Cleaning Camera Sensor

 

If you see little black spots in your photographs that appear in every shot and the same location, your camera sensor needs to be cleaned. 

These black specks are dust particles that are sucked into the camera body while zooming in/out and focussing. These dust particles appear in every image and degrade their quality; thus, the sensor must be cleaned. 

It is also good to clean the camera sensor regularly because sensor dust cannot be seen via the viewfinder and only appears in photographs in the same location.

Here is a complete guide about cleaning a digital camera sensor:

What is a sensor of a digital camera?

Sensors are characterized according to their structure (CCD or CMOS), chroma type (color or monochrome), and shutter type (global or rolling shutter). 

They may also be classed according to their resolution, frame rate, pixel size, and sensor type. Understanding these phrases can aid in determining which sensor is best suited to a given application.

The aim of image sensors, no matter how they are classed, is the same: to transform incoming light (photons) into an electrical signal that may be viewed, processed, or stored. 

Image sensors are solid-state devices that are one of the most critical components of a machine vision camera. New sensor variations are introduced every year, with advancements in sensor size, resolution, speed, and light sensitivity.

Cleaning Camera Sensor

Make sure your camera's battery is fully charged when cleaning the sensor. If it is not a camera, it may switch off in the middle of cleaning. If the sensor loses electricity, it might be damaged. 

Sensor cleaning swabs, cleaning solution, a bulb air blower, a flashlight or headlamp, and a sensor loupe are all required for sensor cleaning. 

You don't need to purchase them separately and instead look for a sensor cleaning kit that includes all of these products. Sensor cleaning kits are widely accessible at retail outlets.

These are the three most important points to follow before starting the cleaning

- Fully charge the battery

- Clean off the exterior of the camera

- Clean the workplace where you are going to clean the sensor

If you shoot mostly outside or often change your camera's lens, you might consider cleaning your sensor more frequently. Because dust cannot be seen with the naked eye, make sure that cleaning your camera sensor is necessary before you begin. 

Using the following simple method, you may find out: Set your camera's ISO to the lowest setting possible, then select the smallest aperture and focus on a clean white sheet of paper or any white surface. Next, enlarge the shot to 100 percent and look for spots or lines that indicate the presence of lint. 

You can always erase these spots in post-processing, but cleaning the sensor is preferable to wasting time.

Clean the lens

If you see something strange on your lens, you'll require an air squeeze bulb and a sensor scope. The sensor scope is essentially a magnifying glass with a light that shines on the sensor. 

Turning your camera downwards without any lenses connected and using the air blower for a brief burst may remove any dust.

You may also clean the sensor with water. Remove the lens and set the camera on a level surface with the LCD towards the ground. 

To lock the mirror, select the manual cleaning option and ensure the battery is completely charged. Next, remove a sensor swab and use an air blower to remove any strange particles of dust that may be attached to the swab. Now, place two or three droplets of cleaning solution on the cleaning swab.

Avoid incorporating more solutions. Otherwise, oversaturation may result in streaks on the sensor. Instead, place the swab on one side of the sensor with caution and gently glide the swab across the sensor in one uniform and circular motion. 

After reaching the opposite side, flip the swab over and repeat the operation in a single smooth movement with little effort. After that, switch the camera off, reinstall the lens, and snap a test shot to check for dust.

 If there is still dust on the swab, repeat the process, but make sure to use a clean, fresh swab this time. Reusing a swab is not recommended.