[UncleVanya]

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What a strange situation. I feel your pain. I personally wonder if this was a change in the policy that caught you and your retailer off guard.

[BarryE]

Indeed strange. I wonder why the policy is different between the sensor sizes. Aren't larger sensors easier to get at? Perhaps, they aren't very good at it and don't want to risk the higher penalties of damaging MF gear :-)

[UncleVanya]

Indeed strange. I wonder why the policy is different between the sensor sizes. Aren't larger sensors easier to get at? Perhaps, they aren't very good at it and don't want to risk the higher penalties of damaging MF gear :-)

Depending on how they clean they may not have sensor swabs that are the right size and the swans might be too short for a long flange distance camera.

[BigMackCam]

So I spoke with Fixation this morning and the call handler was very polite but not ultimately very helpful.

She said they won't sensor clean medium format equipment. So I then asked - why does your website mention Fuji GFX, Hasselblad and Phase One. Her reply "does it" - mine "it most certainly does".

She will pass this on to her superiors as she was very clear they don't do it - with the exception of Fuji GF which "they send to Fuji UK as we have a relationship with them". When I pressed that they did the work for me, on behalf of Ffordes - she said as a one off they might do one if we have a relationship with a retailer or if we are very quiet but it's not something they routinely do.

The issue, in my mind, remains with WEX who advised me they would do it - clearly one isn't talking to the other very effectively but in lost time etc it is me who will pay. So Cameratiks in Morningside it is.

Fixation's website is confusing. I notice that they only give prices for either full frame or crop sensor cleaning - which supports what the call handler told you... but then, as you say, they also mention Hasselblad and Phase One as well as the Fuji GFX models - though no specific pricing for those. It's easy to see why you - but also Wex - thought they would clean your 645Z.

This seems like a combination of understandable but unfortunate assumption on Wex' part and Fixation's poor communication, resulting in wasted time for you - but, thankfully, that's all. Personally, I wouldn't write Wex off as a supplier in future for such a minor (if inconvenient) mistake... but clearly the choice is yours.

I've just had a quick look on Amazon and you can buy a VSGO medium format sensor swab and fluid set for GBP £49.99. It comes with 12 swabs and 10ml cleaning fluid, so assuming you use one swab per cleaning session (enough for all but the toughest jobs, in my experience), that's £4.17 a time. You may be able to find the same kit or similar even cheaper elsewhere. It's worth considering for the future...

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 01-31-2022 at 10:57 AM.

[Dartmoor Dave]

They gave no reason at all and the guy from wex said "they refused to do it and that is that".

I think we can assume that the reason they've refused to do it is because they don't want to have to reimburse you if the minimally trained staff member that they'll be using for sensor cleaning wrecks your very expensive camera.

Let's be clear about this: a camera maintenance company is going to reserve its best trained and most highly skilled staff for the sort of jobs that need their abilities, and sensor cleaning is the sort of thing that they'll start their trainees out with after a morning's induction. So what are they going to do when someone like you comes along? Probably the most sensible commercial move would be to delegate one of their better trained staff to such a simple five minute job and charge you twice the normal rate, but in this case it looks like they've merely decided not to take the risk instead. And that's their right as a private company.

Cleaning the sensor on a medium format camera is exactly the same procedure as cleaning the sensor on an APS-C. There's nothing magical about your massive chip that requires any special charms or incantations. Just read a couple of online how-to guides, buy some medium format sized cleaning swabs, take a deep breath and get on with it.

[SFTphotography]

Fixation's website is confusing. I notice that they only give prices for either full frame or crop sensor cleaning - which supports what the call handler told you... but then, as you say, they also mention Hasselblad and Phase One as well as the Fuji GFX models - though no specific pricing for those. It's easy to see why you - but also Wex - thought they would clean your 645Z.

This seems like a combination of understandable but unfortunate assumption on Wex' part and Fixation's poor communication, resulting in wasted time for you - but, thankfully, that's all. Personally, I wouldn't write Wex off as a supplier in future for such a minor (if inconvenient) mistake... but clearly the choice is yours.

I've just had a quick look on Amazon and you can buy a VSGO medium format sensor swab and fluid set for GBP £49.99. It comes with 12 swabs and 10ml cleaning fluid, so assuming you use one swab per cleaning session (enough for all but the toughest jobs, in my experience), that's £4.17 a time. You may be able to find the same kit or similar even cheaper elsewhere. It's worth considering for the future...

Last sensor I DIY'd was a Nikon D800 - ended up scratching it. Not sure I want to risk such a valuable camera to be honest with you. I'll see how this place in Edinburgh that was recommended gets on.

[BigMackCam]

Last sensor I DIY'd was a Nikon D800 - ended up scratching it. Not sure I want to risk such a valuable camera to be honest with you. I'll see how this place in Edinburgh that was recommended gets on.

Ah, OK... I understand your reticence, then Honestly, though, if you follow the correct process and use the correct tools with a light touch, there's really no reason to scratch a sensor. I always follow the same process, as described in this (edited) quote from an older post of mine:

1) If available, start off with the camera's own dust removal function, running it a couple of times in succession with the lens off and the camera pointing down
2) Next, use a powerful bulb blower (like the Giottos rocket) - again, if you can point the camera down while doing this, it's better
3) If spots remain, use a Pentax O-ICK1 gel-stick (or good-quality equivalent) to lift off any debris, transferring it to the sticky paper provided after each lift-off
4) If the above still hasn't got rid of everything, wet clean using good-quality, correctly-sized sensor swabs and two or three drops of Eclipse or other good-quality, high purity cleaning fluid
5) In case the wet cleaning has left behind any fibres (it shouldn't, if good quality swabs were used), return to step 1

I test after each step, and only continue to the next one if spots remain. In many cases, after step 3 I'm done... but if there's anything left on the sensor (e.g. pollen - which I've had when changing lenses in the field), wet cleaning might be required.

I've heard of people using a dry swab after wet cleaning to remove remaining streaks, but in all the sensors I've cleaned, I've never had to do this. If the right swabs and cleaning fluid are used and all contaminants have been fully cleaned from the sensor, there should be no remaining streaks.

Anyway, I know you're using a third-party service on this occasion, but I thought I'd post the above just in case you feel more comfortable with it in future. Good luck

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 01-31-2022 at 12:43 PM.

[35mmfilmfan]

Looked up 'Pentax sensor cleaner' on Ebay and got this :

LIQUI MOLY AIR FLOW SENSOR CLEANER 200ML TIN DIESEL PETROL MAF MASS METER 4066 689742827863 | eBay

Shome mishtake, shurely ?

Mike, which swabs would you recommend, please ? I used some from Ebay before and had to take my K20D to LCE for a proper job afterwards !

[BigMackCam]

Looked up 'Pentax sensor cleaner' on Ebay and got this :

LIQUI MOLY AIR FLOW SENSOR CLEANER 200ML TIN DIESEL PETROL MAF MASS METER 4066 689742827863 | eBay

Shome mishtake, shurely ?

No mishtake - you start off with that then move to 0000 steel wool. Works every time

Mike, which swabs would you recommend, please ? I used some from Ebay before and had to take my K20D to LCE for a proper job afterwards !

I've used a few different ones and not had much trouble with any except for those with defined, protruding edges - "teeth" - at the edges of the swab, that are designed to straddle the sensor. I found those to be a real pain. The last lot I bought - and I've been very happy with them - are these:

https://www.cameraclean.co.uk/p/alpha-premium-kit-13pcs/

I bought the 17mm versions for my APS-C cameras, and the 24mm for full frame. In reality, you can use the 17mm for both if you do more than one pass (which is perfectly safe if you use a blower and gel-stick first ), as the cloth extends slightly beyond the edges of the plastic "spatula". I've always used Eclipse cleaning fluid and that may have something to do with my personal record of successful cleaning. Plenty of people have told me that other, cheaper fluids work just as well, but I've never tried them. I think I'm still on my original tiny bottle of Eclipse, though it might be my second - I can't recall for sure. Anyway, the important thing is, having placed two or three drops along the edge of the swab's cloth, I give it a few seconds to soak and evaporate a little before cleaning. I don't want the swab wet, as such - just damp (I use the same trick with Zeiss optical wet wipes for my lenses and filters, as they're almost dripping wet out of the packet and leave streaks if used that way). Then, I apply gentle pressure - more than gravity, but not heavy pushing; just a light pressure - as I wipe from one end of the sensor to the other, flip the swab over and do the same again - and sometimes, a third and fourth pass if I think it's necessary.

I have some very small sensor swabs (like mini lint-free cotton buds) I bought years ago from an Australian company for cleaning my Q and Q7. On one occasion I used one of those with Eclipse fluid to eradicate a stubborn spot (not sure what it was) on a GX-1L I bought used from eBay... otherwise, the regular swabs have done the trick for me.

PM me if you need more info or if I can help in any way

EDIT: I thought I'd add this, just in case it's not obvious... By getting rid of all loose dust and debris using a blower and gel-stick, and using good-quality swabs with good-quality cleaning fluid, there is nothing to "scrape" against the sensor when wet-swabbing, so multiple passes and even a bit of over-enthusiastic pressure aren't a problem. It's when the sensor still has dust and/or debris on it that swabbing poses any real risk.

[35mmfilmfan]

No mishtake - you start off with that then move to 0000 steel wool. Works every time



I've used a few different ones and not had much trouble with any except for those with defined edges - "teeth" at each end of the swab - that are designed to straddle the sensor. I found those to be a real pain. The last lot I bought - and I've been very happy with them - are these:

https://www.cameraclean.co.uk/p/alpha-premium-kit-13pcs/

I bought the 17mm versions for my APS-C cameras, and the 24mm for full frame. In reality, you can use the 17mm for both if you do more than one pass (which is perfectly safe if you use a blower and gel-stick first ), as the cloth extends slightly beyond the edges of the plastic "spatula". I've always used Eclipse cleaning fluid and that may have something to do with my personal record of successful cleaning. Plenty of people have told me that other, cheaper fluids work just as well, but I've never tried them. I think I'm still on my original tiny bottle of Eclipse, though it might be my second - I can't recall for sure. Anyway, the important thing is, having placed two or three drops along the edge of the swab's cloth, I give it a few seconds to soak and evaporate a little before cleaning. I don't want the swab wet, as such - just damp (I use the same trick with Zeiss optical wet wipes for my lenses and filters, as they're almost dripping wet out of the packet and leave streaks if used that way). Then, I apply gentle pressure - more than gravity, but not heavy pushing; just a light pressure - as I wipe from one end of the sensor to the other, flip the swab over and do the same again - and sometimes, a third and fourth pass if I think it's necessary.

I have some very small sensor swabs (like mini lint-free cotton buds) I bought years ago from an Australian company for cleaning my Q and Q7. On one occasion I used one of those with Eclipse fluid to eradicate a stubborn spot (not sure what it was) on a GX-1L I bought used from eBay... otherwise, the regular swabs have done the trick for me.

PM me if you need more info or if I can help in any way

EDIT: I thought I'd add this, just in case it's not obvious... By getting rid of all loose dust and debris using a blower and gel-stick, and using good-quality swabs with good-quality cleaning fluid, there is nothing to "scrape" against the sensor when wet-swabbing, so multiple passes and even a bit of over-enthusiastic pressure aren't a problem. It's when the sensor still has dust and/or debris on it that swabbing poses any real risk.

Thanks very much for this useful and detailed info, Mike.

[BarryE]

As Mike says his steps 1 to 5 are the same as mine, except after the gel stick, which is excellent, and as I really don't like using fluids, I've found if I pause after 3, a few start-up shakes of the sensor can clear the remaining dust particle(s). I suppose something in steps 1 to 3 has disturbed it(them) just enough.

Years ago I bought a Visible Dust loupe at a photo show - one of those early purchases when I started back into digital photography and sensor cleaning was more frequently required. It does help to see the sensor clearly, but a good desk light is just as useful. The loupe does help you check the sensor up close, but you have to remove it to probe around in the dark. So desk lamp, and loupe to have a close look, is my method.

Best method is to avoid dust, of course :-) Even with regular lens changes outside, I rarely have to deal with dust, as I'm careful, plus the shake mechanism works well. Pollen is the real enemy as it's hard to avoid ...

[BigMackCam]

Years ago I bought a Visible Dust loupe at a photo show

I may have to get a loupe too at some point in the near future... or start wearing my reading glasses more when I'm working on stuff. These last couple of years I've noticed my close-up vision is getting much worse

[UncleVanya]

My dust bunny magnet (aka Sony A7riii had a wet cleaning tonight. One swipe with the wet side, one with the clean drier side (it seeps into both sides of the wipe usually). Clean as a whistle.

[35mmfilmfan]

I may have to get a loupe too at some point in the near future... or start wearing my reading glasses more when I'm working on stuff. These last couple of years I've notice my close-up vision is getting much worse

This is a mistake many people make - your eyesight is not deteriorating, it's just that, as you become richer in years, mfrs print things out of focus to persuade (= force) you to purchase unnecessary expensive spectacles.

[BigMackCam]

This is a mistake many people make - your eyesight is not deteriorating, it's just that, as you become richer in years, mfrs print things out of focus to persuade (= force) you to purchase unnecessary expensive spectacles.

One word: "SelectSpecs" A few months ago I bought two pairs from them... one for distance, one for reading. Including shipping, they cost me about the same as a couple of cheap filters and work as well as any expensive pair I've owned...