Colonial boy sensor cleaning

Muck got onto my GF-1 sensor

I have totally no idea how it got there but it did (*discloure, I do actually I sneezed suddenly and having no control managed to contort myself so as to get a bit of spray towards my camera). A tiny bit of hair and some spots of stuff that looked like dried specks of something liquid.

It was clear in the shots first, and a quick inspection revealed it.

So with little to lose on my GF1 (it being worth less than a sensor cleaning cost) I decided to mung up my own sensor cleaner.

Armed with a small section of a type of thin sponge available here , a paddlepop stick and some windex (applied to one end of the paddlepop cleaner, the other left dry) I now have a clean as a whistle sensor.

Windex (or windex-alike) was chosen because:

• it is less likely to leave streaks
• its (possible) ammonia component as well as its alcohol content will kill mold spores (you don't want them growing there and given time they will grow, see this link)

The swab applicator is made so that its narrower than the sensor and I can sweep across in two overlapping wipes from left to right.

The technique is to drag (not push) the wetted (with windex) sponge across the front of the sensor so as to sweep the items off and the windex will assist in the dislodging (and being moist prevent any static attraction).

DO NOT APPLY CLEANER LIQUID DIRECTLY TO THE SENSOR (spray or otherwise) ... always use the wetted swab

When you've done that then use the dry end (again, dragging) to re-sweep the area and the dry applicator sponge will absorb any remaining windex and give you a nice dry surface.

Job done.

Total cost was around 2 bucks ... which was the icecream ... which I ate to get the stick.

win win

Recall that you are not touching the sensor surface (as it is mistakenly thought of that way) but you are instead touching the surface of a sheet of material designed to protect the surface of the sensor. Its also true that you will not remove every microscopic skerrick dust, but then as the sensor is some way below that surface (with respect to the microscopic dust particle) of the dust shield it will not be visible on images (only larger particles will).

As my saying goes "its the man with nothing to loose who has everything to win", and as I've also said before: "if it jams force it, if it breaks it needed replacing anyway"

 apply the above with caution and thoughtfulness

woohoo