Not an unknown issue.

Mention of the dust removal system in the new Canon 400D prompts this column.

I pointed out how easily the guileless are fooled by horribly overpriced sensor cleaning solutions here.

I have since added another very effective tool to my sensor cleaning arsenal, on top of that little $5 brush. It is made by Hakuba, the ‘Lens Pen Pro’, and sells for all of $10, coming with both a retractable brush and less pliable spongy end when the going gets tough. It has far better reach than the film brush. In fairness, I have had few sensor dust problems with the 5D, but then again I live in a part of the USA where prevailing humidity levels are average; I cannot help wondering whether those in dry, static bearing, climates are more affected?

Well, the other day some of my pictures were plagued by a couple of spots on the sensor, requiring retouching in Aperture. Now I really don’t want to do this for a living, so I attacked the sensor – or more correctly the protective cover glass – with the brush end of the Lens Pal Pro, but to no avail. Whatever was there was well and truly stuck:

Dust spots on the sensor – greatly enlarged

So, screwing up my courage – the alternative is sending the camera to Canon at great expense and interminable delay – I had at it carefully with the ‘hard’ spongy end of the Hakuba, with the following result – the spot is almost gone and certainly good enough for me – the image would be 30″ x 40″ if printed:

Dust spots after using the ‘hard’ end of the Hakuba

I prefer this approach to using lens cleaning solution as my experience shows that even with Kodak Lens Cleaner, it’s quite hard to get drying stains off the cleaned surface, and the sensor is not that easily reached.

My first Hakuba Lens Pal Pro no longer wants to click the brush into the open position, so while it remains usable, I have another on order. At $10 it’s hard to complain.