Got dust inside your expensive camera body? Tired of taking cameras to the shop, and paying $50-75 to get the CCD cleaned, I've started using these sensor swabs, some cleaning fluid and a whole lot of patience.
My pets shed a lot and I keep finding Great Pyrenees hair inside my Nikons. Sensor Swabs are a non-abrasive Pec*Pad wrapped around a 24mm wide plastic stick. This "Type 2" sized stick is designed to be wide enough for a DX sensor, but you can easily use them on FX ones as well (I do.) There is a "Type 3" sized for FX sensors, but a gentleman at my local camera shop told me its too flimsy and not as stiff as using the "Type 2." The pads are aligned so the grain of the wipe is aligned with the direction you'll sweep the sensor off.
Last night I gave it a try and am extremely happy with the result. I started out with an old Nikon D70, one of their earliest dSLR models, and blew as much dust off the sensor as I could. Then I added a few drops of cleaning fluid to a swab and with as little pressure as I could muster swept the CCD off, working in one direction only. On the D70, with a smaller DX sensor, I naturally got everything in one pass. I then repeated the process on my D800 with an FX sensor. I had to make several passes, but ended up with great results.
To reuse the swabs, save the sticks and put clean Pec*Pads on them, using the same rubber band that is holding the old ones on. The stick should last forever, which is good as the box costs nearly $50.
While not insanely dangerous for you, or your camera, CCD cleaning is not for the faint of heart. You do not want to scratch your CCD and a shop can do it for you.
Be careful!
Sensor Swabs Type 2 (Box of 12) via Amazon
