Arctic Butterfly & a TC

Thinking of getting the Arctic Butterfly don't know which one so if you have one and can help, yes please. Also considering a TC so I don't have to carry so much weight any comment on that would be helpful as well. Thank you.

Bazza has one and he has the loupe thingy too, he'll tell you when he sees this.

Thanks Dawn, bet that means you don't need one

Mm... I need an arctic butterfly too, so will watch this thread
xx

No he won't, yes he will - ITS BEHIND YOU.

I went for the VisibleDust Artic Butterfly 724 with the Sensor Loupe 7x as a kit.

Ok my impressions the Sensor Loupe is amazing and really is a "must have" in my book.

As for the Artic Butterfly it is good at removing light dust- small hairs etc which is what it is designed to do. However if you get those black/grey spots then you would need a proper swab kit which can be found on ebay. the Butterfly won't remove them but its not designed to anyway. It won't remove any smears either, but you shouldn't shove jam butties into the camera in the first place.

I used to use the Loupe with swabs on my previous camera and it worked a treat, even did it on Dawns camera. As she decided dust was the "in thing" (joke) and also using a blower as well it disturbed a lot more of the stuff, so she sent it away for a total clean which found sand grit (already causing the error code beforehand) under a dial causing an error code. But having said that the Butterfly did remove offending dust which was actually not on the sensor but on the viewer/mirror on her camera.

So don't bother with the Butterfly without the Loupe it would be a waste of time in my opinion. With it and mirror lockup and access to the sensor it is brilliant, but used very very gently as per instructions. Oh the kit isn't cheap,you are looking at well over a three figure sum for the one I have.

I wouldn't recommend using it where there are carpets etc, I found the most sterile place was the kitchen where dust is at its minimum just as a matter of interest, ok I have bored you so I
will go back to sleep


Bazza

OOh who loves ya baby

OK Bazza, so the brush will remove dust but I need swabs for jam and the odd splash of gravy.

I agree about blowers, stands to reason if it blows it off the sensor it has to go somewhere and out of the camera seems unlikely.

So do I rely on the cameras own dust spotter and get a set of swabs and cleaner or do I fork out for a magnifying thing. Seems the arctic butterfly is good but not entirely necessary. Have heard the Loupe is good but wonder if I check the situation regularly I need to spend that sort of money.

I don't seem to have dust free places in my home, no carpet just dust and dog hair.

Thank you for your help and time I need to have a good think and then take the plunge.

OK any comments on TCs, are they just useful for emergences or does anyone use one as a matter of coarse.

The arctic butterfly did move the dirt a bit, but upon travelling with the camera and using it again it was a LOT worse. I expect it dislodged dust and dirt that was already there but my dust was on the grid plate NOT the sensor, so whether its different I dont know. Thats why I sent it off, it came back perfect.

Snapper

I can't recommend highly enough the Loupe, it shows every bit of dirt on the sensor.
As I said earlier I think it is a must have for every photographer with sensor dirt problems whatever way the sensor is cleaned. Once you have one you will wonder why you didn't get one before

Bazza

Snapper - re blowers - have a look here

http://www.yophotographer.com/page.php?t=7338