My 5D turned 1 in January and I never cleaned the sensor except with a rocket blower. It was getting very dirty. To send it in to Canon or not? I told myself I'd never touch the thing for fear it would hurt it. But it got so bad I couldn't let it go. I have a wedding this weekend. So, I asked my friend, Mike, who shoots Nikons, but I like him anyway
, had the Sensor Swabs and Eclipse 2 solution and did a simple swipe for me. It took out most of that smear, but it wasn't all gone. I ordered the same from Adorama, and did the deed myself, following instructions, this morning. Here are the before and after shots at f22.
I will post the wedding shots later, but I thought I'd do a review of the Sensor Swabs & Eclipse 2.
First, the Sensor Swabs were $45 for 12 and the fluid was $12. I put 2 drops of solution on one side tip of the swab and braced myself. I was in a room with great sunlight and could see the sensor completely as I worked. What I didn't expect was that the swab was exactly the same size as my 5D sensor so I had to do the gentle brushing to one side, not just slide it. But the fluid dried instantly and the dirt went onto the swab. You can't use the swab more than one or two swipes or else you put the dirt back onto the sensor, so work quickly. I let it rest upside down for a minute to make sure everything was dry, but it was not necessary. The solution was dry. After doing this twice because there was one stubborn area, the end result was pretty good. I hope this helps. I was so nervous, but glad it's over. Now I won't be so scared next time.
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