Sensor Cleaning - Dust Aid Platinum

[Bob G]

Since acquiring a Nikon D3 I have become involved in sensor cleaning of necessity as there is no local sensor clean service to my knowlege.

I can report a recent positive experience with the new Dust Aid Platinum product for cleaning dust particles from DSLR sensor. It is not yet available in Australia as the distributor has big stocks of their superceded product which I did not favour using. They agreed to sell me a trial kit of the new product.

EXPERIENCE:
I have used the Giotto Rocket Air Blower with some limited success but it tends to blow the dust around in the chamber leaving it there to reoffend.

I have also used the Visible Dust brushes that you charge by blowing air though the bristles and had limited success also with these rather expensive products. They can also drag/ grease oil onto the sensor from oiled parts in the chamber.

I tried the Visible Dust wet clean and their solution left annoying smearing on the sensor.

Had much better success with the Eclipse E2 solution and Sensor Swabs although this method can sweep dust to the sensor edges. I will continue to use this product for wet cleaning "welded dust" and "oily deposits".

Value for money, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Dust Aid Platinum product as long as you follow the instructions and don't have the shakes from a hard night out or something.

Here is a link to the site where you can view a video demo
http://www.dust-aid.com/08DAplatinum.html

My preferred tools going forward will be as follows:-

Visible Dust Sensor Loupe - to navigate the sensor and easily check progress
Giottos Rocket - minor dust particles
Dust Aid Platinum - for a good thorough dust removal
Wet clean E2 and Sensor Swabs - for welded dust and oil/ grease removal

Others may have different experiences with other products and to some extent experience may vary from camera to camera.

Please feel free to share your experience in this thread.

[photomann36]

Hi all , I always carry a rocket blower and it helped me to get a large thing off my sensor once while on vacation.
I work in a camera store. My boss and I once took a well used D70 that we use for the store and we purposely put a finger print on it . We ordered in a SensorKlear pen cleaning kit (approx 69.99) because wanted to try it .
Nikon charges you about 85.00 + shipping .
My boss wiped off the finger print with the pen .He then put another finger print on it (bigger) and he let me try the pen .I used the blower first and then wiped the pen back and forth across the sensor filter .It took it right off. I tested it on a white wall and no more mark . It is like a lens pen but with a different shaped tip .In the kit you get 3 extra tips and a smaller blower . I tried it on an old body to get over the fear of touching anything to the sensor .I was impressed .


Have a look at it here http://www.lenspen.com/403/377/

[photohiker]

Bob,

Thanks for the review.

I haven't seen the Dust Aid Platinum before. Looks like a good solution. Where do you buy it in Australia, and what does it cost?

Michael

[Bob G]

I don't think it's in Australia yet. They are still trying to clear stocks of the old version which I wouldn't recommend based on what I have read.

[photohiker]

Camera Checkpoint has them now. $39.50 plus shipping. I ordered some and they came quickly, so no problems with the service from there.

Yet to use them though, I had the camera and lenses professionally cleaned after my last trip, due to an extraordinary amount of red dust inside and outside the camera.

Michael

[Matt. K]

Eclipse fluid, Giotto rocket and pec pads are all that is needed to keep your sensor sparkling clean. I have cleaned over 100 sensors with the above items without incident.

[Alex]

I agree with Matt. I use my rocket blower 99 % of the time and every now and then use the wetclean (eclipse and pec pads). I just did a wet clean last weekend and went from 100s of particles to virtually none in a couple of wet cleans.

Cheers
Alex