Perfect spec CCD cleaning tool

[Ben]

I recently came accross the :
Optics First Aid Kit™
Designed for Outdoor Photographers,
Travelers & Sportsmen
from Kinetronic.
In this kit they have a tool called a SpeckGRABBER !!
This little tool can save you loads of money. It allows you to clean individual dust specs from the CCD, by 'latching' on to them and then removing them without to much surface contact. My biggest issue was that the whole CCD needed to be cleaned if one big spec shows up, now simply grab it and its off.

I`m by no means a promoter of sorts, but getting this tool can save you loads of money (the guy who scratched the CCD after being in a marble quarry), and ease the nerves of guys like ANDRE.

Please read the instructions carefully, then try it a couple of times on a 'test' subject, such as a lens or sorts, then only try it on the CCD.

If its good enough for the D1X then I suppose the S2 will be able to handle it :)

Hope this helps.

Ben
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Do my deeds speak louder than my words... ?
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[Tom Nolle]

I've had one of these gadgets for about 9 months now, and it has its plusses and minuses. To get the most out of it, you need to have a good magnifier because the dust spots on the surface of the CCD are often too small to see and "grab" without one. You give each speck a light touch with the end and it will (often, not always) stick to the grabber.

Some specks seem to stick too well for the device to grab, and others are too small to see but large enough to mess up a picture. I think it's a great strategy for a couple of big specks, but for a bunch of smaller ones you'll still need to swab, and it's probably best to plan to swab about every third cleaning anyway to get the stuff you don't see easily.

Tom

[Ben]

Tom,

Thanks for that comment, its good to know someone has used it successfully.
For the hard to get ones I suppose nothing beats the swab, but it must be done right.

I just feel the less contact there is with the CCD the less chances of damage.

Unfortuantely Fuji South Africa doesn`t even know about the SWAB cleaning kit for the S2, and the special swabs and solution are nowhere to be found. I`ll have to import at an extra cost of about $80 (shipping).
Cleaning by the local agents costs $66.

So this little tool saves me allot.

[Tom Nolle]

I think CCD cleaning is like Photoshop processing; you've got to have a workflow. I like to first blow off the CCD with a bulb to clear anything that's not sticking, with the camera angled a bit so it falls down and out. Then I inspect for large-enough-to-see stuff, which I prefer to get with the grabber because if it's big enough to see it might be big enough to scratch. Then swab. Fortunately this is something that needs to be done only a couple times a year.

My swab strategy is to use a spatula cut down and pec pads. For solution, I like Everclear which is pretty much pure ethanol. It's a lot cheaper than eclipse fluid and more readily available here in NJ.

Tom

[scooper]

work flow,work flow as an amature photogragher this word is new to me .i want to compose and take pictures not work for endless hours on a computer(i do enough of that at work )now im hereing about how often and delicate the ccd is to cleaning,im hearing about everyone sending their digitals back to fugi before warenty expires to unstick pixals etc.....no digital isnt anyware nearwere it needs to be to win over the masses.i think ill stay with film for a few more years.that gives me a great excuss to buy my F 5.I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE SAYING MAN FOR THAT KIND OF MONEY YOU COULD GET ADECENT DIGITAL SLR(S2 PRO OR D-100).THat is true but my f-5 will not drop in value like a rock from aa skyskraper and i surly will not be sending it in to unstick a pixel or 10

[sandman]

Scooter i hear what your saying, but your F5 will drop , mine did so did my 90x and F4, but if your against digital so much, what the hell are you doing on this forum.

[Wichita Wayne]

The price of used Hasselblads as fallen through the floor in the last year. It could be the general economy but I think that digital had a lot to do with it. I would also say that if you are near retirement then the F5 will probably do nicely, but if you are a young photographer, pro or am, then you would be wise to look into digital. Then again you could also wait a year and pick up some really fine film cameras for a song. I would also skip 35mm film, unless you are a slide freak. It really cannot compete with medium format, and my Hasselblad 500 series cameras are about the same size as an F5.

[easternherp]

I agree with your comments Wayne,

A couple of years ago, well maybe 4 or 5, I said that digital would not take over from film as the quality wasn't good enough. Now you can get a decent 16 x 20 inch print out of an S2 onto proper photographic paper.