How often should I clean the inside my camera i.e. the sensor and viewfinder? Get it professionally done?

[iso79]

I

[Jon Ruyle]

I may be kind of paranoid, but I

[Jonathan Huyer]

I clean mine with the Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly brush, but only when I feel that I absolutely have to. Still, that has been more frequently than the two of you report ---- I

[MacManUS]

I don

[HDNitehawk]

How Often do you clean the sensor?


The answer: When its dirty.


I have cleaned my sensor's several times. It is not rocket science but takes a little care.


Take a picture of a blue sky. Put it on the screen and go over it at 100% view. If you do not see any splotches then do not clean it.


You can send it in to Canon for a thourough cleaning.

[neuroanatomist]

I don't have a 5DII, butt on my 7D, in almost two years of usage, besides an occasional blow from a giottos rocket, while pointing at the ground, I have not had to clean my sensor either

Same is true for my 7D. My 5DII is a different story - larger sensor, also perhaps a less efficient cleaning mechanism? Regardless, I also use aVisible Dust Arctic Butterfly 724 Super Bright and it has worked well for me (sometimes taing a few attempts).

About every other month or so I will shoot a solid black shot, either with cap on, or a good black background that is not lit, and then I do another with a high key light white back ground

Shooting with the lens cap on will reveal hot pixels. Shooting a high key white background will reveal dead pixels, and can reveal dust. The trick, whether shooting a clean white background or a clear blue sky (either will work) is to stop your lens down to the minimum aperture (e.g. f/22).

[Lars]

I have some dust that appears if I shoot at white background with minimum aperture. I tried to blow it out, but that didn't work. H have bought the cleaning devices recommended on this site, but am a bit scared to try, even if I have access to sterile dust-free lamin air flow hoods at the university. Someone back me up, please!


Lars

[neuroanatomist]

Lars, just do it^®. I have done it in my home with no issues (even though I also have easy access to laminar flow hoods at work).

[ddt0725]

I

[Sheiky]

My 5D is the Chuck Norris within camera's. No fear for dust here, the mirror knows the roundhouse-flip.