How do you clean Sony camera sensors?

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seta666
Posts: 1071
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:50 am
Location: Castellon, Spain

How do you clean Sony camera sensors?

Post by seta666 »

Hi,

I guess this has been discussed many times but here I am. All my cameras are Sony (NEX-5N, A5100 and found a cheap old stock A7 and went for it for small magnification work). Sony sensors a PITA to clean and products/methods used on Canon/Nikon may not work well

When I had the Canon 5D mkII cleaning was easy, I used both eyelead and sensorclean with success. I do not know if sensorclean is still made; is a gel you paint the sensor with, wait for it to dry and then you peel off. Scary but left sensor like new. I used it once on the NEX 5N and I almost rip off the sensor, felt like if I painted it with superglue

None of this products work well with sony cameras, I read many reports of even orange (Sony) eyelead leaving residue on the sensor.

I have never been happy with wet cleaning, there is always some stuff left. I use a small painting brush to pick up individual loose dust specks but there is stuff which will not be removed this way.

So looking for your recommendations..

Lou Jost
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Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
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Re: How do you clean Sony camera sensors?

Post by Lou Jost »

I would like to know the same thing. Besides the problematic cleaners mentioned by seta666, there are reports on the internet that some Sony sensors can easily be ruined with other standard sensor cleaners as well.

Beatsy
Posts: 2105
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 3:10 am
Location: Malvern, UK

Re: How do you clean Sony camera sensors?

Post by Beatsy »

I wet-clean my Sony sensors as little as possible, but when I do it is with good quality sensor swabs and absolutely *minimal* alcohol. I use pure methanol (lab grade stuff bought by the litre for other uses - Eclipse is a ripoff). One drop each side of the swab, then wait a few seconds for it to soak along the width and evaporate a bit. When you swipe it on the sensor the evaporating line/trail of alcohol behind the swab should extend 2-3mm *at most*. The alcohol should disappear almost immediately. There may be still be a little white residue sometimes - easily removed with a dry swab, and I always finish a wet-clean that way anyway. I keep used swabs for cleaning in the awkward parts of lenses etc.

Note: I've mistakenly used pure ethanol a few times (not denatured). It worked fine and didn't do any damage, but I don't know if it's safe in the long term, (sensor coatings can be delicate), so I don't use it purposely.

In general, I follow a simple escalation to "harsher" cleaning stages only when dust or grease remains after the current stage. It goes: blower, pick with brush and lens, blower, dry wipe with sensor swab, blower, wet-clean (repeat if needed). If anything was picked or swabbed from the sensor I always finish with dry swab and blower. I use a blower on every lens change and reach "dry swab cleaning level" once a week per camera. Wet cleaning is only one or two bodies per month.

The swabs I use are referenced here -> http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 7&p=243715

seta666
Posts: 1071
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:50 am
Location: Castellon, Spain

Re: How do you clean Sony camera sensors?

Post by seta666 »

Beatsy wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 5:49 am
I wet-clean my Sony sensors as little as possible, but when I do it is with good quality sensor swabs and absolutely *minimal* alcohol. I use pure methanol (lab grade stuff bought by the litre for other uses - Eclipse is a ripoff). ......
Thank Beatsy, I thought methanol was more aggressive than ethanol or isopropyl. Some people say it may damage the sensor filters

I never been have with those pre-moistened sensor swaps, I may try the ones you say. I can also get lab grade methanol or isopropyl alcohol whichever is best.

I always use the air blower when removing the camera from the set up or changing lenses but there is always some dust left.

I do not intend to do wet cleaning unless really needed, and that should not be very often.

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