I'm a Team player - sensor cleaning example - sensor brush

So I was petrified of cleaning my own sensor only because I have big hands!
The purpose this thread serves is to encourage fellow photographers that cleaning the sensor via dry or wet method is not that intimidating as it seems. Sure you can do severe damage, but you can also equally clean your sensor!

Recently I had a bad bad experience with the only Canon Authorised reseller in the country. I pretty much have given up on using thier services ( I now contact Canon Middle East HQ in Dubai, UAE).

My sensor had been getting dirty lately and I have a glimmer of hope that an aquaintance (from another local online photography forum) would clean my sensor using copperhill (he has Methanol and I dont, no idea where to get it here in the UAE - chemists per say are not very popular). He eventually refused saying if he damaged it I would blame him even though I repeatedly insisted that even if he put a hole in my sensor I would hold him liable. Any ways, I decided to do it myself so I bought the Copper Hill Ultimate Euro Kit and used the Sensor Sweep to clean my sensor.

At first I thouroughly blew the sensor with the Giottos Rocket Blower and then charged the fillaments on the Sensor Sweep using the power blower ( I could have used the alternative method of charging which is to pet the fillaments with the provided velum paper but I opted for the power blower) and then sweeped the sensor.
I honestly almost began giving up by the end of the third round.

First round I managed to clean the light dust spots! Great!
Second round was dedicated to the nast blobs on ther right hand side.
The second, third and fourth attempt was really devastating because it seemed like I was either introducing more dust to the sensor or moving around/accumulating remnant dust spots I had not cleaned the first time round and lastly just smudging the nasty blobs on the right!!! I will also blame the "moving dust around" issue on my lack of skill with the double sweep charge method. According to Mr Copper Hill, one can gain skill in cleaning so that a single charge with allow two sweeps of the sensor! Might crafty huh? Im not aure I achieved such skill yet.

On the last round, I convinced myself that I kinda needed to literally sweep that area with the brush! So I charged up the brush and rather than floating the brush on it, I applied a little force/pressure on the area and moved the fillament back and forth. Almost like scrubbing tar of off your rims.

Perfect !! I know theres a little spot top left hand, but that can wait.

My tests after each cleaning were done at f/8 and f/22. F/8 gave me the real world view of my sensor dust since I mostly stop down to a max of f/8. The f/22 tests were to give me a snippet of concentrated the dust was. If I was to be satisfied with what I see at f/22, then f/8 would definitely be more than adequate.

Below are the 5 shots at f/22 using my laptop monitor. ( Could not be bothered to let my gear acclimatize outside in a ziploc for 20 minutes since its hot and humid outside).

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I just performed a wet-method cleaning for my first time using Eclipse, a sensor swab, and PEC pads. I was extremely nervous to do it, but it went without a hitch and I went from a very nasty sensor to only one small spec off to the side, which I've decided I'll live with until the next cleaning. It was a simple procedure that I'm no longer scared to perform.

I've been lucky enough to be able to get away with just a rocket blower until now. When I do need wet cleaning, I'll be using Sensor Swab + Eclipse.

CorruptedPhotographer wrote in post #3527088
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ok so you cleaned it, we all do.

Having a heck of a time cleaning the sensor on my 1DMK3, so been going through the posts here. Seems that CopperHill is the kit of choice, so I'll be ordering that today.

I walked into my local camera shop in Houston, Texas and told the sales guy that I had a dirty sensor that was going to take more than a few puffs of air to clean. He looked at me like I was crazy and then sold me a wet 'kit' that had a whole 6 swabs. Not knowing any better, I figured that I was good to go.

As best I can tell, i must have accumulated some type of oils on my sensor because when I swipe and the cleaner evaporates, I'm left with a slight 'milky' residue. It's my understanding here (POTN) that this should not be the case when the sensor is good and clean. And that repeated swipes with clean swabs should do the trick.

Thanks to the POTN crew for the info.

Nice work; thanks for sharing your experience. I haven't had to clean mine yet but you have given me some confidence to try it myself when the need arises!