Clean Your Sensor at Home or Send it to a Pro?

Considering the current climate and how active picture-taking isn’t necessarily at the forefront of everyone’s mind, it seems a good moment to clean your camera’s sensor or (if you can suspend taking pictures of your cat) send your camera to have a professional cleaning and tune-up. Obviously, there are advantages to both, so with a little help from Paul Naraine, of PhotoTech, let’s have a look at the differences and do a little how-to.

First, be sure that your camera’s sensor needs a cleaning; there’s no need to touch your camera’s sensor if there is no problem and, of course, always be delicate—never touch the sensor directly with your hands or a cloth. Remember that dust in the viewfinder or on focusing screens or even on the mirror may be annoying but will not affect the final image. A quick way to see if your sensor needs cleaning is to take a photo of a white screen or white paper and check for dark spots on the image. Some cameras even help with an “Image Dust Off Reference Photo” function, but I didn’t need to go that far, because little gray spots were apparent in some shots I took of the blue sky… and the gray skies. Mine definitely needs a cleaning.

To start, most modern digital cameras have an auto-sensor cleaning function available in the menu. In fact, many have a setting to “clean” your sensor every time the camera is turned on or off, but there will be times when that function (which is basically just a gentle shaking of the sensor) is not enough and you will need to remove the lens and clean the dust or oil or debris from the sensor. But give the auto clean a try, for sure.

Clean at Home

Again, caution is key any time you expose your sensor but, after removing your lens, examine your sensor by eye or use a magnifying glass, under a directed light source. With a DSLR, you will have to lock up your mirror to get at the sensor (also available in your toolbox in the setup menu) but for mirrorless cameras, it’s right there. Make sure your battery is well charged before engaging the mirror lockup. Also remember that dust appearing on the top of an image will be located at the bottom of the sensor and vice versa. (It’s just science, people.)

With the sensor exposed, hold the camera facing down (again, science and gravity and such) and use a bulb-type air blower to blast the sensor with a shot of clean air. It is NOT recommended to use a compressed air blower because liquid or other propellants from the can could damage the sensor—it’s also a pretty strong blast of air. At this point, you could check your sensor and take another reference shot to see if it’s clean. In the case of mine, not even close. I’ll need to venture forth toward the sensor cleaning swabs or kits that are readily available and affordable.

Disposable swabs are specifically designed for camera sensors and are strictly one-use only. A kit will typically have a few swabs and lens-cleaning solution, some may include a bulb blower or loupe. To clean with these kits, place a drop or two of solution on the sides of the cleaning end of the swab (not too much) and let the solution absorb into the swab and then carefully wipe the sensor clean in one direction. Two passes on the sensor should be enough and be sure to get the corners (some kits have a specialized corner swab). Check your images again and if they’re still not clean, give it one more try with a fresh swab. If this does not work, you may want to run the auto-clean function once more or simply wait a bit and try again. Otherwise, it’s time to call in the professionals or get accustomed to removing dust spots in Photoshop.

Speaking of professionals, there are many services and great camera stores that can provide this service, but it is important, if you are concerned at all about damaging your camera or voiding a warranty, to work with a company that is authorized by the camera manufacturer. That is one reason I go to PhotoTech for lens and camera repairs. The other reason is that they are fast and friendly, their co-owner even sent me a list of tips to consult if I do choose to clean my own sensor. He added to the above, “be sure to clean your sensor on a clean work area away from air vents and fans” and use a “smooth motion, without too much pressure” when using a swab. Most important, he noted the importance of keeping all of your camera (body cap, lens caps, and bag) clean, in order to keep your sensor clean, and recommended always having a bulb blower and silica gel desiccant packs in your camera bag.

Professional Cleaning

So, what are the advantages of having an authorized service clean your sensor compared to the relative ease and affordability of cleaning it yourself? For many, the idea of “opening” your camera, let alone cleaning a sensor, is anathema and if that’s the case, maybe it’s just best to have it done by a professional. But the advantages of a pro cleaning go beyond just not doing it yourself and to be fair, it’s not that a pro service will be doing something radically different than you could at home, it’s just that they’re experienced, will probably do it better, and they will do a whole lot more in ways of a tune-up.

From speaking with Paul at PhotoTech, a professional technician should be able to have your camera cleaned and tuned up in about one hour’s time, and this includes not only cleaning the sensor but a small range of other services.

For starters, a pro service will use only OEM (original equipment manufacturer) solutions and approved equipment for cleaning and they will have the best tools for the job, from microscopes or magnifying instruments to locate stubborn particles or even stray scratches or imperfections of the sensor and low pass filter. Naraine notes they will also produce a “sensor report” if any problems are found. They also have stronger air blowers that will safely push away pieces that a bulb blower cannot.

Beyond simply cleaning the sensor, included in a professional clean are other services that will keep your sensor and camera tidy and working better. They will do an inspection of the shutter, stabilizer unit, mirror, and aperture operation for any misalignment and clean “common contacts that help with communication” on the lens, battery, grip and ports. Finally, at PhotoTech, they will tighten any common screws that have worked themselves loose with common use.

Whether you decide to do it yourself or have it sent to a professional, it’s always a good idea to clean your camera regularly and your sensor when it needs it. I also personally recommend a professional tune-up every so often, depending on how often and how hard you use your camera. I tend to do it every other year, and I can see (and hear) the difference when I do.

Let us know what you’ve learned cleaning your own sensor at home or having it done professionally.

Thanks to Paul Naraine, of Phototech, NY for help with this article.