[Michael Piziak]

I often see that rocket blowers are suggested to use to blow dust off of the sensor, but from my experience in the past, using a rocket blower often does the job; however, I've often blown dust up onto the focusing screen - it obviously accumulates on the under side or worse on the upper side.


Of course, this won't affect image quality, but some people find it annoying.... So I'd much rather use a sticky pen to clean dust off the sensor.

Comments?

[UncleVanya]

I often see that rocket blowers are suggested to use to blow dust off of the sensor, but from my experience in the past, using a rocket blower often does the job; however, I've often blown dust up onto the focusing screen - it obviously accumulates on the under side or worse on the upper side.


Of course, this won't affect image quality, but some people find it annoying.... So I'd much rather use a sticky pen to clean dust off the sensor.

Comments?

How do you see dust from the sensor getting onto the focusing screen? The mirror will be locked up and the screen will be closed off when cleaning the sensor.

[calsan]

Yep. I agree. I use a blower on the front element of the lens and that's it.

[MadBill]

I have managed to blow dust into a (non weather sealed) lens using a rocket style blower, so I use them with care.

[kypfer]

I guess it's all down to how powerful or energetically used the rocket blower is … remember, you're trying to shift a speck of dust an inch or two, not blow it into the middle of next week

[Jonathan Mac]

I've never had this problem myself. I'd much rather risk a little dust on the focusing screen than risk damage to the sensor.

[btnapa]

A case for not using rocket blowers

Be very careful. I actually created a mess by using an old rocket blower that sat around for a long time. I had maybe 4 or 5 small dust spots on my sensor. I thought I was going to blow them off the sensor with the rocket. As it turned out, the rocket had plenty of dust inside and I made a mess requiring professional sensor cleaning. The particles that the rocket blew on to my sensor were so microscopic, you could not see them with a naked eye. They were noticeable when you shot a sky image. It was a total disaster! The professional cleaning gave me back a pristine sensor again. Be careful.

[Wingincamera]

I have used a Rocket Blower without any known problems. I always store it in a plastic zip lock bag to keep it from gathering dust while not being used.

[Wheatfield]

I often see that rocket blowers are suggested to use to blow dust off of the sensor, but from my experience in the past, using a rocket blower often does the job; however, I've often blown dust up onto the focusing screen - it obviously accumulates on the under side or worse on the upper side.


Of course, this won't affect image quality, but some people find it annoying.... So I'd much rather use a sticky pen to clean dust off the sensor.

Comments?

Cue the angry kittens.... I use canned gas.

[c.a.m]

My story is simple.

I used a rocket blower once to remove dust from my camera's sensor. It deposited more gunk than it removed, which required a gel stick and a wet cleaning

Since then, I use the Pentax O-ICK1 gel stick and Eclipse liquid swab-cleaning, when required.

- Craig

[Ian Stuart Forsyth]

I always first use the blower to remove any dust, if not this could cause you to scratch the sensor if it is hard particle. The out surface of the sensor is rather hard and can not be scratched unless their is a hard object coming into contact is hard.

Here is a razor blade scratched across the surface of the sensor


here is the track of the blade


A close look at the track


And it did not scratch the sensor

This is not to say that you will never scratch your sensor but the most important first step is to remove any particles that can be a method that put no pressure on that particle and the surface of your sensor blow it off.
Then I use a fan brush to loosen any remaining spots and then again use the blower to remove loosened particles. And then if needed a swab or but most of the time a sensor klear pen for stains and oil.

[btnapa]

I used a rocket blower once to remove dust from my camera's sensor. It deposited more gunk than it removed,

Exactly the same experience I had. I did not want to risk scratching the sensor with a wet clean, so I took it to a pro who charged me $50. I think the cost was reasonable. I am planning for an annual cleanup or when needed.

[Michael Piziak]

How do you see dust from the sensor getting onto the focusing screen? The mirror will be locked up and the screen will be closed off when cleaning the sensor.

Oh, I have done it two or three times (before I retired the practice from my repertoire). Whether the dust got blown on one size of the focusing screen or the other, or somewhere on the Prizm, or even stuck inside to the viewfinder, I have done it. Perhaps others in the forum, here, can testify that it can be done.

---------- Post added 12-26-22 at 02:02 PM ----------

Be very careful. I actually created a mess by using an old rocket blower that sat around for a long time. I had maybe 4 or 5 small dust spots on my sensor. I thought I was going to blow them off the sensor with the rocket. As it turned out, the rocket had plenty of dust inside and I made a mess requiring professional sensor cleaning. The particles that the rocket blew on to my sensor were so microscopic, you could not see them with a naked eye. They were noticeable when you shot a sky image. It was a total disaster! The professional cleaning gave me back a pristine sensor again. Be careful.

Thanks for your testimony, and a good reason/reminder for all of us to store the rocket blower in a tightly seled zip-lock bag...

---------- Post added 12-26-22 at 02:03 PM ----------

I guess it's all down to how powerful or energetically used the rocket blower is … remember, you're trying to shift a speck of dust an inch or two, not blow it into the middle of next week

LOL, very good advice! That is, that we're not trying to launch a rocket to the moon when squeezing the rocket blower...

---------- Post added 12-26-22 at 02:03 PM ----------

I have used a Rocket Blower without any known problems. I always store it in a plastic zip lock bag to keep it from gathering dust while not being used.

Storing it in a plastic zip lock bag is excellent and very wise advice!

---------- Post added 12-26-22 at 02:04 PM ----------

Cue the angry kittens.... I use canned gas.

I certainly would hold the can as far as possible away from the camera when doing so... One good thing about this technique, however, is likely no or very very few dust particles are in the can, like in a rocket blower that has been sitting around, out of a zip lock, for a while....

---------- Post added 12-26-22 at 02:06 PM ----------

My story is simple.

I used a rocket blower once to remove dust from my camera's sensor. It deposited more gunk than it removed, which required a gel stick and a wet cleaning

Since then, I use the Pentax O-ICK1 gel stick and Eclipse liquid swab-cleaning, when required.

- Craig

Yep, I have virtually retired my rocket blower for cleaning the sensor. I don't have the Pentax brand stick, but I do have an off brand one that works fine.

---------- Post added 12-26-22 at 02:09 PM ----------

I always first use the blower to remove any dust, if not this could cause you to scratch the sensor if it is hard particle. The out surface of the sensor is rather hard and can not be scratched unless their is a hard object coming into contact is hard.

Here is a razor blade scratched across the surface of the sensor


here is the track of the blade


A close look at the track


And it did not scratch the sensor

This is not to say that you will never scratch your sensor but the most important first step is to remove any particles that can be a method that put no pressure on that particle and the surface of your sensor blow it off.
Then I use a fan brush to loosen any remaining spots and then again use the blower to remove loosened particles. And then if needed a swab or but most of the time a sensor klear pen for stains and oil.

A razor blade, eh? You are very brave or doing this to a sensor you have no use for. But you have educated me/us, that the sensor is much much harder to scratch than originally thought!

[Ian Stuart Forsyth]

You are very brave or doing this to a sensor you have no use for

It was a dead sensor one from the K7

[Michael Piziak]

It was a dead sensor one from the K7

Very good & thanks for clarifying!
Also, much thanks for the information as neither I, nor probably most users here, knew the sensors were so durable ! On the contrary, I would have thought that they were very fragile !

Again, though, I prefer not to use the rocket blower. Not because of any scratch that could occur, but because my experience in using rocket blowers have often blown particles up in front of or behind the focussing screen. Of course, it has no affect on the photograph(s) but some users, especially those that are OCD, find it annoying to see the particles in the optical viewfiender - especially with a fairly new camera....