portable clean room for changing OLPF

[Sergei Franklin]

I have had my camera upgraded to the removable OLPF but haven't changed it yet.
I am wondering of we should have a portable clean room for changing the OLPF on set.
I came across this http://sentryair.com/specs/Clean-Room-Portable-Mini-212-PCR.htm
I think it's around $1000. I talked to Sean Lawler sean@sentryair.com about it.
Maybe someone could customize it so the top is removable and flips around for travel.
Also would be good if it was dual voltage. ( I understood that it is one or the other)
I would like to know your thoughts on this and what dust issues those who've been switching have had.
And are there any other options.

 

[Phil Holland]

I would say safely that nobody has swapped OLPFs as much as I have unless a rental house has been going nuts. Between the actual OLPF testing, shoots with up to 3 Dragons, and jobs that I've switched from one to the other on I'm probably in the range of 100+ swaps now. Which is crazy.

I haven't used a clean room for any of this and I really haven't had dust that a hand blower, canned air, or brushing particles off the rubber gasket can't handle.

When it comes to location swapping I've done a lot of it, but I haven't done it in the middle of a windy desert yet. I imagine if I had to in that situation I would pack a large clear plastic bag and use it as a windshield of some sort.

Remember, behind the OLPF is the sensor covered by the "coverglass", which is the last line of protection.

Inspect the OLPF before installing it closely. Try not to have the Sensor Box area exposed to the elements for too long (more than a couple minutes). Inspect the Sensor Box area with a light if possible. Blow out any particles inside there or on the OLPF and install.

Once you've done it a few times you'll see it's pretty much as "risky" as swapping lenses when it comes to dust getting into undesirable places that can effect the image.

 

[John Marchant]

I challenge your OLPF swap supremacy /throws latex glove onto magliner

but seriously... I've explored the portable clean room thing and found it more complex to keep in a suitable state than just being sensible and using a little air or worst-case a swab every so often. No big deal.

 

[Douglas Underdahl]

Yes, and remember, a clean room is only as clean as the stuff ypu put into it.

 

[Mark L. Pederson]

We change them every day.

NEVER use canned air. EVER. Worst thing you can do. Volatile liquid hydroflurocarbon is not what you want to spray anywhere near a sensor or OLPF.

ARTIC BUTTERFLY for the win. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Arctic+Butterfly&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

The static charge makes dust JUMP onto the brush. You never have to touch the OLPF or SENSOR

 

[Mark L. Pederson]

I challenge your OLPF swap supremacy /throws latex glove onto magliner

he he he

I challenge you & Phil to a blindfolded OLPF swap competition

 

[Mark Phelan]

We change them every day.

NEVER use canned air. EVER. Worst thing you can do. Volatile liquid hydroflurocarbon is not what you want to spray anywhere near a sensor or OLPF.

ARTIC BUTTERFLY for the win. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Arctic+Butterfly&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

The static charge makes dust JUMP onto the brush. You never have to touch the OLPF or SENSOR

THIS.

I'll add that my favorite clean room out in the field is a car with the engine off, no air conditioning or heater blowing, all doors closed and windows rolled up. The dead air inside works well for changing things, olpf's, lenses, pants, whatever.

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

I can back up Mark's recommendation against canned air. I did my swap... ONCE. Blew my canned air at it and ended up with nice jelly booger right in the middle of my STOLPF. I've never seen canned air do that before--but of course it picked the most sensitive optical device I own to pick that moment to start.