- Today we're doing a five-minute guide
on how to clean your camera sensor,
which I've never done before.
- Yeah, I know.
I've seen your sensors.
- I've been able to go this long
while just cleaning the sensor with just this thing.
But it's getting to the point
where I'm just seeing too much crap on the sensor,
and I gotta go in and just clean it myself.
Usually, I have the professionals do it.
- I mean, why not clean it yourself?
It's not that hard.
- It's just intimidating
'cause it's just like you open,
it's like that's the sensor.
If you (beep) that up.
- You're actually not cleaning the sensor itself,
you're cleaning a glass.
So whether that be an OLPF
or some sort of mosaic filter that's on top of it.
So you're not gonna like scrape pixels off.
The other thing too is a lot of people don't know
that their cameras are dirty
because a lot of people are shooting wide open.
You don't start to see all that debris on your sensor
till you stop down to like f/16,
and then your sky has,
you know all those little... - [Speaker] All those dots.
Yeah.
- [Speaker 2] All the little dots in your sky.
That's 'cause your sensor's really dirty
or your lens is really dirty.
The first thing that I always do
when I'm cleaning anything is gloves.
You've got grease on your hands,
which can get onto the chem-tech and then get on the lens.
So start with a clean environment, clean hands.
Grab your microfiber like this, and then just start scrub.
No.
(chuckles) Don't ever.
So the microfibers pick up dirt, which is great,
but then you rub it back on your lens.
So now you have a piece of sandpaper.
- Or you could just do what I do and just.
- Right.
Well, so I was gonna say the next one is just grab a T-shirt
and grab your expensive Cooke lens and start rubbing it.
So that's the other one is no T-shirts.
We want to use all single use stuff.
Flashlight really key because that can let you get in
and actually see where the dust is.
And then I've heard other people say,
"Oh, don't shine lights right into your sensor."
Your sensor is a light accumulating device.
So this is totally fine.
But what light don't you wanna put in your sensor?
- [Speaker] Oh yeah, lasers. - [Speaker 2] Yeah.
- [Speaker] You don't want to do lasers.
Like, we'll... (chuckles)
- Don't put a laser laser pointer into your sensor
to show your friend where the debris is.
(chuckles)
- So some mirrorless cameras
rest with the shutter closed like that.
So most cameras have like a sensor cleaning mode
where it just opens up the shutter.
- On the VENICE, you can actually just remove these screws,
an E mount, and it makes it much easier to get in,
and clean, and look; that's super dirty.
- How much of it can we get off with just this thing?
Some of it,
but actually there's still quite a bit on there still.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, you always wanna start with air.
- Yes. Because if you have debris on the lens
and then you wipe that, you're just gonna scratch it.
We do wanna reduce the amount
that we're touching the sensor,
because anytime you're cleaning glass, right,
if you do it over and over,
you're gonna apply some amount of abrasion.
- Use good quality, cleaner stuff.
- Yeah.
I've used some bad quality stuff
and it leaves more residue than it cleans off.
I've also found that these aren't really shelf stable
for a long period of time.
So I would replace your sensor cleaner like every year.
So I'm gonna rip open my single use swab here,
and we're gonna pull this out.
So the swabs come in full frame and APS-C or Super 35.
Make sure you have the right swab for your sensor
because it will be a different size.
So this matches the width.
- You never want to take the fluids
and just put it straight onto the sensor.
- Oh, like this?
No. (chuckles)
On one side, you just want it wet enough.
You don't want it soaked.
The other side's dry.
I'm gonna take the wet side;
I'm gonna put a little bit of pressure
and push it against the sensor;
and I'm gonna swipe one direction all the way across.
Then I'm gonna turn it over to the more dry side
and swipe back the other direction,
and then take it off and throw it away.
And then don't use it again.
Look at that, perfectly clean sensor.
- Ooh! So how much pressure are we supposed to...
- [Speaker 2] Enough to have,
just a little bend to the whole thing.
There you go.
- Nice little bend.
Ooh! And then go back the other way.
- [Speaker 2] Yep.
- [Speaker] Now for the drying pass.
Ooh! That's pretty good. - Perfect.
If you make a mistake, it's not like,
"Oh my god, my camera's ruined."
You just do it again.
Just do it till it's clean.
- So this one's got IBIS.
- Your IBIS sensor's only moving what,
a half a mill in every direction.
So cleaning approaches the same way.
If you have any residue left, don't use the same swab again.
Unfortunately, if you have a bunch of residue,
you gotta start the process over and use a new swab,
because again, just like with our microfiber,
this picks up debris.
So any of that dust or grease that was on the sensor
will just get scratched right back onto it.
- Well, when it comes to trying
to just keep the sensors clean in the first place,
generally try to keep this thing closed,
unless you're swapping out lenses
or doing something specific.
What are the biggest mistakes you see?
- Scrubbing is the thing I see
when people clean both lenses and sensors the most
is getting in there and rubbing and scrubbing on it.
And you just don't want to do that.
It's one single motion and done.
(clatter)
The main thing is,
is just maintaining your gear, whatever it is,
whether it's a sensor or just wiping your camera down.
If your camera's always on the floor,
your car with a bunch of dog food and pizza boxes in there.
- Why you gotta call me out?
- I'm just saying how I've seen your car.
That's all. (chuckles)
- And also thank you to today's sponsor, Beards.
- Beards?
- Yeah. It's coming back.
- There's no beard. I cut it off.
- Look at this,
I'm trying out this No-Shave November thing.
I do.
- There's no hair.
- What are talking about?
There's a lot.
You just need the macro lens.
Close up time.
Look at all his hair.
- This is literally I shaved this morning.
(laughs)
How long have you been growing that for?
- Since the beginning of November.