Sensor cleaning products in Australia

[khiemluu]

Did a few searches for sensor swabs, pec pads and the eclipse cleaning fluid to buy here in Australia and didn't come up with anything.

But i noticed on Nocholas R's site (http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning ) there was a post about an Australian supplier of these products: Nulab professional (https://www.photogalleries.com.au/nulab/wipes/formmain.php .

I submitted my order today, will update when i receive the goods (Note: all prices in AUD):

Sensor Swab 2 (Pack of 12) : 1 X $88.00 each = $88.00
Eclipse Solution : 1 X $25.00 each = $25.00
Pec Pads 4x4-100 : 1 X $18.00 each = $18.00

Freight per Order at: : 20.00 = $20.00
Grand Total Authorized= $151.00

Hope this hasn't been posted before (couldn't find anything when i did a search). Just thought the other Aussies would find this useful.

Khiem.

[tim]

I got the copperhill kit, with the pads and the little wand thing, and got the eclipse from that same place. Not sure if your kit will come with the little wipey thingy you'll need, hope for the best though :)

[khiemluu]

Not sure if your kit will come with the little wipey thingy you'll need, hope for the best though :)

Yeah will need to pick a sensor swipe at some stage. Sensor swabs will have to do for now.

Khiem.

[lancea]

I got the copperhill kit, with the pads and the little wand thing, and got the eclipse from that same place.
Important thing to note is that they're not allowed to send the Eclipse internationally due to air-carriage regulations. If they did, then they've made a mistake. You'll see that the web-page for the full kit states "must be shipped by UPS-ground". It's not legal to carry this stuff on an aircraft unless it's declared as hazardous materials - I don't think the small size of the bottle matters. This is taken pretty seriously by courier and postal companies (last Chrismas the New Zealand postal service made lots of public announcements that you were not permitted to post little bottles of perfume - even by ground as they couldn't guarantee they wouldn't go by air at some stage in their trip). It's of special significance at the moment in New Zealand as a courier aircraft "exploded in the sky" a couple of days ago (www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3269626a10,00.html (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3269626a10,00.html)). One of the things they are looking at is whether it was caused by something in the parcels.

I know it's a pain (and may seem odd when there's lots of Internet shops that will post perfume), but if you don't have a local distributor of the cleaning fluid it may not be possible to complete your "kit". I got the SensorSwipe and PecPads only from Copperhead.

[Carzee]

I paid for the pads and the swipe on Apr 6th. Still waiting for it!!

I didn't order the fluid because of the air freight restrictions. I was gonna buy some methanol at the University lab supplier up here. 500ml $30

Also, Eclipse fluid is in Australia, online at Quality Camera Sales in Perth. They also have swipes and Pec pads 'in country (http://www.qualitycamera.com.au/index.php?cPath=24&osCsid=4d6492b3286806a917fed826e33de592)'.

[khiemluu]

I paid for the pads and the swipe on Apr 6th. Still waiting for it!!


Carzee,
Where did you order from?


Khiem.

[Carzee]

Copperhill page at pbase/copperhill whatever. Used Paypal. Could be delayed because of long weekends? ...who knows. But even surface mail using ships should've got it here by now.

[tim]

Important thing to note is that they're not allowed to send the Eclipse internationally due to air-carriage regulations. If they did, then they've made a mistake. You'll see that the web-page for the full kit states "must be shipped by UPS-ground". It's not legal to carry this stuff on an aircraft unless it's declared as hazardous materials - I don't think the small size of the bottle matters. This is taken pretty seriously by courier and postal companies (last Chrismas the New Zealand postal service made lots of public announcements that you were not permitted to post little bottles of perfume - even by ground as they couldn't guarantee they wouldn't go by air at some stage in their trip). It's of special significance at the moment in New Zealand as a courier aircraft "exploded in the sky" a couple of days ago (www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3269626a10,00.html (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3269626a10,00.html)). One of the things they are looking at is whether it was caused by something in the parcels.

I know it's a pain (and may seem odd when there's lots of Internet shops that will post perfume), but if you don't have a local distributor of the cleaning fluid it may not be possible to complete your "kit". I got the SensorSwipe and PecPads only from Copperhead.

I got the kit without eclipse from copperhill, I got eclipse shipped from Australia.

[lancea]

I got the kit without eclipse from copperhill, I got eclipse shipped from Australia.
Ah okay. I wondered that Copperhill would do it as they must be aware of the restrictions. What can I say if the Australian company is not ;) , but the same rules of course apply. I'm sure there's loads of people travelling by air with bottles of perfume, as well as photographers with cleaning fluids, and I suspect some who belong in both camps! As for the photographers that travel with vast quantities of flammable drinking spirits - well let's not go there :)

Lance
P.S. - my lens is on it's way too

[tim]

I asked the aussie place if they were allowed to ship it to NZ, they said no problem. It was couriered, not posted, but it didn't have a "hazardous good" type warning on it.

My lenses have been shipped too, I think they should be here Monday or Tuesday :) What have you ordered lancea?

[lancea]

Those Aussies should know better! I imagine it is pretty risky for a company to send that kind of thing as they would be fined. Bad, bad Australians :evil:

Mine's the 70-200 f/4L. And no, I won't be posting a photo of my lens (unless it looks decidedly different to all the others) :) Haven't said that though, I do appreciate all the people who have posted photos or their lenses as the "sales" photos don't give a good idea of the size.

[tim]

They said there was no problem couriering that stuff to me, I wonder if it's really ok, they have no idea, or they don't care. It's pretty expensive from them, they must be making some money from it.

[lancea]

It's certainly not legal for them to send flammable liquids without declaring them as hazardous - and in which case they probably couldn't send them by air. Eclipse is pure methanol which is not easy to get unless you're buying commercial quantities. Funnily enough, you then need a licence to buy it as it's a motor fuel. I was working in a lab when that rule came in and it rather amused me. I also used to get ethanol. That required a licence too, but for different reasons :) When I searched local photo shops for Eclipse they had never heard of it, and when I explained what I wanted it for they looked aghast at the mere thought that someone would try to clean the sensor. Hopefully I increased their education a little and they may by now have all rushed out and ordered Eclipse! I managed to get a little high-purity methanol from an aquaintance, but haven't had to use it yet.

[tim]

My girlfriend works in a lab, but couldn't get hold of methanol because it was in a different section from her. Not sure if the aussies declared the methanol, can't really remember, it was a while ago.

Smaller local camera stores really don't understand much about the high end, but if you find a good store they have some people who know their stuff. There are no flash brackets in stores in Wellington as far as I can tell - maybe a few useless plastic ones that don't keep the flash above the lens is all. My teacher had one made by a metalworker himself instead of ordering from the states!

[pierrot]

My brother is more efficient than your girlfriend, Tim, would you consider an exchange? :mrgreen:

He works as a researcher in a pharmaceutical lab, and because he is some kind of a boss around there he brought me back two nice 500ml bottles : one of pure methanol (that's the Eclipse stuff) and one of pure isopropanol. Both perform perfectly, with the following characteristics:

methanol is the best solvent
isopropanol is more tensio-active (less prone to let drying droplets markings) but must be used in VERY low quantities (a couple of drops on a pec-pad) because of the risk of infiltrating everywhere inside the camera and between the IR filter and the sensor itself.
Also, it stinks "glue" like hell and if you stay with your nose above the bottle neck too long, you'll see pink elephants and green nikonists flying around.
Also, both are very volatile, flamable and TOXIC (but ethanol is not, the reason why it's so easy to find it in various bottles shapes and brands all around the (hickups) world) :)

My own recommended method :

a lot of rocket-blower job
a swab with a pec-pad (or whatever you call those fiber-free lab tissues)
a few drops of methanol for cleaning
a few drops of isopropanol for a mirror-like finishing
I had to pay to buy the swab and the pads, but I could settle my own company as a solvents reseller, as the quantities I got for free by me cherished lil' brother will be sufficient for the centuries to come.

A pity I can't send some to you, fellows with disgusting sensors! :rolleyes:

[tim]

My brother is more efficient than your girlfriend, Tim, would you consider an exchange? :mrgreen:

Hmmm, let me think, my girlfriend for your brother.... he's french, so can he cook? ;)

[Carzee]

Hi - sad news update on my Copperhill quest.

I emailled Nicholas
"Sorry to say the package still hasn't arrived. I'm thinking if there was, say, a wrong address glitch, it would have had time to return to you. Any news from your end?

He said
"I have just given you a full refund. I'm sorry that your order is lost and there's no reason to think that another package would reach you. This is why most online dealers only ship Fedex or UPS.
Thanks, N"

So I'm back to square one. And its sounds like no more USPS airmail to Aussies..

Ugh. I have purchased a lot of stuff from the states, and all of it sent by USPS air, this is the first stuff up. :(

Why can't a shop here sell the thing? I mean, its not mongolia! There are a few sensors over here and -not to exaggerate- Australia is a pretty bloody dusty place...

[robertwgross]

It is interesting that so many Canonites use so much of the expensive sensor cleaning products, and they go through so much hassle to get them.

If it costs me more than one penny per cleaning, that is too much. One cotton swab and a part of a drop of lens cleaner!

---Bob Gross---

[Carzee]

WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, June 3rd, my long lost money-refunded Copperhill order arrived!

It was posted USPS on April 9th according to the stamps. The USPS stamp is for US$4.40 - he sent it by surface mail (ie ships-seas-sailors-scurvee dogs scenario). OMG...

Nicholas refunded me the cost weeks ago. I gotta email him now etc.

Well, if I time this weekend, I might clean my sensor.

[Carzee]

Just got a email from Nicholas at Copperhill. I sent him a PayPal refund on a refund! He says "I am a gentleman".

Paypal appears to have its transaction DBase tripwire too tight and sent a email hinting at fraud!