DUST.. AHHHHHH.. how do you keep your sensor clean?

This past weekend was an exercise in frustration.

I shot 4 days at the Long Beach Grand Prix, with 2 cameras - 40D, and 1Dm3.

throughout the weekend, I must have swapped lenses 100+ times, preferring to use the 1D for panning shots for obvious reasons. there were also times where I was forced to use the 40D (for the 10-22mm).

when I was walking around taking people / event shots, I had the 28-70 on the 1D, and 10-22 on the 40D, when I was doing cars / victory lane, I had the 100-300 on the 1D, and 28-70 on the 40D.

long story short, I could not keep the sensors clean. I try to do the swaps in clean areas, hover over the cameras and block the wind as much as possible, and cleaned the sensors every night, but inevitably, more dust shows up.

what do you guys do to keep your sensor clean?

It's a fact of life.
Just live with it and clean it whenever you need to.

You wanted to know how to fix your dust problems
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/s​ensor-cleaning.shtml
http://www.cleaningdig​italcameras.com/
http://www.bobestrin.c​om/cleansensor.htm
http://www.wikihow.com …our-Digital-Camera-Sensor
http://www.google.com …official&start=​20&tbm=vid

When I change lenses, I try and make sure the camera/lens is pointed downwards so gravity at least helps a little bit in keeping dust off the sensor.

Jeff25rs wrote in post #12268400
When I change lenses, I try and make sure the camera/lens is pointed downwards so gravity at least helps a little bit in keeping dust off the sensor.

This is a myth.
The sensor IS NOT exposed when changing lenses.
If you are able to see your sensor when changing lenses, you are doing something very wrong.
Dust gets deposited on the sensor during an exposure.

I was firing away in machinegun mode though, so whatever I can minimize during swap would reduce the amount of dust available to stick to the sensor while shooting.

I shot over 8k photos over the weekend.. >_<

pointing it down must still at least generally keep dirt out of the inside of your camera body though,
I'd rather not have the dirt inside in the first place, whether it lands on the sensor or not

There's that much micrscopic dust floating in the air that it doesn't matter.
Having the camera pointing down, up, sideways makes absolutely no difference.
If having the camera pointing down makes you feel like you're achieving something, do it - but it's just a placebo effect - it makes you feel better without achieving anything.
Using zoom lenses, any zoom lens, will suck dust more dust into your mirror box than changing lenses. This dust will ultimately end up on your sensor.
Once you (generic term, not anyone specific) accept that dust WILL end up on your sensor, your life will be made much easier.
If you need to change lenses, just change them.

If you will be shooting in dusty/windy conditions, then packing a Rocket blower or something similar may come in handy -- occasionally step out of the "conditions" and blast the sensor a few times. That may (or may not) be of some help.

philwillmedia wrote in post #12268443
This is a myth.
The sensor IS NOT exposed when changing lenses.
If you are able to see your sensor when changing lenses, you are doing something very wrong.
Dust gets deposited on the sensor during an exposure.

Of course not but the inside of your camera is exposed. If you get dust in there next time you take a picture the dust might get past the shutter onto the sensor.

philwillmedia wrote in post #12268535
There's that much micrscopic dust floating in the air that it doesn't matter.
Having the camera pointing down, up, sideways makes absolutely no difference.
If having the camera pointing down makes you feel like you're achieving something, do it - but it's just a placebo effect - it makes you feel better without achieving anything.
Using zoom lenses, any zoom lens, will suck dust more dust into your mirror box than changing lenses. This dust will ultimately end up on your sensor.
Once you (generic term, not anyone specific) accept that dust WILL end up on your sensor, your life will be made much easier.
If you need to change lenses, just change them.

[citation needed]

philwillmedia wrote in post #12268535
There's that much micrscopic dust floating in the air that it doesn't matter.
Having the camera pointing down, up, sideways makes absolutely no difference.

Hmmm. Why is it that it's only the tops of my shelves that need regular dusting?

At 1st, I used 28-300L as walk-around, no lens change at all;
Then, I used two bodies with two zooms (17-40 with 5D2, 24-105 with T2i);
Now, two bodies with two primes (24, 85 & 135).

Self sensor cleaning now and then

hollis_f wrote in post #12276778
Hmmm. Why is it that it's only the tops of my shelves that need regular dusting?

Dust will only settle on the top surface, but it floats everywhere. Presumably your lens changes don't take long enough for dust to settle.

Bring a blower and stop worrying. It's not a big deal.

Point body down
Have lens ready
Find shelter from wind
Frequently dust checks
Blow out sensor as needed

Some but certainly not all zooms can introduce dust.

Does anyone else think that the self cleaning sensors are more prone to the hard stuck dust particles than the non self cleaners? There is an adhesive strip in there that is supposed to grab all the dust that shakes off the sensor, but I have to beleive some particles stick to it just long enough to get some adhesive on them and voila! sticky dust.
No problems with my 5D and 10D, never could get the sensor cleaned on my old XTi even after sending it to canon. Anyone else?