Sensor Cleaning Question

I can't seem to get a definite answer on this - whether bright light, like a high-powered LED flashlight, shining directly on a CMOS / CCD sensor is bad for it.


There are warnings in the manuals about Live View and pointing the camera at the sun. I'm sure I've read other warnings about leaving the shutter open for extended periods when photographing brightly lit scenes (snow, beach, stage lights)...


...but when it comes to cleaning the sensor...


Obviously the lighted loupes are okay since the big manufacturers use them in their workflow. But I enjoy building stuff like this (and the reviews about the big-name lighted loupes are not all that great). I have everything I need to make my own hands-free, lighted magnifier; I just need to know if "too much light" is a concern.


Anyone have any thoughts on this?


Thanks for anything you can share - and if anyone has used Visible Dust's "Quasar" loupe or the one from LensPen - I'd be interested in your review... thanks again!

Lazer lights, when focused by a lens attached to the camera, can damage a sensor. However, when unfocused by the lack of a lens, a relatively low-power LED used for visibility purposes shouldn't damage a sensor. Of course, cleaning sensors is always risky business--but I think you'd be ok with the light.

Ah the lens... that's it, sure - thanks Sean. That explains the warnings about photographing bright objects/scenes - but nothing about cleaning the sensor.