A retired tech in Portland flipped my view on cleaning sensors

I was fixing a stubborn dust spot on a 5D Mark III and mentioned I use a sensor swab kit. This old guy, 30 years in the biz, said I was stripping the AR coating with too many passes. He showed me his trick: a blower first, then a single dry wipe with a special cloth he makes himself. Told me he charges $45 a clean but does it in under 2 minutes without liquid. I tried his method on three cameras since, and it works better than my old routine. He admitted wet cleaning still has a place for oil spots, but he's right that most people overdo it. Anyone else ditch swabs for a dry approach? What do you use for stubborn residue that won't budge?

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henderson.oscar9d ago

Ever think the real issue is the coating itself, not your cleaning method? Modern sensors have that fragile AR layer and some manufacturers apply it thinner than others. Ive seen two identical camera bodies where one wipes clean easy and the other spots up like crazy. Maybe the dry trick works on one but you scratch the other without knowing it. A $10 blacklight and a magnifier will show you micro scratches you cant see in normal light. That old timer might be right for his gear, but yours could be a different story.