Their Claims - Our Side

Recently a company selling sensor cleaning supplies has been making erroneous statements concerning other company’s cleaning products.  The website you are now reading will present our side of the story and let you decide what is the best approach for sensor cleaning your camera.

Our customers, both resellers and end-users, have told us we can no longer remain silent. Although this site is owned by Photographic Solutions, Inc., it is our purpose here to provide you with correct information and verifiable facts, not only about our products, but about sensor cleaning in general.    

No single sensor cleaning product – ours included – will work for all people on all cameras in all situations.  Factors such as comfort level, dexterity, environmental conditions, camera usage and location - among other factors - will ultimately determine the best course of action for each camera owner to pursue. We suggest you evaluate all of the available products to see which combination works best for you.

Current methods employed are wet cleaning (swabbing), dry cleaning, brushing, blowing, vacuuming, adhesive pads and software dust removal tools . All of these have their place, and deserve consideration in your arsenal in the war on dust.

Here are a few of the claims which are currently being presented as fact by one of our competitors. By presenting their opinion as fact, you are led to believe their products are the only acceptable and safe choice.

Their Story #1 : They claim they are #1 manufacturer of swabs.
Our Side : None of the sensor cleaning companies release sales figures, so who’s to know? We’ve been selling swabs since 1998, six full years before they went into business. So based on units or gross revenue, we find their claim a bit unbelievable.

Their Story #2 : They claim their products are the most trusted and most recommended.
Our Side : Photographic Solutions is recommended, in writing, by Eastman Kodak, Fuji, Megavision, Better light, Sony (for the Alpha) and Leica (for Digital Module R).

Their Story #3 : Methanol is destructive and ruins CCD and CMOS sensors.
Our Side : Both camera manufacturers and CCD/CMOS manufacturers approved of both of our cleaning liquids,  Eclipse & E2.  Obviously, they would not recommend products that would damage their own sensors.

Their Story #4 : Water-based chemicals are safer and work better than alcohols.
Our Side : Ammonia is water-based. Can it harm you? Take a deep breath of it, or get it near your eyes and the answer becomes instantly obvious. Just because something is water-based does not make it safe.
Methanol is flammable and yes, it’s toxic - but it is also far superior for cleaning. Methanol easily dissolves the oily residues that get on sensors and pure alcohols dry much faster than water.
A camera’s moving parts have to be lubricated and that lubrication is oil-based. As the mirror and shutter mechanisms move about doing their job, some of that lubricant is displaced on the inside of the camera. Some of that inevitably lands on the sensor.

When dust lands and dries on the residue, it is not going to be blown or brushed off (even with our BrushOFF™). Since oil & water do not mix, a water-based solvent will simply not remove it.  Because water-based solvents do not evaporate readily, they can easily seep into electronic parts, causing substantial damage.

OUR GUARANTEE : plain, simple and in writing …

CCD Sensor Guarantee :

Photographic Solutions, Inc. guarantees that it's Sensor Swab , BrushOff,  Eclipse or E2 products will cause no damage to the CCD or CMOS sensor when used in accordance with the instructions provided by the camera manufacturer and/or Photographic Solutions website (PS). If it is determined that these products caused physical damage to the sensor, PS will reimburse the camera owner for the full cost of repairs upon presentation to PS of proof of purchase, camera manufacturer's repair invoice and the damaged sensor. This warranty applies to all cameras and in any country.

Use of non-approved methods, procedures or products will void this warranty.

Sensor Swabs must be purchased in original PSI packaging which includes the original PSI instructions for use. Please note that PEC*PAD is guaranteed for lenses only, and is not intended for use on sensors.

We welcome your comments.

David M. Stone
Elizabeth Stone
Joel Rudy

The Photographic Solutions’ Team