Industry NEWS!
Photokina News - Update
SensorKlear Loupe by LensPen - This 6x loupe stands out due to its cut out on the side allowing access for cleaning the sensor with their New adjustable SensorKlear Pen. With this coming from a company with distribution already set up, we are only waiting for them to roll off the production line (late November) until they will show up on the store shelves. With an estimated street price of $49 for Loupe only and $59 for the loupe and a SensorKlear pen, these will surly be hard for dealers to keep in stock.
DSLR Sensor Loupe By GGS - This 5x powered loup was getting a lot of attention at Photokina with everyone and their brother wanting to be distributors, so they should be on the store shelves very soon. One thing that I liked very much right off the bat with this loupe, was its power source. Using AAA batteries they will last very long and can be found in most any corner store. The photo above tells you right off the bat what makes this one stand out from the others. Yes it has an extendable rail that mounts in the hot shoe allowing you to raise it up and change from 5x to 2x for viewing your cleaning operation. Using the rail is not required as this loupe woks just like all other sensor loupes too. Made in China (all loupes being sold today, be they from Delkin, Visible Dust or LensPen are made in China). Knowing the cost, I'm guessing the street price on this loupe will between $49-$59.
eyelead Sensor Cleaning Kit - This kit, just like the Dust-Aid's Platinum is a clone of the sensor cleaning tool sold by Canon (in Japan only). It uses replaceable adhesive on the tip of an applicator to remove dust. The strong point about this one is the offering of new adhesive sheets (enough to do about 100 cleaning) for a very low price ($6-$10) compared to other on the market. Designed in Germany, Made in China and adhesive material made in the USA. At this point these are not currently mass marketed in the USA, but they shout be popping up on store shelves in the near future. Street price is expected to be between $29-$39 which will include enough adhesive strips to do 100 cleanings.
Photokina News - I have been here in Germany at Photokina for the past week and have some new products that I'm excited to see entering the Sensor Cleaning arena.
#1 SensorKlear Loupe by LensPen
#2 DSLR Sensor Loupe by GGS
#3 eyelead Sensor Cleaning Kit (very similar to the kit Canon sells in Japan)
Canon's New 5D Mark II and 50D both have sensor shakers to knock of what dust it can. Canon went 1 step further by putting a fluorine coating on the sensor to assist the sensor shaker. They hope this fluorine coating will cut the need for manual cleanings by 60%.
I did stop by the Green Clean booth and talk with them about previous concerns and will be giving their product that is in ne packaging a new look when I get back. I do have in my possession both loupes mentioned above and will give them a thorough testing and report back here in about 2 weeks.
No news from Photokina but news I learned while here, Visible Dust has canceled their Arctic Butterfly and have replaced it with a new more expensive version with an LED in it. I will report on this too when my first sample arrives.
9/27/2008
It has been brought to my attention that a Ross and Lorraine (the Dust-Aid Team) are not happy with my findings. As a consumer advocate, demystifier of marketing hype and one who exposes dishonesty, I'm sure I will make some unhappy at times, this isn't the first nor will it be the last. The vendors love me when I talk good about their products and hate me when I talk bad, but one thing you can be sure of is that I am and always have been 100% honest, political I'm not. I stand 100% behind my tests as I repeated them 3 time and got the same results every time. Contrary to their new claims, their findings were published to the public on their site prior to me receiving their package. Yes I will admit that I am biased, I am biased towards products that work and honesty.
9/4/2008
I received in the mail yesterday a flyer touting Ultra Clean’s (by Dust-Aid) ability to evaporate and leave little residue after placing a drop directly on a sensor along with a sample for my own testing. I watched the video on their site showing an evaporation rate comparison of Dust-Aid’s Ultra Clean to it’s competitors, Sensor Clean by Visible Dust and Eclipse by Photographic Solutions.
I found it very strange that a product designed to clean isn’t being marketed by it’s cleaning ability but by its ability to evaporate. The video was even more disturbing by it’s use of scare tactics, talking about sensor cleaning fluids making their way in-between a sensor and it’s protective filter. First of all, none of the current sensor cleaning product manufacturers have you placing cleaning fluid directly on the sensor. Secondly, proper use of ALL of the sensor cleaning swabs and chemicals will not leave fluid behind to travel into unwanted places. This is just marketing scare tactics.
This morning I took Dust-Aid up on their recommendations that I do my own tests to qualify their findings. But I did my tests on these products ability to clean, after all isn’t that what they are being sold to do?
In my test;
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I placed a drop of camera oil on a mirror
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Used an optical wipe (Pec*Pad) and made a wet spot on it the size of a quarter with the listed products then immediately went to work cleaning.
- Eclipse – Cleaned the mirror and removed the oil
- Eclipse E2 – Cleaned the mirror and removed the oil
- Ulta Clean – Appeared to mostly just smear the oil around not cleaning the mirror
- Sensor Clean – Appeared to mostly just smear the oil around too and left the biggest mess behind of all.
So my findings show that yes, Ulta Clear evaporates faster, but it’s cleaning capabilities come nowhere close to Eclipse. With Ultra Clear retailing for twice the price of Eclipse for 1/3 of the volume, you are now looking at 6 times the price of Eclipse. When you throw in Ulta Clean’s high evaporation rate causing the need for 10 drops per swab versus Eclipse’s 3 drops per swab, your cost to wet a swab is 18 times more expensive with Ulta Clean. As for my findings with Sensor Clean, it did the worst job of all 4 chemicals tested.
When it comes down to it, Eclipse by Photographic Solutions, the only sensor cleaning chemical endorsed by a camera manufacturer, is still the best. If you have a clean sensor with no goo on it, Ultra clean doesn’t do a bad job of shining an already clean sensor.
Curt Fargo
Camera Repairman
Certified Photographic Consultant
Retailer of: Visible Dust, Photographic Solutions, and Dust-Aid Products
Webmaster for: www.CleaningDigitalCameras.com
4/3/2007
Dust-Aid delays the full release of their product until May so that they may switch manufacturers. Dust-Aid also announced that they have signed a deal with Omega Satter for distribution in the USA.
3/18/2007
Delkin is working on their 3rd revision of their sensor cleaning swab.
3/8/2007
NRD, LLC announces the FIREFLY Digital Sensor Cleaner
Dust, dirt and other particles in the camera body come from many sources, and can become attached to interior surfaces of the camera body, mirror and shutter. These particles are attracted to the sensor and can be held in place by electrostatic charges.
The FireFly uses a Giotto “Rocket” air blower bulb and advanced ionizing technology to direct a burst of anti-static air onto the sensor. Once the non-fixed dirt and dust particles lose their electrostatic charge, they simply fall off the sensor.
3/8/2007
Photographic Solutions debuts their new Digital Survival Kit
Photographic Solutions, our new Digital Survival Kit. It's all you need to keep your sensors and optics clean while on the road. The kit comes in a nylon pouch which as a belt loop on the back side.
Kit includes: 0.5 oz of Eclipse, 10 PEC*PADs, 4 Sensor Swabs & 1 E-Wipe packet.
Available in each of the 3 Sensor Swab sizes. Only $20.00!!! See your dealer.
2/20/2007
Camera owners of the exciting new Sony Alpha A100 now have a safe and secure way to clean dust from the tin oxide sensor . Photographic Solutions, Inc.’s latest sensor cleaning product is now officially
. "Recommended by Sony for cleaning their DSLR CCD sensor when used with Sensor Swab. "E2 is guaranteed safe by Photographic Solutions.
E2 is the new Optic Cleaner formulated specifically for the newer Tin Oxide sensors used in both the Sony Alpha and Canon 400D cameras.
Photographic Solutions invented sensor cleaning with the introduction of Sensor Swab and Eclipse Optic Cleaner for cleaning the Kodak line of DCS cameras. Since then, most of the camera manufacturers have recommended these products for their own digital backs and digital SLR cameras. These products are recommended and used by more manufacturers and professionals than all of the other sensor cleaning products
combined. Our guarantee offers 100% protection should any sensor damage occur due to the use of our products.
For more details visit us at PMA Booth K154 or on the web at : http://www.photosol.com/eclipse_e2product.htm
Photographic Solutions, Inc.
Since the Dawn of Digital ™
2/7/2007
Photographic Solutions starts shipping Eclipse E2™
Eclipse E2™ "Recommended by Sony for cleaning their DSLR CCD sensor when used with Sensor Swab. This cleaning solution is guaranteed safe by Photographic Solutions, as stated in their GUARANTEE.",
1/3/2007
DUST-AID a new Sensor Cleaning Product hits the streets in the next couple of weeks.
12/29/2006
Photographic Solutions announces 2 new products.
1. Eclipse E2 - for cleaning the newer Tin Oxide CCD’s currently used in Sony’s Alpha and Canon’s 400D/Xti DSLR’s.
2 New CCD sensor cleaning kit, zippered pouch will contain a ½ oz bottle of Eclipse (which meets the threshold of current TSA regulations for flammable liquids on board aircraft); 3 Sensor Swabs and a 10 a sheet pack of PEC*PAD’s.
12/19/2006
Canon has been offering a Sensor Cleaning Kit SCK-E1 in Asia. This kit can only be bought from an official Canon Service Center and only after going through a mini training class and after signing a waver releasing Canon from any liability if you damage your camera.
12/18/2006
SensorCleaning.com an new www site compliments of VisibleDust is in the works.
12/11/2006
Delkin enters the D-SLR sensor cleaning supplies market with their SensorScope Kit.
The kit includes:
- 1 Sensor Scope
- 1 SensorVac
- 24 SensorWands
- 1 SensorSolution
- 1 Carrying Case
12/10/2006
CleaningDigitalCameras.com gets a face lift. Yes, this was long overdue and will be updated much more often from here on out. We already have much more to add and will do so in the next week or two.