Since we have been taking digital photos with SLR or mirrorless cameras, our photographic equipment needs more care and cleaning than in analogue times. The reason for this is simple: with an analog camera, the film advances after each shot, so it’s perfectly clean and dust-free. With a digital camera, however, we use the same sensor for many thousands of images. A lint, dust or dirt that is on the sensor is therefore also visible in every picture taken and it takes a lot of work to remove it later in the image processing. It is therefore better and less work intensive to keep the camera sensor as clean as possible and therefore not to forget the sensor cleaning, lens and camera care.
The principle should apply: cleaning as rarely and as gently as possible! It is neither useful nor necessary to clean the camera sensor after every photo trip or regularly, for example once a month. I only clean my camera’s sensor when the work of removing dirt in the image processing with Lightroom becomes too much for me. Removing a dot here and there is certainly not a problem. But having to do the whole thing for every picture is annoying and pointless. Then a sensor cleaning is due. I give comprehensive instructions on how to do this professionally in regular online and face-to-face courses on the subject.
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Here is a sample list of tools and materials that can be useful for sensor cleaning, lens and camera care, all of which I have used successfully.
Sensor cleaning:
Sensor magnifier illuminated by Micnova
Cleaning set with sensor swabs, cleaning fluid and brush from Visible Dust
“Tornado” bellows with air filter from Rollei
Camera cleaning:
Sponge towels from Vileda
Chinco foam cleaning swabs
Lens cleaning:
Lens cleaning tissues from Rollei
Lint-free microfiber towels from Fosmon
Rollei lens cleaning fluid
