clean... A wet clean. Wet cleaning is definitely a more invasive method of getting the sensor dust-free, and with a little care and the right equipment it is not that difficult. For me, I always start with a dry clean, even if I intend to do a wet clean. Now for the wet clean. The most important tools are the swabs and the cleaning fluid. ** Don't cheap out on the cleaning fluid. Personally, I use 'Eclipse' as it has always been reliable. Next; before applying the cleaning fluid, give the end of the swab a few blasts of air from the blower. This will help get rid of any errant pieces of lint and then place small drops of your chosen fluid across the tip of the swab. Make sure you have the right size swab for the particular sensor. Two or three drops should be more than sufficient to cover the whole tip, no matter which swab side you use. ** Be very careful to make sure you do not over moisten the swab. Too much fluid on the swab can cause fluid to leak into unseen areas of the sensor chamber and cause serious damage. If the swab is inadvertently over moistened, gently dab the tip on a clean piece of lint-free paper. ** Don't be tempted to touch the tip to check if it's damp, as grease and natural body oil from your fingertips can be introduced to the swab and then to the sensor. To efficiently swab the sensor, hold the swab like a pen. Place it on one side of the sensor and move the swab from one end to the other, in a single, continuous, firm, and slow motion. Do not put too much pressure on the swab against the sensor. Remember the glass is very thin. Allow the sensor a moment to dry and repeat the process, but starting on the opposite side of the sensor this time. Two sweeps should be enough to remove the vast majority of dust. If you can see a smear on the sensor, a third pass is sensible. Be sure to turn the swab over as you move across, so the cause of the smear no longer presents an issue. When finished, suitably discard the swab as it intended to be used ONLY ONCE. Just to finish up... Remember there are a number of different products in the market for cleaning sensors, some really good, some not so good. Ultimately the choice is up to each photographer depending on a number of factors such as budget, shooting environments, and the end-use of the images for example. Like a lot of photographic products you may have to work your way through a few to find the products that suit you best. So that's it for this week, and I'm Doug McKinlay for AdoramaTV. Don't forget, you can also subscribe to AdoramaTV for more great videos And we really want to know what you think, so send your comments or like and share this video. You can also check out the Adorama Learning Center for more great tips and techniques. Do you want great-looking prints at a low-cost? Be sure to visit our easy to use online printing service. AdoramaPix has professionals who treat your images with the utmost care. That you can count on. For a quick turnaround on photos, cards or ...

Just starting out here...so can you use a NEW makeup brush for the cleaning...it is very fine bristle...

thanks my friend

Thanks a lot!

thank you

Sir i have Canon 5dm iii i clicked around 10000 images i have a big issue of grainy images and foggy image so which technnique i have to use wet or dry ???

Thanks you sir

will not dry cleaning sensor pen or q-tip create micro scratches on the sensor filter and show as small dots on the images

AWESOME

very good

What do you call the the clear thing above the camera sensor mirror that connects to the view finder it has mark that I want to clean but idk how

Did i hear that right wet clean once every month or two? Bit excessive isnt it. I check for dust on sensor like every time i shoot. I clean like once a year. The auto sensor clean on the 5Dmkiii does a good job at keeping dust off. But i always blow back off lens when changing.

What about blowing some air in there after you run the brush?

Ur a lifesaver

Thank you.

Hi, I took glass before sensor, to shoot infrared. Would I damage sensor if I clean it? I'm talking about actual sensor not the glass/filter in front of it. I'm having some kind of white shodow when I'm zooming in and it disappears when I'm fully zoomed out. Did I du something with sensor or just lenses needs to clean as it is old canon sx50. Thanks

I just got my 5D Mark II and found three dead, red pixels that show up when the ISO is under 100. Now here's the interesting part. They only show up when I'm shooting video. Also in one separate shot I took, one of the pixels started dancing. How can I fix that? This is bugging me!

is it safe using brush on sensor?

What you going to if you find oil spots instead of dust

Awesome

Thank you :)

Interesting that I had just finished watching a digital camera cleaning tutorial produced by Canon. The instructor very much stressed that when cleaning, we must never directly touch the sensor with anything, not even swabs, fingers and blower tips. Also never to use canned air because it is under a great deal of pressure and can therefore damage the sensor. Any thoughts on this Mr. McKinlay? Thanks, Tony

Don't blow air on the swab, it will NOT have any lint on it right out the package it comes in. Blowing air can blow particles away OR introduce new particles on the sensor. Don't whack the electrostatic brush over a table edge, find a clean, smooth, sharp edge like a blade to scrape some of the particles off the brush. In this entire process, it is difficult to achieve 100% zero defects. Choose some threshold you can live with.

do you do in store demo

This video was intense !!!!

Was wondering what will happen to newer sensors that dont have filter on top, after several uses of wet solutions.

Thanks bro

Well he called f22 a small aperture and he is actually telling you that you want a large depth of field. So that part could be confusing if you don’t know that aperture is reversed when considering the f stop.

such a nice guy

Thank you :-).

I have tried wet and dry method, but still have a spot in the middle of all my images! :(

I like how he blew the swab with the hand blower right over the open camera setting face up. Huh?

How can aperture in any way affect visibility of sensor dust? (5:35)

Canon is very specific about not using compressed air. The photo shop I used had been using it routinely, on my camera. Every time they cleaned the sensor with compressed air, by the next day, there would be loads of sensor dust. What the compressed air was doing was overriding the way the sensor had been designed. And Canon's Dust Delete Data does not seem to work at all. So, I am needing a for-sure method to rid my camera's sensor of ever- present dust. I may have to get over the fear of using swabs on the sensor.

After choosing manual clicking.. how to turn it back? Thank u

SL1 Good Afternoon Sir; I am having the most awkward moment. I cleaned, the prism, mirror, and sensor. What A Beautiful Difference........BUT. Looking rhrough my viewfinder, i still see all the speckles, but much much clearer. It looks as if i had used an electric beard trimmer, and all the tiny shaving landed on my sensor. Dry cleaning, nor Wet cleaning did anything but give me much more beautifully clean photos, BUT with "beard trimmings". Would this be the moment to consider a professional cleaning? Thank You For Your Help in Advance 😊

What kind of cleaning swabs are those?

I sent a camera back to the store because it had dust spots and now my second one is doing this maybe that brush method might help me

good video, what about the canon 7d dslr that does not have a manual cleaning option?