Epic-M Sensor cleaning?

[Kyle Barrett]

So we've had our Epic for about a month now and I have noticed that the sensor already has dust on it. It's only visible when I stop down to f/16 and beyond. Curious if there's a safe RED "approved" method of me cleaning it. Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

 

[Christian Pfeil]

yes. me too...
anyone from red?

 

[Brent Carter]

When you are looking into the front of the camera, you are seeing the OLPF, not the sensor itself. That is what you would be cleaning. Tech support at RED can give you some recommendations.

BC

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

There are some inspection and cleaning tools available via B&H etc designed for this. I got the "Visible Dust" setup which I like. There is a "loupe" which is a magnifier with battery powered lights so you can see the surface of the OLPF. The other piece is a brush with a handle that has a battery that spins the brush rapidly to create a static draw that will lift smaller bits of dust without touching. For more stubborn bits, you can use the brush gently. This product was originally designed for still cameras but works great with R1s/Epics.

Usual disclaimer, if you scratch your OLPF don't call me ;-)

Cheers and clean shooting - #19

 

[Martin Stevens]

When you are looking into the front of the camera, you are seeing the OLPF, not the sensor itself. That is what you would be cleaning. Tech support at RED can give you some recommendations.

BC

Can this information be put into the Epic Manual please?

 

[Andy Jarosz]

We use the "Arctic Butterfly" brush system and it works great.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

First always use a good Blower, NEVER anything from a CAN!!

If the dust is humidified and stuck in to the OLPF itself then you'll need more then Blower and Arctic Butterfly, also make sure that to NEVER insert the brush while spinning for those using this type of Spinning Brushes.

Also note that they are different size cleaning Humid Sticks, with a flat surface, some are for FULL FRAME sensor, DON'T USE those, others are for Cropped Sensor, similar to the Canon 1D IV, USE THOSE...

However as Brent suggested contact Tech support, if you are asking how to clean a Sensor, means you really never done it, and don't particularly understand that is not the sensor you are cleaning but the OLPF,
and even so much more resistant to scratch then the actual sensor, caution need to be used and the right products make a HUGE difference, be warned!!

 

[Brandon Shafto]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...s_DDSS_SCOPE3_SensorScope_3_Cleaning_Kit.html
The best kit available. Hands down.

 

[Russ Fill]

+1 on the same kit Brandon suggest...Delkin, I have it and it gives me a lot of peace of mind when working in locations far from clean...Deserts, dusty places. Like anywhere in the planet.
If you have an extra OPLF that is out of the camera... You might want to try your hand at cleaning it first or use it to see how the process works before tackling the one in the camera. Just a suggestion..
I don't suggest cleaning your OPLF or sensor often, in fact you should try to blow out what ever is there with a hand blower as Ketch suggest, first and to minimize contact with the interworkings of the sensor chamber.
And never reuse swabs.... think of them like toilet paper that has been used by someone else..You don't want to contaminate a different surface that might actually have been cleaner before you started cleaning it...This is speaking from experience of going mad late night trying over and over again to clean the sumdg that I created by trying to clean the OPLF from a small speck of dust that really was not that bad to start with..
Never rub hard....
There are coatings on the OPLF that can if you try hard enough can be removed by not using the right tools or the wrong pressure...Be gentile.

 

[Mark Phelan]

I am with Blair and others on this issue, the Arctic Butterfly by Visible Dust is what I carry.

But what I carry before that is something even better. It's called "common sense". Ever since my first digital camera, I've wrestled with the best way to keep the sensor clean. There is a secret. Ready for it? OK, here goes. Don't let it get dirty.

Now that sounds smarmy and ridiculous, right? But hear me out, which is better, never having to clean your sensor, or trying to get the dust/smudges off in some backwoods location? What this requires is a bit of common sense. How does dust enter the sensor area? I don't have any statical proof to back this up but I would say ninety percent of the time it's when you're changing lenses or worse, changing the OLPF. For those times, you need a clean room setting. Only problem is they're never around when you need one.

So, a bit of common sense, find the one area that allows for the least amount of contamination. For me, a car with closed doors, and engine off is sufficient. If I can find some place where the air is still, i.e. no fans or wind blowing, it gives me the best chance to make a smooth and quick switch of lenses without crap flying in from every direction.

Obviously it's not always convenient or even possible to find a good location, but the point is, don't leave the port open while you check your lens, scratch your nose, go have lunch, etc. Becoming anal about this one procedure can be a huge benefit. As a result, with my last Epic I never once had to clean the OLPF.

Some situations are impossible to keep things clean, but it's the mindset of the operator that is going to determine how clean the camera is. If you're a slob with the way you handle things, chances are greater your images will be slovenly also.

The best way to clean your sensor is to not let it get dirty in the first place. Or the second place too.

 

[Jake Wilganowski]

AC's leave the camera open all the time