Update: I used to swear by canned air for sensor cleaning, but a job in Portland changed my mind

I was cleaning a Sony A7III sensor at a shop in Portland last month, and canned air left a residue streak right across the frame. The customer was watching me work and said 'you know, a rocket blower would have avoided that.' I tried it on my next three jobs and it worked perfectly every time. Plus I saved about $15 per can versus buying new ones. Now I only use canned air for blowing out lens mounts, never sensors. Has anyone else had a bad streak from canned air that made you switch?

2 comments

2 Comments

price.jake1d ago

Yeah but did the rocket blower actually get all the dust off, or did you still have to hit it with a wet swab after?

the_sean16h ago

Honestly the rocket blower gets like 90% of the loose stuff off but you'll still need a wet swab for the stubborn greasy spots, especially near the edges. I usually blast it first, check with a loupe, then hit the leftover crud with a couple wet passes and a dry one to finish. Works way better than trying to do it all with just the blower or going straight to wet cleaning.