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Tape Cleaning
There are people who absolutely swear by the tape method of sensor cleaning. The con-
cept seems totally wacky, and I have never tried it personally, so I can’t say with certainty
that it either does or does not work. In the interest of completeness, I’m including it
here. I can’t give you a recommendation, so if you have problems, please don’t blame
me. The Nikon D7000 is still too new to have generated any reports of users acciden-
tally damaging the anti-dust coating on the sensor filter using this method.
Tape cleaning works by applying a layer of Scotch Brand Magic Tape to the sensor. This
is a minimally sticky tape that some of the tape cleaning proponents claim contains no
adhesive. I did check this out with 3M, and can say that Magic Tape certainly does con-
tain an adhesive. The question is whether the adhesive comes off when you peel back
the tape, taking any dust spots on your sensor with it. The folks who love this method
claim there is no residue. There have been reports from those who don’t like the method
that residue is left behind. This is all anecdotal evidence, so you’re pretty much on your
own in making the decision whether to try out the tape cleaning method.
Magnifier Assisted Cleaning
Using a magnifier to view your sensor as you clean it is a good idea. I rely on two
types. I have four Carson MiniBrite PO-25 magnifiers (see Figure 14.15), and keep
one in each camera bag. So, no matter where I am shooting, I have one of these
$8.95 gadgets with me. You can read more about this great tool at my blog
(http://dslrguides.com/blog/?p=274). When I’m not traveling, I use a SensorKlear loupe.
It’s a magnifier with a built-in LED illuminator. There’s an opening on one side that
allows you to insert a SensorKlear cleaning wand, a pen-like stylus with a surface treated
to capture dust particles. (See Figure 14.16.) Both the SensorKlear loupe and the
SensorKlear wand are available from www.lenspen.com.
Chapter 14 ■ Nikon D7000: Troubleshooting and Prevention 487
Figure 14.15
The Carson
MiniBrite is a
good value sen-
sor magnifier.