[Schraubstock]

Thanks for the reply.

I always was under the impression that you are a capable person. There was no derogatory intend wording my last post the way I did. My posts in this matter are aimed more at the broader sensor anxious photography community.

When dealing with matters to do with sensor cleaning I find there are a lot of folk here who totally freeze up in terror with the prospect of having to perform this necessary job as if the sensor is some sort of sacrosanct scary, "self-destructing-as-soon-a-is-is-touched" part of the camera. It is not ! As long as you are not ham-fisted about it.

Companies selling cleaning kits know this and exploit this notion.

I have cleaned dozens of sensors (my own and for my colleagues) some while on assignment, at times even sitting in the backseat of a moving car I have not even come close destroying one yet.

By the way, I never use a "rocket blower". I don't own one. I find them useless. Either dust does not come off and when it does it is likely just temporary and will come back because it floats around in the the mirror box. Worst it may even settle on the mirror. Removing the dust is the way to go, believe me.

[Alliecat]

Thanks for the reply.
When dealing with matters to do with sensor cleaning I find there are a lot of folk here who totally freeze up in terror with the prospect of having to perform this necessary job as if the sensor is some sort of sacrosanct scary, "self-destructing-as-soon-a-is-is-touched" part of the camera. It is not ! As long as you are not ham-fisted about it..

Well yes, that was the impression I got from some of the stuff I read. I asked a friend who taught photography at an arts college for quite a few years and has been shooting a $$$$ digital monster for as long as I've known him, what he recommended. He said he'd never had to do it and was scared to!
This reminds me of some of my girlfriends who wouldn't know which end of a hammer to use and are petrified of undertaking home or car repairs. I spent this afternoon wrestling with a seized-up bathroom faucet which turned a 10-minute job into 3 hours and a call to the plumber after all. So I'm not in the mood to touch one more messed up thing right now till the stars realign!!

[Alliecat]

Woohoo, it's clean
What the heck is all the fuss about? You need professional help, etc. etc. So easy.
Finally had time to tackle this, and cautiously following all the instructions, it took me about 5 minutes. Only because I nitpicked on a tiny speck at the edge of the frame with a second swab.
Found out my Kx will tell me if it thinks there's not enough battery power to clean it.
While this discussion was happening, I had ordered some Eclipse and some "VSGO" swabs. First timer and new to all this digital junk, figured I might as well. So yeah, a few swipes and my dust alert display is pristine.

I can still see specks through the viewfinder. I cleaned the mirror and it doesn't appear to be there, and I wiped what I can get at, of the viewfinder. Where else could these be? On the diopter screen thingy? Or inside?
Not a big deal I guess as long as I know it's not going to be in the image.
Thanks to those who offered suggestions.

And for anybody like my photography-instructor friend who needs to do it and is scared to try -- it's not hard, dooo ittt!

[Wild Mark]

Woohoo, it's clean
What the heck is all the fuss about? You need professional help, etc. etc. So easy.

Awesome new

Now you can go back to drooling over your beautiful Pentax camera again knowing the fix is easy

[Stavri]

I remember reading in some magazine that art restorers used saliva to clean paintings, the light concentration of enzymes provide good cleaning properties...

[LensBeginner]

*snip*

I can still see specks through the viewfinder. I cleaned the mirror and it doesn't appear to be there, and I wiped what I can get at, of the viewfinder. Where else could these be? On the diopter screen thingy? Or inside?
Not a big deal I guess as long as I know it's not going to be in the image.
Thanks to those who offered suggestions.

If those are in the viewfinder, then don't worry (they won't be in your pictures) and don't touch the mirror nor the focusing screen, those are quite fragile.

Glad you got it sorted!

[niceshot]

I did understand your explanation -- thanks for your efforts. Indeed, my first thought would've been to swab it with a wet q-tip! But I decided to look it up before I did anything, which is how I ended up asking here. It doesn't seem like it should be that big a deal. I mean, as long as you don't dribble in the wrong place or make it too wet, and dry it off. Will have a go when I get a little time.

Q-TIPS work fine m the worst thing is a tiny little bit of fiber left behind ,just use the rocket blower after and before. I Personally use isopropal alcohol but water is also ok . Remember dampen one q-tip clean and use another to remove the streaks , repeat as many times as needed. Disclaimer do it at your own risk, having said that I HAVE DONE THIS MANY A TIME NO PROBLEMS

---------- Post added 02-04-18 at 10:23 PM ----------

Thanks for the reply.

I always was under the impression that you are a capable person. There was no derogatory intend wording my last post the way I did. My posts in this matter are aimed more at the broader sensor anxious photography community.

When dealing with matters to do with sensor cleaning I find there are a lot of folk here who totally freeze up in terror with the prospect of having to perform this necessary job as if the sensor is some sort of sacrosanct scary, "self-destructing-as-soon-a-is-is-touched" part of the camera. It is not ! As long as you are not ham-fisted about it.

Companies selling cleaning kits know this and exploit this notion.

I have cleaned dozens of sensors (my own and for my colleagues) some while on assignment, at times even sitting in the backseat of a moving car I have not even come close destroying one yet.

By the way, I never use a "rocket blower". I don't own one. I find them useless. Either dust does not come off and when it does it is likely just temporary and will come back because it floats around in the the mirror box. Worst it may even settle on the mirror. Removing the dust is the way to go, believe me.

YES ,until you drag a peice of sand across the sensor cuz you didn't blow it FIRST

[Schraubstock]

Oh yes, niceshot, the old grain of sand scare. I have listened to this powerful scare all my life and a pretty long one at that. So what does a grain of sand look like, is it the fine grain of beach sand which squeaks under your feet as you walk ? or the coarse variety used for paving, or perhaps the fine powdery stuff one can find in cleaning agents ? or anything in between ?

None of this should ever reach your sensor if you do lens changes intelligently. But just in case it does, there are ways of removing grains (any grains). Trying to remove it with a blower is the last thing you would want to do. (If it comes off in the first place) You are most likely just relocate it to somewhere else inside the mirror box and holding the mount opening down is not going to reliably make the grain (whatever it might be) exit the camera. Grains of sand are not that obedient. If sand is something you don't want on the sensor you certainly don't want it anywhere else either. And consider this, where there is one grain there is likely to be another or many more.

Than there is the standard scare of using a camera on the beach. Sand is flying around there it is claimed, and it does. But for beach sand to lift off the beach requires more than just an ordinary puff of wind, most likely more than 70kmh is a reliable figure. And the sand needs to be dry. When you encounter this, however, you will know because sand will hit your face and it stings. So changing lenses under these conditions is at best foolish and to my way of thinking is the only way, barring an accident, it can enter the mirror chamber. Forget the camera and lens, what about my $800.00 pair of specs.

I encountered these conditions some years ago at Inch Beach, Ireland (Ryan's Daughter was filmed there). The wind was so strong it build up sand drifts in the car park. I shot pictures at that beach (I have posted these previously and I can post them again if you like. They are horrific to look at with all the sand flying about.) Under these conditions my specs, camera and lens survived without harm. So please don't overplay this eternal sand scare, it is used by camera sales people to make you buy an overpriced filter for "protection".

As indicated before sand should not enter your camera and if it does for some inexplicable reason it will not only single out the sensor but go everywhere else as well. If this happens you have misused your camera. In other words it is avoidable. Just imagine the harm it will do in other parts of the cam. If you insist you have abrasive material on the sensor there is a way to remove it. We all are familiar with the Pentax sticky lollipop (they look delicious, by the way) use this to lift off the crap in a safe way before you wipe. (Always do this before you wipe, dry or wet.) By the way, when you use the lollipop don't lift it off the sensor surface by going up straight but lever it to the left or right first and then lift it off.

And another thing. Manufacturers of cameras are well aware that sensors have to be cleaned from time to time. It is after all an owner serviceable part. As well, from time to time camera service or repair shops are faced with this activity. People working there only "cook with water" if you know what I mean. As a consequence the surface of the sensor is designed to allow safe cleaning even if people (including their own staff) are not always employing the safest cleaning method.

Now we come to sand on the lens front. This is easy to deal with just flick it off with a soft lens brush before you wipe anything. I always carry one of these but I must admit I have had very little reason to use it over the years.

I am writing all this because I have probably cleaned more sensors than anyone on this forum, and I swear have never even come close to ruining one.
And I have dedicated many post here on the subject matter.

Happy cleaning
and cheers.