Sensor Loupe™ is to a Digital SLR owner what a standard loupe is to a Jeweler. Using 5x magnification and six super light LEDs, the VisibleDust Sensor Loupe™ allows photographers to check their camera's image
sensor for debris prior to heading out for a shoot. Sensor Loupe™ retails for $69.95 and is available now.
VisibleDust and Delkin are the only two manufacturers that make a loupe specifically for checking image sensors, but VisibleDust was the first to make a loupe available for purchase as a stand-alone
product. VisibleDust has also designed their unit with 6 LED lights (the Delkin uses 4 LED lights) which should allow for brighter and more uniform coverage of the image sensor.
Do I really need a Sensor Loupe™ to check for sensor dust?
Prior to the marketing of image sensor loupes the only way to check for debris on your DSLR's image sensor was to shoot a bright, preferably white, subject such as a white sheet of paper or wall
using a reduced aperture (f/16, f/22). You would then upload the image to your computer in order to view it at 100% (or greater) magnification. For more accurate results you would have to adjust the contrast of the image - which really makes
those pesky micro-sized dust particles and other debris stand out. If your sensor was dirty you would then use one of the many sensor cleaning products on the market
designed to clean image sensors - and then repeat the process until you were satisfied with the results.
What causes the sensor to get dirty?
The reason a DSLR's sensor requires cleaning is mainly because the removable lens design exposes the inside chamber whenver you change lenses. Image Sensors also create a bit of static helping it to
attract airborne particles such as dust, hair, and moisture. Even if you only have one lens and never remove it, small
particles from the lens itself can flake off the inner assembly of the lens - especially with autofocus and zoom lenses.
The reason why this is a problem with digital SLR's and not with your older film SLR is mainly due to the fact that if dust particles landed on the film negative it would
only show up on that particular frame and then the camera auto-winds to the next (clean & fresh) frame. With a digital SLR and its stationary image sensor,
tiny particles slowly start to accumulate over time - and will eventually show up in more and more of your photographs.
Removing these specs using Photoshop
If you find that a dust spot or 'floater' only shows up in a photo every once in a while, you may just want to use the clone tool in Photoshop (or most any photo editing software)
to remove the particle. If you're like me and come home everytime with 100+ photos -- many that have some specs on them and others that don't (small apertures show more debris)
you will find it a tedious task to open and edit or check those images - one after another. Using the Sensor Loupe™%trade; to examine your camera's image sensor prior to
shooting can save you a lot of valuable time later on.
VisibleDust Sensor Loupe™
In The Box
VisibleDust ships the Sensor Loupe™ in a small square package that includes a compact (3" x 3" x 1.80") protective zippered case which holds the Sensor Loupe™, 2 Lithium watch-style
batteries, a soft micro-fiber cleaning coth, a micro-fiber pouch, and a soft lanyard-style neck strap that attaches directly to the Sensor Loupe™.
I actually didn't discover the neck strap
until a bit later in the review process as it was tucked behind a flap and in all my excitement to 'see dust' I had overlooked it. Don't! Put the strap on the Sensor Loupe immediately as it is
the best way to keep the loupe right where you need it when you're holding your dSLR with lens removed and image sensor expoosed.
Missing from the photo above is the micro-fiber cleaning cloth and lanyard-style neck strap.
Using the Sensor Loupe™
The Sensor Loupe™ was designed to work with all digital SLR's. After installing the two watch-size batteries the Sensor Loupe™ is ready to go!
Before using the Sensor Loupe™ to examine the image sensor, you'll need to remove the lens and put your dSLR into cleaning mode or 'mirror lockup' mode.
This is done a bit differently with each camera so please check your camera's manual for instructions. On the Canon EOS Rebel XTi, you can use either
Mirror Lockup (found in the custom function menu) or "Sensor Cleaning: Manual" Mode found in the tools menu.
If you plan to inspect and also clean your sensor you'll want to make sure that the camera is on AC power or that the battery is fully charged. You would
not want the camera to power off while you are cleaning your sensor. If you are just planning on examining the sensor then this shouldn't be a big concern.
To use the Sensor Loupe™ position it over the lens-mount of the camera. Make sure to slide the power switch (positioned on the barrel of the Sensor Loupe™)
to the on position. The white light from the 6 LED's make it very easy to see inside the camera, while the 5x magnification makes it very easy to spot dust particles,
or other microscopic debris or particles.
Since the Sensor Loupe™ itself has its own optics its probably a good idea to use the included cloth or pouch to lightly clean any particles off of the Sensor Loupe™
before examing your image sensor. Use the included soft cloth, preferably with a lens cleaning solution, if available to you.
You wouldn't want to go through the trouble of cleaning the sensor only to discover that the
particle you were seeing was on the loupe and not the sensor.
When examining my camera's image sensor I found the best technique was to move the loupe around (though, not rubbing it against the camera), helping to bring into sharp focus all sections of the image sensor.
Moving and even tilting the loup just a bit also helps you guage whether the specs or debris are on the sensor or on the loupe itself.
I also found that moving my head back and forth just a bit also helped to change the magnification - allowing a better view of all parts of the image sensor.
The photographs above illustrate the view you'll see through the Sensor Loupe™ You can 'click to zoom' on each photo in order
to get a better view of the small dust particles that were on my image sensor. The top photograph is a straight in view, while the second and
third photograph are at slight angles - giving you a better look at each side of the image sensor.
Conclusion
While Delkin was the first to introduce their SensorScope, the only way to get one was to purchase a rather expensive cleaning kit.
VisibleDust not only created a more advanced Loupe that features MgF2 (Magnesium flouride)* coated optical glass and 6 super bright LEDs, they have
also made it available as a stand-alone product (Delkin has now made theirs available ala carté as well). This means you can use the Sensor
Loupe™ to inspect along with your favorite sensor cleaning product to clean. Many users swear by other VisibleDust products such as the Artic
Butterfly™, Sensor Cleasning Swabs™, and Smear Away™ - while others use Photographic Solutions Pec-Pad or Sensor Swab products
combined with their Eclipse E2™ cleaning solution. Personally, I use both the Artic Butterfly® 'dry' brush and Photographic Solutions
Sensor Swabs with the E2 solution, though I prefer the latter as a swipe across the sensor with a Sensor Swap and a little E2 solution gets the job
done every time.
* Magnseium flouride (MgF2) is very durable and helps to eliminate reflections because of its ideal refractive index.
The Sensor Loupe&trade is a great and fast solution for any photographer looking to check their sensor before heading out for an important shoot.
The last thing you'd want to have to do is to manually edit 20 or 30 (or more) photographs because of dust and/or hair that got into the sensor
chamber.
But the real question is "do you need it?," and the answer is no. There is a free way to check for dust and debris on the image sensor
which may not cost you any money - but can cost you time. A white wall, a small aperture f/16, f/22, and manual examination of the image -
preferably on your computer monitor will uncover most of the particles. It won't be perfectly clear where exactly on the sensor they are - but
this method will let you know whether you need to clean the sensor or not.
The biggest drawback to this method is the continued back and forth between camera and PC after each cleaning; Shoot white wall -
transfer to PC - inspect - clean. If particles still appear in photo - re-shoot white wall - transfer to PC - re-inspect.
You get the picture.
I find myself in a sort of love/hate relationship with the Sensor Loupe™. I love how easy it makes it to check for dust on the image sensor,
while at the same time I hate how easy it makes it. But in all honesty, now that there's a tool to inspect my camera's image sensor safely and
quickly, I'll never go without one.
Sensor Cleaning Disclaimer
The cleaning of an image sensor isn't for everyone as you can do serious, irrevocable harm to the sensor if not done properly. The Sensor Loupe™
let's you know whether or not the image sensor is dirty. For some this might mean sending the camera to the manufacturer and paying them to professionally
clean the sensor, while for others it means turning to the web to learn how to do it themselves. After a year of trying different methods the one that
works best for me is using Photographic Solutions 'Sensor Swabs' along with their E3 solution. I also carry the Artic Butterfly™ from VisibleDust
with me for those times when the wet solution isn't handy - but my luck with this has been spotty (no pun intended).
Sensor Loupe™ retails for $69.95 and is available at the following retail locations:
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