You're a busy person.
So here's the 10 second version of this review:
If you own a DSLR and have ever had an issue with dust then buy an Arctic Butterfly.
It's cheaper than getting somebody else to clean it and very easy to do.
If you have another couple of minutes to spare then read on...
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
We clicked with:
Easy.
Fast.
Works well.
Shots in the dark:
Swabs less good.
Expensive.
Links
VisibleDust
|
 |
|
|
I was out taking pictures with a friend the other day. Checking one of them for critical sharpness, I noticed that there was a dust spot on the sensor.
My friend was horror struck when I slipped an Arctic Butterfly out of my pocket, popped the mirror up and cleaned the camera sitting on a park bench in front of him.
It wasn't until I saw his reaction that I realised how much sensor cleaning has come on in the past couple of years. (By the way, if you're puzzled why you'd want to clean your sensor then check out my feature on
dust.)
First a bit of background
I've owned a number of DSLRs. In the past I've used a number of different ways of cleaning them:
Eclipse and Sensor Swabs. Like most people I still remember “my first time”. It was pretty nerve wracking but I had no real problems. The only slight drawback is that it usually took me at least 2 swabs to clean the sensor. That works out about £6 per clean. At one stage I owned 4 DSLRs so that got expensive.
[Note: some users have reported possible issues with methanol and certain sensors - check the Eclipse website for latest recommendations.]
Take the cameras into Nikon. I used to live near Nikon and at the time sensor cleaning was free. That was by far the best solution. Sadly neither of those is true any more.
An artist's brush and blower. This is a very popular method and involves statically charging a nylon brush with an air blower and wiping the sensor with it. I've used this for a long time now and haven't personally had any problems.
The Visible Dust system
The system on test consists of an “Arctic Butterfly 724”, VDust fluid and a box of orange swabs and corner swabs. RRP is £120. Which is a lot of money. If you damage the sensor on your camera cleaning it then you can pretty well say goodbye to the camera. Which is a lot more.
The recommended approach is minimal cleaning. Check if your camera needs cleaning. If it doesn't then leave it alone. If it does need cleaning then use the Arctic Butterfly a few times. If that doesn't clean it then use the swabs and fluid.
I like that approach. Not only does it mean minimal cleaning (which saves both time and risk), it saves me money. I'll only need swabs if the sensor is really dirty or has pollen or something stuck to it.
You can also buy the components separately. RRPs are as follows:
Arctic Butterfly 724 - £64.95
VDust fluid - £12.95
12 Orange swabs - £24.95
16 corner swabs - £19.95
So buying the kit all together saves you a couple of quid and gets you a nice case - you can buy refills for the parts you need.
The Arctic Butterfly 724
It's simple. Press the switch to spin the brush up. Let it spin for a while to build up a charge and then turn off. Put the camera in cleaning mode, wipe the sensor forward and back and you should be done.
Here's the amazing bit - it works. I took my two D2Xes and cleaned them once each. They were spotless. Ordinarily I'd expect 3 to 4 cleaning cycles with an artist's brush to get the same result. Often I'll stop after 2 cycles because they are “clean enough”. With cleaning and checking and charging the brush I'd allow 20 minutes to clean 2 cameras. With the Arctic Butterfly I was done in less than 2 minutes.
Reading the Visible Dust website they have a lot of warnings about artist's brushes (well, they would, wouldn't they?). I'm pretty sure most of these can be avoided by very careful brush selection. In fact when I chose mine I was happy to pay somebody to select the brushes for me. However, the fibres of the Arctic Butterfly are specially designed for the job and they have a special “super charged fibre” content. This apparently means they hold the charge longer while sweeping the entire surface.
I don't know about all the science stuff but one pass from an Arctic Butterfly did a better job than 3 goes from an artist's brush. It's also easier and quicker to use since you only have the brush and camera to juggle rather than brush, camera and blower.
The bottom line is that I'd happily use an arctic butterfly in “the field” to clean a camera but any other method I've used is strictly for indoors and I'd allow much longer for a proper job.
V-Dust and swabs
Once I'd cleaned the D2Xes I got cocky and picked up my D70. This is a very old camera that has had quite a hard life. Some time ago the sensor got gunk permanently stuck on it and I tried as many sensor swabs as I was prepared to invest.
|
There were still a number of spots on it that wouldn't shift - I left them because they only show up at about F16. I just use the camera at wider apertures!
I started off with the butterfly. Lots cleaner but the stuck spots were still stuck. So I tried VDust and orange swabs. I also swabbed the corners with corner swabs.
Results were “OK”. Some of the permanently stuck spots were removed (yes, after 20 minutes my camera was cleaner than it's been in 6 months) but some were still there. I tired repeated passes with the butterfly and another round of swabs. The gunk is pretty much stuck.
I talked to Visible Dust and they told me they have stronger fluids that can be used for more stubborn dust. When these arrive I'll update this review.
I'd rate VDust and swabs as “pretty good”. They gave at least as good a clean as sensor swabs and eclipse but didn't cure all my problems. I would probably choose Visible Dust swabs and fluid over Eclipse right now for a couple of reasons:
|
|
Depending where you buy it, the system is slightly cheaper.
You can take it on planes. [Eclipse is highly flammable. It's unlikely you could take a bottle on a plane before Richard Reid - now you'll be tossing it in those big bins they have at Heathrow. Sensor clean (the strong cleaning fluid from Visible Dust) is non flammable. VDust is slightly flammable (yes, I really did set fire to some to check...)]
The verdict
As I said right at the start, if you have a DSLR and have issues with dust then buy an Arctic Butterfly. The one on test was a 724, which has a very strong motor and interchangeable tips. For people on a budget there's the SL 700 which has a less powerful motor so you need to spin it for longer.
It also doesn't allow you to change the tips but the brush can be washed if it gets dirty (follow the instructions though!). I haven't tested an SL 700 but assuming it works as well as the 724 you can save a twenty quid by getting one. The SL 700 RRP is £44.95.
I'm less convinced by the swabs and fluid - if you need them they may do a good job and I'd certainly give them a go. However, they aren't for day to day cleaning and may not be enough for really tough dirt. In the light of this and the fact that you only save about £2 buying the kit, I'd recommend buying either a 724 or SL 700 and then buying swabs and fluid if and when you need them.
