A new approach to sensor cleaning

Friday, September 19, 2008

Let me start with a disclaimer: If you are trying this, you are doing it at your own risk; don't blame me!

Somewhere in the middle of my two-month long Ladakh trip, my camera's sensor attracted a big blotch of dust. It was too big and too dark to ignore. It was large enough that picture could not be corrected on a computer without harming the image itself.

I felt helpless, and wished that I had carried my sensor cleaning kit with me when I left home. But it was too late to think about it. Feeling a little depressed about the state of the sensor, I mused on possible alternatives. I still had one month on the road and could not do without the camera. I did not feel good to carry on shooting with a dusty sensor - I had to do something.

That's when I decided to take some risks and clean the sensor in a more conventional manner. I took out the lint-free cloth that comes with my goggles, inserted a fully loaded battery into the camera, and put it on sensor cleaning mode. I wrapped the cloth around a finger and started wiping the sensor.

The first thing that excited me was that I was at least not damaging the sensor. I could clearly see a big spot of dust on the sensor, and got rid of it easily. A test against the sky showed me that I had left many small specks of dust though I got the big one out.

Things were now better than the time when I started, but it could get much better. Now armed with a confidence that I am not damaging the sensor, I decided to go in for another iteration. This time, I first cleaned the cloth and got rid of whatever dust I can take out from it. I then cleaned the sensor, wiping it in only one direction and effectively getting the dust to one edge, and eventually taking it out.

This time when I took a picture, the amount of dust had come down by a great degree. It was still not as clean as it could get if you use a sensor cleaning kit, but was sufficient to get me going for rest of my trip. I started off with the operation a little tense, but was delighted when the job was complete.

But still, I would not keep doing this again and again unless I get into another similar emergency. A sensor cleaning kit can do a better job and is much safer. But in case you get into a situation like mine, you know there is an option that can be exercised.