Quote:
Originally Posted by badgoodDeb
By all means, then, don't! Go sit down with a paper book. Or maybe an ebook, since it doesn't have an _engine_ so it isn't a machine. Add in a cup of tea, to make up for not being able to do the chores.
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Actually, as my wife is an elementary school teacher here in Japan, she leaves the house at 7am and doesn't get back until around 8pm every day (and the school is only a five minute drive away...) and I am free all day, I'm basically a 'house husband.' I do everything EXCEPT her laundry (she doesn't trust me with it...) all the cooking and cleaning. But I do take time for tea!
Yesterday I went downtown to buy some digital sensor cleaning equipment. Most camera companies state in their warrantee that they are NOT responsible for damage to the sensor if you clean it yourself, but charge $50-$75 to do it for you. Many camera shops offer sensor cleaning service, and charge at the same rate.
It takes less than 10 minutes to clean a digital sensor, it's not difficult, but you do need to use the correct tools. Two of them. One is a squeeze bulb blower (something any photographer SHOULD have anyway) and the other is some sort of either disposable sensor swab or static electric wand. I prefer the swabs with a drop of Eclipse cleaning solution on it for sticky dust that won't just blow off. But the two largest camera stores in Osaka (both 5-6 story buildings... carrying 'almost' everything you can think of for cameras,
do NOT sell sensor cleaning equipment! They tell customers that it's too difficult to do themselves and should send their cameras in for service... service that takes about a week and costs a fortune!
I've been using digital cameras for about 5 years. That would equate to about 20-30 sensor cleaning sessions... or about $1,500 USD... for something that takes me 5 minutes to do at a cost of materials of roughly $2 each time. I either use commercially made "Sensor Swabs" and "Eclips" brand pure Methanol, or "Pec-Pads" brand lint-free tissue wrapped over the end of a rubber spatula that I cut to fit the size of my sensor. The trick is to use almost NO pressure, and only make ONE PASS with each side of the swab. I've never needed to use more than two swabs to get the sensor clean, after blowing out all standing dust with the squeeze bulb. When on location, I use the
"Arctic Butterfly" if needed.
The Japanese camera shops don't sell any of these products. Bummer... Now I have to make another mail order to the States.
Stitchawl