Just a very quick review of the LensPen SensorKlear cleaning pen. It's inexpensive (<$20), reusable up to 100 times, simple, and most importantly it does a great job of cleaning sensors.

No mussing around with pads and liquids, just take the protective top off and run it back & forth the sensor. My 30D was filthy (never cleaned) and came pretty much spotless on the second cleaning. My 40D was in pretty good shape and came spotless after the first cleaning.

The main feature that I like is it's simplicity .. just take the cap off and rub back & forth on the sensor .. the cleaning pad itself is slightly rounded triangular in shape so it fits well into the corners, plus the pen itself has an elbow that can bend to make cleaning easier. It's well made of heavy plastic and is about the size of a typical small desk pen. It has a self cleaning feature for the pad .. just twist a half turn after putting the cap back on, there is a small pad inside the cap that cleans the pad

All in all it does a great job at cleaning, and does it very simply and inexpensively.

Thanks for the quick review, Mike!

Did you rocket-blow or brush first, in order to avoid dragging possibly abrasive stuff around, or is the device and/or prescribed method designed to avoid this?

cogitech wrote:
Thanks for the quick review, Mike!

Did you rocket-blow or brush first, in order to avoid dragging possibly abrasive stuff around, or is the device and/or prescribed method designed to avoid this?


Yes, per the instructions I used a blower prior to cleaning, but most of the spots were not removed with the blower.

I was using a blower about every month or so since purchase of both bodies and was getting a fair number of stubborn spots. Which the LensPen removed.

Another review here, much more detailed than mine:
http://www.sensorklearreview.blogspot.com/

Glad to hear the endorsement, I just ordered a brush, pen and LED magnifier this week. My sensor is a mess, even with regular rocket blower cleanings.

I carry a SensorKlear (the original non-angled version) around in my camera bag as my portable cleaning solution, and it does a really good job.

I have a lot of lensPen products and of course the Sensorclear Loupe... It just rocks for profesional cleaning of sensors

My cameras have seen nothing but Mini LensPens from day one. An excellent product which has helped me maintain my sensors spotless with a minimum of effort and low risk of marring the sensor.

I use mine a dozen times and pitch them. For under $10 each, it's not worth picking up some grit down the road and scratching the filter.

I use arctic butterfly combined with lenspen for stubborn marks, it works a treat.

Found the Sensorclear and the LensPen to be superb products, won't leave home without them!

I got a lenspen but when I used it to clean my lens, seems like it only uses the edges instead of the whole surface, is that normal?

n0b0 wrote: I got a lenspen but when I used it to clean my lens, seems like it only uses the edges instead of the whole surface, is that normal?

Yes, because you're "sweeping" with it after it's put down on the sensor.

There's another product, the Promaster CCD/CMOS Sensor Cleaner, that you dab up and down with, and it uses the whole surface of the tip. It's just for dust, though, not for oil spots or streaks.

http://www.gallowaycamera.com/Products/Accessories/Media/CCD_sensor_cleaner.htm

I picked up one of these last week and used it on my 20D with excellent results.

I'm glad to see this thread as my D80 has a few spots that I've used a rocket blower on and haven't removed. Picked up the SensorKlear yesterday but haven't tried it yet -- this thread gives me confidence it will work. Thanks all

dave chilvers wrote:
I use arctic butterfly combined with lenspen for stubborn marks, it works a treat.

That's what I use also Dave, along with the rocket blaster of course. A steady hand helps too.

Dave

Word is that's what many "service techs" use to professionally clean sensors. I've been using them for years, on dozens of
bodys with no ill effects. Gotta love when something so simple/cheap works SO well.

I've used one for a while too, previously I used swabs for years. Good thing about the pen is that it doesnt trap spots in the corners as badly as the swabs do, usually with no way to get them out. The pen easily fixes all types of dust and also because the contact area is so much smaller its a lot more controllable, so you can target areas after reviewing on screen. With swabs this is impossible and inevitably you end up solving one problem but creating several more.

With them being so cheap too I don't really see the incentive to buy a more expensive solution like the *charged* ones.

Just be careful using the LensPen SensorKlear... the one I bought (the original round version) had some sort of oily residue on the pad, that required a trip to Nikon to have removed from my sensor. Needless to say, I would never use that product again unless there was a reliable way to clean the pad before using it.

molson wrote:
Just be careful using the LensPen SensorKlear... the one I bought (the original round version) had some sort of oily residue on the pad, that required a trip to Nikon to have removed from my sensor. Needless to say, I would never use that product again unless there was a reliable way to clean the pad before using it.

Funny - I got a LensPen with my first Trijicon ACOG scope and experienced the same problem. Nothing like nice oily mess on a new $1300 scope!!! (I just wanted to try it out and remove a couple specs of dust)

That said, if the Trenchmonkey (dude, I just adore your avatar) says this version is good, it must be true!

Travis

Thanks Travis, I'm confused. Mine came with explicit instructions about tapping the tip on a clean microfiber cloth
repeatedly before proceeding to make passes at the sensor (in the old days we bought her dinner)
Place cap back on, 1/2 turn, rinse/repeat as necessary. Being rather anal about my gear, I followed them to the letter.
IIRC the "original" round version was a lens pen (for cleaning trouble spots on lenses) they came in different
sizes and until the triangular ones came on the scene I was feign to hazard a sensor experiment. Interesting thread...
see what ya started Mike

hm, I've never had an issue with oil on my lenspen, though I do twist the cap to clean the tip. It's now my go-to solution for sensor cleaning. Inexpensive, effective, simple, and portable.

Trench, I don't recall my lenpen coming with instructions, but I also didn't read my manual from A to Z. This LensPen was definitely just for lenses - not for sensors!

Just to clarify...

Travis

I have been using Lenspen "Sensorklear" for the past 3 years with no ill effects till now.