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Best Method for Cleaning OLPFs

A

Andrew Allsbury

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So we just received our STH OLPF a few days ago and before installing I took a flashlight and a blower to it. No matter how much I blow on this thing there are still small bits of debris that I can't shake free. They only are visible under the flashlight...

Is there a better way to clean these?

Is this normal and I just shouldn't worry about it?

Thanks for your input!
 
I have used a lenspen type cleaner a few times and it works great if used lightly with a blower afterwards.
 
I replaced my blower with one that has a filter on one end: KOH. Hepa Jet II.

As with lenses, hold it so the "stuff" can fall down. Blow gentle and only as much as needed, as the air blown inside will pull other air in as well.

So far, this worked for me, I guess for anything else I will use a Sensor Swab -- one time in each direction per side of the swab.
 
I don't know what the best solution is but I can tell you what is certainly the very worst:
http://www.amazon.com/eyelead-Senso...d=1420333380&sr=8-16&keywords=sensor+cleaning

I used one of these on my new OLPF and it just made a big square smudge on the glass. It escalated my situation from a small piece of dust to a giant square cloud. It's weird too, because I've used it on sensors before and seemed to work perfectly.
 
I've used several sensor cleaning tools all to marginal results...either I am retarded or I am trying to clean this thing to an overly neurotic level. Is anyone getting their olpfs completely debris free to the level a flashlight reveals no specks? If so how? Thanks!
 
Order of operation.

1. Inspect with flashlight.
2. Use hand blower or compressed filtered air from a safe distance. Even better, use nitrogen if you have it.
3. If the speck is really on there a light brush with a clean nylon based brush can likely grab it.
4. If smudged. Use Belkin, Pancro, or Eclipse Fluid wet lintless wipe and remove smudge. Be gentle. Really gentle.

Don't use the sticky things. They can potentially remove a coating or leave a gummy residue depending on weather conditions. Don't use a lens pen either for this.

I personally have only had to use fluid once on the OLPF in the bazillion times I've changed it. Air works the best for specks and usually works.

Note that little specks get caught on the rubber gasket. Air or the nylon brush are your friends.
 
You can be overly neurotic too - really tiny specks only visible with a really bright flashlight or LED light on really close inspection probably won't be a problem because the OLPF sits away from the sensor itself and is therefore quite out of focus.

If you can't see them on pictures, then they aren't a real problem.
 
Phil Holland said:
Order of operation.

1. Inspect with flashlight.
2. Use hand blower or compressed filtered air from a safe distance. Even better, use nitrogen if you have it.
3. If the speck is really on there a light brush with a clean nylon based brush can likely grab it.
4. If smudged. Use Belkin, Pancro, or Eclipse Fluid wet lintless wipe and remove smudge. Be gentle. Really gentle.

Don't use the sticky things. They can potentially remove a coating or leave a gummy residue depending on weather conditions. Don't use a lens pen either for this.

I personally have only had to use fluid once on the OLPF in the bazillion times I've changed it. Air works the best for specks and usually works.

Note that little specks get caught on the rubber gasket. Air or the nylon brush are your friends.
Click to expand...

Well I guess I will not use the lens pen sensor cleaner anymore. It has seemed to work well for small smudges used lightly, but if phil says its a no go I would go with his suggestions.
 
However, these products seem interesting.
http://www.kohglobal.com/Products.html

Dr. Sassi said:
I replaced my blower with one that has a filter on one end: KOH. Hepa Jet II.

As with lenses, hold it so the "stuff" can fall down. Blow gentle and only as much as needed, as the air blown inside will pull other air in as well.

So far, this worked for me, I guess for anything else I will use a Sensor Swab -- one time in each direction per side of the swab.
Click to expand...
 
So whats the official view on how the sensor should be cleaned if needed. I don't look forward to this task.
 
Dave Blackham said:
So whats the official view on how the sensor should be cleaned if needed. I don't look forward to this task.
Click to expand...

Behind the OLPF you'll find a sheet of Cover Glass prior to the sensor itself. You should never, ever, ever have to clean the actual sensor because it means you removed the Cover Glass somehow and you've lost your mind at that point (and probably voided your warrantee).

However, if for some reason dust gets on the Cover Glass follow the steps I listed earlier.

I've changed my OLPFs more times than I kept track of. I think I stopped counting at 40 or 50 and that was months ago. Nearly always the hand blower has done the job. If not compressed air/nitrogen worked. And on that one occasion where I pushed my thumb onto the OLPF because I was likely drinking while OLPFing, you can clean it with fluid after attempting to blow it out.
 
I received 2 OLPFS and both are really dirty!
What's wrong with the quality control??

Not only that... when I say dirty I mean filthy dirty! (but the package looked clean)
I work now with the Summicrons and Summilux's and here comes a filthY $200 OLPF that can not be cleaned no matter what I tried.

And put in addition to that: When I tried to remove the skin tone olpf that consists of 2 parts the flexible and the plastic, the flexible part got stuck permanently on the Cover glass? and I can't pull it out! Any ideas? I really don't want the inconvenience of sending back both Dragons for that.

This happened on both Dragons exactly the same.
 
Lakis Amarantithis said:
I received 2 OLPFS and both are really dirty!
What's wrong with the quality control??

Not only that... when I say dirty I mean filthy dirty! (but the package looked clean)
I work now with the Summicrons and Summilux's and here comes a filthY $200 OLPF that can not be cleaned no matter what I tried.

And put in addition to that: When I tried to remove the skin tone olpf that consists of 2 parts the flexible and the plastic, the flexible part got stuck permanently on the Cover glass? and I can't pull it out! Any ideas? I really don't want the inconvenience of sending back both Dragons for that.

This happened on both Dragons exactly the same.
Click to expand...

Document this and send this information to Red.

Don't know exactly what is stuck on the cover glass or why it happened twice however. Again, document this and send it to your Bomb Squad Rep quickly.
 
I can't help myself, it sounds as if your two Dragons have the fixed OLPF installed, and not the interchangeable. I guess I'm wrong, but that both Dragons have the same problem...


Lakis Amarantithis said:
...
And put in addition to that: When I tried to remove the skin tone olpf that consists of 2 parts the flexible and the plastic, the flexible part got stuck permanently on the Cover glass? and I can't pull it out! Any ideas? I really don't want the inconvenience of sending back both Dragons for that.

This happened on both Dragons exactly the same.
Click to expand...
 
Dr. Sassi, both have the newest interchangeable OLPF. If you look at the olpf you'll see that it consists of 3 parts: The top part with the engraved letters, the glass and the other material that is flexible and touches the cover glass(?) so no strange rays will come and affect the image(?)/very smart. That's the part that got unglued from the olpf and is stuck on the cover glass (?)

Because is different material with the expansion and contraction from the heat cold the gluing got destroyed. That's my guess. Also my guess is that because of the pressure of that flexible material on the cover glass it got stuck/glued there. If I pull it I'm afraid I'll destroy it.

I contacted the bomb squad thanks Phill.
 
I clean OLPFs and sensors the same way: sensor wand wrapped in a pec pad w/ a few drops of eclipse *optical cleaning fuid* on the end. Check your results w/ a sensor scope. You don't need fancy tools or a clean room. It's really not that difficult. Don't sweat it. I've used the method described on all the usual suspects, as far as motion picture cameras.

Dave Blackham said:
So whats the official view on how the sensor should be cleaned if needed. I don't look forward to this task.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Lakis,

I was uncertain to post it, as I did not want to say you didn't know it, but to exclude the possibility and accelerate an eventual fixing, seemed more appropriate than me being perhaps wrong with it. With the new explanation I have the following picture in my mind, you could pull the interchangeable OLPF out, but only partially, the part between sensor glass and OLPF frame is left on the sensor glass. Weird that this happen on both Dragons of yours, and so far wasn't mentioned here with other cameras. Makes me un-easy to think about. That it stick to the glass of the sensor might have a reason, and this needs to be cleared to avoid more damage on other cameras. I will stay tuned to see what comes up. RED certainly will figure out what happen, perhaps a rubber solving sensor cleaner..., and will make certain that it will be safe in the future.

Best of luck.


Lakis Amarantithis said:
Dr. Sassi, both have the newest interchangeable OLPF. If you look at the olpf you'll see that it consists of 3 parts: The top part with the engraved letters, the glass and the other material that is flexible and touches the cover glass(?) so no strange rays will come and affect the image(?)/very smart. That's the part that got unglued from the olpf and is stuck on the cover glass (?)

Because is different material with the expansion and contraction from the heat cold the gluing got destroyed. That's my guess. Also my guess is that because of the pressure of that flexible material on the cover glass it got stuck/glued there. If I pull it I'm afraid I'll destroy it.

I contacted the bomb squad thanks Phill.
Click to expand...
 
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