[Ex Finn.]

You could try this: set your k-5 on a tripod, put it in mirror-up mode and then use a vacuum cleaner to carefully suck the dust out of the inside of your camera.

+1 and like he said, don`t stick the hose inside the camera. Then follow up with wet cleaning.

[Julie]

Thank you very much for such great advice and ideas- I was scared to do any further cleaning myself so I don't just make it worse.

I think I will try the vacuum suggestion first and then buy Eclipse products to wipe it off.

Again, thank you!

[Blue]

Just remember, some, in fact most vacuum cleaners have an exhaust side that can put dust in the air.

[panoguy]

Just remember, some, in fact most vacuum cleaners have an exhaust side that can put dust in the air.

Uh, no kidding. The vacuum cleaner idea is... uh, where's that "nuts" emoticon?

• When and how do we get dust *into* our cameras in regular use? Oh yeah, when there's lots of wind (or a fan-like motor) kicking up dust.
• But when do we get that dust into our camera and then on our sensor? Oh yeah, when we don't have a lens on, and maybe we've got the mirror up.
• So what could we do to introduce the maximum amount of dust into our camera? Stick into the camera something that is covered in dust due to its regular use, charge it with static electricity(!) by running the electric motor attached to it, then let the exhaust kick all kinds of other dust and particles into the air as well.

Brilliant. Might as well go back to that original brush-blower.

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Last edited by panoguy; 04-12-2012 at 04:42 PM.

[Julie]

Just remember, some, in fact most vacuum cleaners have an exhaust side that can put dust in the air.

I have one with a long hose- it will be in the other room with closed door.

[Ex Finn.]

Uh, no kidding. The vacuum cleaner idea is... uh, where's that "nuts" emoticon?

• When and how do we get dust *into* our cameras in regular use? Oh yeah, when there's lots of wind (or a fan-like motor) kicking up dust.
• But when do we get that dust into our camera and then on our sensor? Oh yeah, when we don't have a lens on, and maybe we've got the mirror up.
• So what could we do to introduce the maximum amount of dust into our camera? Stick into the camera something that is covered in dust due to its regular use, charge it with static electricity(!) by running the electric motor attached to it, then let the exhaust kick all kinds of other dust and particles into the air as well.

Brilliant. Might as well go back to that original brush-blower.

So how would you take on this task of cleaning up the fouled sensor?.

[Blue]

So how would you take on this task of cleaning up the fouled sensor?.

If there is oily stuff on there, the vacuum isn't going to work anyway.

[Ex Finn.]

If there is oily stuff on there, the vacuum isn't going to work anyway.

Hence the wet cleaning.
To the OP, it looks like an impossible mess but it will ok with some effort.

[Todd Adamson]

I recently bought one of these LENSPEN is The superior Camera lens cleaning system for all fine optics, rifle scopes, camcorder and camera viewer screens, binoculars to clean dust out of my k5 and it worked perfectly. Sensor cleaning is no big deal, all you're doing is cleaning a tiny glass window.

+1 to the LensPen. I've cleaned many sensors, many times, and never had a problem. The few times I've tried wet cleaning, I made a mess, and it took some work to clean it up.

[philippe]

I had two brush blowers sitting on my desk- one clean/good one that I use on my K-5 and another one, along with lots of other camera junk that I had pulled out of my misc. 35mm equipment box. Without looking, I picked up the dirty one that was in the box with all the junk and proceeded to clean my camera... it must have had something on it...

I didn't notice it until I was taking photos @ f/16-22- my flash batteries were dying and they didn't go off. I was surprised to see all these dots when I looked closer... My first thought was the dreaded sensor stains . After doing a quick search through other K-5 photos taken before the cleaning at higher f stops, I could not locate any spots with the exception of a small dust particle here or there.

So now, suspecting that that brush I used was to blame, I take it and try to clean a filter with it- sure enough, it leaves behind this light oily-like haze.

How do I go about cleaning this? Any help, please?

I don't want to upset you but, this sensor doesn't look very healthy!
As you are living near a huge city like Chicago, you might find a decent camera shop who's offering professional sensor cleaning. They are insured against handling errors and should have a lot of experience too.
So, do go over there and get that sensor cleaned professionally, it's worth it!

[altopiet]

by running the electric motor attached to it, then let the exhaust kick all kinds of other dust and particles into the air as well.

I don't actually think the vacuuming idea is ridiculous. I think if you have an extension tube set and a short length of bicycle tube, you can put the extension tube on the camera and pull the one end of the rubber tube over the extension tube, and the other end over the vacuum cleaner pipe, thus preventing dust from the outside being suck into the camera. If you just use it in short bursts of a second or two at a time, it might work. I think I've got a new project for the weekend

[Philoslothical]

I don't actually think the vacuuming idea is ridiculous. I think if you have an extension tube set and a short length of bicycle tube, you can put the extension tube on the camera and pull the one end of the rubber tube over the extension tube, and the other end over the vacuum cleaner pipe, thus preventing dust from the outside being suck into the camera. If you just use it in short bursts of a second or two at a time, it might work. I think I've got a new project for the weekend

I'm not sure you've thought this through. The air pulled by the vacuum would have to come from somewhere. If you're blocking ingress around the camera's mount by using tubes and a hose, where do you think that airflow is coming from? On unsealed bodies, you'll get a bit through the seams and the viewfinder (potentially pulling dust onto the focusing screen), and you'll get some around the extension tubes, which won't help to clean in the mirror box at all. I think all this would accomplish is stressing the vacuum's motor.

[altopiet]

I'm not sure you've thought this through. The air pulled by the vacuum would have to come from somewhere. If you're blocking ingress around the camera's mount by using tubes and a hose, where do you think that airflow is coming from? On unsealed bodies, you'll get a bit through the seams and the viewfinder (potentially pulling dust onto the focusing screen), and you'll get some around the extension tubes, which won't help to clean in the mirror box at all. I think all this would accomplish is stressing the vacuum's motor.

If you are in a minimal dust environment like a clean bathroom, and you use a second or two burst of suction (remember, the rubber tube can also stretch) that might not be much of a problem, dust on my viewfinder and focus screen I can live with.
Another option would be to vacuum seal the camera and extension tube, just making a hole in the plastic for the air to be sucked out, that should prevent dust from entering from any other place in the camera. I'm thinking of using a small, low suction vacuum cleaner I got years ago to clean the inside of my car, or one of the blowers you get with inflatable mattresses, which you can use with a reverse flow to suck air out of the mattress?
Well I've been looking for an excuse to upgrade from my K-x to a K-5, so I might just as well give it a try, and if I end up with some camera parts in the vacuum bag, it might still be a good experiment in the end. If it works I'll have a nice clean K-x, if not a nice new k-5, seems like a win-win situation in my case.

[Jean Poitiers]

Bonjour,

I have the Pentax wand kit, but as pointed out, it will be ineffective for oils, etc., IMHO ... for "dust" only.

Wet cleaning is not that hard ... did it to my former K-7 .... used "Green Clean" wands: First wet cleans, second wand dries.

GREEN CLEAN - Photo Univers

It's intimidating to do it the first time ... after that, piece of cake!

Allez et bon courage, John le "Green" Frog

[awaldram]

Wow a quick introduction how to destroy your camera.

You seal a WR body with a vacuum cleaner you wont strain the motor you'll blow the Cameras seals out.

You don't' seal the camera then you drag tonnes of dust from teh staticall charged hose straight into the mirror box.

The sensor clearly has grease on it holding the dust/hairs in place so after you've bust your camera good and proper the original dust will still be present.

Not what I'd call a fruitful solution.

It pretty simple really.

First you need to remove the grease, This can only be done with a wet cleaning solution

Eclipse is certified fro use on Pentax sensors so why use anything else.?
Get a proper wet cleaning swab use the eclipse and remove the grease

If after there still some dust on the sensor then the Pentax pen will remove it safely.

I've never considered puffing a blower in my mirror box the only thing it achieves is to disturb all the dust on the sticky dust catcher (bottom of sensor) and dump it just were you don't want it.