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Dust on a DSLR’s sensor is one of those unfortunate facts of life that basically every owner will have to deal with at some point. Shooting outdoors, changing lenses, and even simply using your camera puts you at risk for dust on the sensor. If you don’t have dust now, you will later so be proactive and learn now what you’re options are for dealing with it. 

Depending on how bad the dust is you’ll make the call whether you want to clean it now or not. If you decide now is the right time you have a few options on your path to sensor cleanliness.

1. Professional Cleaning This one will cost you the most time and money. Most camera shops don’t actually do sensor cleaning in-house. Instead they send it back to the manufacturer to have it done.

2. Baby Step It’s possible that the dust on your sensor is loose dust that just a needs a nudge to move on. You can use a manual blower/bulb for this. This step is definitely worth trying but unfortunately most of the dust is going to be too stubborn for this method.

3. DIY with Task-Specific Equipment As DSLRs become more popular more companies are developing tools and products specifically for them. This includes sensor cleaning tools. Specific tools are in my opinion the best option for cleaning your sensor. If you use a trusted company you know the materials are safe and effective. In addition they come with instructions that are tailored for the particular product. Better instructions for the product you’re using means less change of a stupid screw up that will hurt your sensor and hose your camera.

Sounds like a nightmare, yeah? Well, that’s because it is. Keep your sensor clean, then you don’t have to clean it in the first place. Simple, yeah? To find out how, read this excellent post by Michelle Jones.

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