Overheard a guy at a camera swap say 'just clean the sensor with a Q-tip'

Made me wonder if being too careful with sensor cleaning is actually worse than just getting in there. He claimed he's done it 50 times with no issues. Is there a point where proper tools are overkill or is that guy asking for trouble?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan_stone3321d ago

Gentle pushback here. Done it myself maybe 30 times on my old Canon. Key is using a proper sensor swab, not a bathroom Q-tip. Those have loose fibers and weird glues. But a genuine sensor swab with a drop of solution? Way cheaper than a shop visit. Mary614, I get the caution, but a pro cleaning kit is basically a fancy Q-tip anyway. The real risk is being too scared to touch it and letting dust build up until it's baked on.

mary61421d ago

A Q-tip?! On a sensor?! That is just CRAZY talk. I don't care how many times he's done it, that is playing with FIRE. Those little fibers can leave junk all over the place and scratch things up. I'd rather take it to a shop than risk ruining a thousand dollar camera body with a cotton swab.

simoncarr21d ago

You said "playing with FIRE" and honestly that's exactly how I feel about half the DIY stuff people do these days. It's like everyone thinks they're a pro because they watched a 5 minute YouTube video. I see this same thing with people changing their own car oil or trying to fix their phone screens with a hair dryer. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Those Q-tips are made for ears not thousand dollar sensors. I've seen guys destroy their camera gear trying to save fifty bucks and then they're stuck with a speckled sensor that looks like a starry night sky. Sometimes the safest bet is to just hand it over to someone who does it every day.