2. September 2009 by Curt Fargo.

Finally a case to carry all your esentials in for Sensor Cleaning.  This is a semi-ridged zippered case.  Not brand specific but task specific. Interior panels are movable to meet the end users specific needs.

Designed to carry your favorite tools like the following:

• Swabs
• Solution
• Brush
• Blower
• Sensor Inspection Device

Available From Micro-Tools

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17. August 2009 by Curt Fargo.

Photographic Solutions is officially discontinuing Eclipse E2 as the concerns of Eclipse “Possibly” being too strong for use on Tin Oxide coated sensors has been unfounded.

I have done many tests on this subject myself and concur that Eclipse is safe and better for use on all DSLR sensor no matter what coating they have on them.

So is E2 bad, NO but Eclipse is easier to use with better results.

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17. June 2009 by Curt Fargo.

I have recently been asked by a couple of different people about dust being baked onto a sensor (low pass filter) due to long exposures and heat being generated by the sensor. I had never heard this before, so I went to work investigating. I did see where some people are referring to dust that is held on to the sensor by moisture or pollen as being “baked on” and this is the same as what I refer to as “welded dust”.  Thom Hogan coined the term “welded dust” long ago and we have used it ever since.  Neither of these terms are the best to be using as they do imply high heat is used to hold this dust on, but that isn’t the case.

I tested the heat generated on the surface of a sensor’s low pass filter during a 60 second exposures. Using an Infrared Thermometer to monitor the temperature, all 4 Cameras (Canon 20D, 5D, 5D Mk II and 1D Mk II) had no significant temperature change from room temperature. Sure this is only 4 different cameras and from only one manufacturer, so it truly is totally conclusive but I do venture to say that dust isn’t actually being “Baked” onto the low pass filter.

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13. April 2009 by Curt Fargo.

One of my readers has sent me their version of the comparison. In their video they compare the Zeeion by Visibledust to the Fire Fly by NRD. Again the Zeeion fails to show any resemblance of it’s marketing claim of being an anti static blower.

View The Video Here 

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10. April 2009 by Curt Fargo.

We intentionally do NOT sell advertising nor do we allow allow sponsors. This allows us to share the truth and not having to stay biased towards those lining our wallet.   Sometimes the truth hurts the pocket book, but I would rather be truthful first and think about my finances second. I have a conscience and I have to sleep at night so being truthful is very important to me.   

Sure I’m aware of forums out there big and small that will pull posts and ban users when they say something that their sponsors might not like.  This is exactly why I refuse requests for sponsorship. So if you think you are going to get the whole truth by reading forums think twice.   

I have been asked as to where my money comes from if I don’t get it through sponsors and advertisers.  The answer is very simple, from sales of product on our web site www.micro-tools.com. Micro-Tools was originally a supplier of tools to the camera repair industry but with the invention of the internet, many other industries started buying from us. Today the camera industry accounts for less than 25% of our sales. With a background as a professional photographer and camera repairman, my heart is in this industry that I have been in for 35 years and that is why I devote so much of my time and effort here.

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6. April 2009 by Curt Fargo.

Visible Dust ZEEION - Versus - NRD FireFly

Let me just say I learned quite a bit doing this comparison. You can see the technical version here or even download it in a PDF format. We also have a  video version here.

After doing some very thorough testing, the FireFly performed as advertised and removed the static charge. I wish I could say the same for the ZEEION but it failed miserably.  The ZEEION had no more of an effect at removing a static charge than a standard rubber Giottos Rocket Blower. Please watch the video to see this for yourself.

So just because one wants to call their blower anti static doesn’t mean it is.  As a matter of fact the ZEEION is quite the opposite, because it is made of Silicone it is very static, not anti static.  Squeezing the ZEEION with your dry hand creates a very high static charge around the bulb that we measured at -14,890 volts.  Yes, that is a negative 14 thousand volts. After squeezing the blower 5 times, the measured voltage averaged 322 volts over a 30 second period at a distance of 1 inch. This is enough voltage that if placed in the vicinity of the contacts in the lens mount area of your camera (the ones that are used for your camera to communicate with the lens) it could damage the electronics in your camera. Will it actually cause damage to each and every model of camera?  This is not an experiment that my budget can afford, but it is a big enough concern of mine that I will never allow any silicone blower near any of my cameras. Damage may very well not be seen immediately as quite often static damage is latent.

This high voltage issue isn’t particular to the ZEEION but all silicone blowers. It has everything to do with the Triboelectric effect which can be explained a little better here.  This high voltage isn’t blown out of the blower but exists around the bulb part of the blower itself.

As Jamie and Adam would say  “FireFly – Confirmed” and “ZEEION – Busted”  

For the record, we DO sell the ZEEION but the FireFly is only available through the manufacturer NRD or Adorama

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31. March 2009 by Curt Fargo.

I finally got a chance today to do a side by side comparison of the KOH HEPA Jet filter blower to Visible Dust’s Zeeion filtered blower. Right off the bat the Zeeion is overall smaller then the HEPA Jet.  The big difference is that the HEPPA Jet has a large HEPA regulator filter attached to its bottom where the Zeeion has a small internal filter. Size does matter here as the small filter in the Zeeion greatly restricts the refill rate of the blower to the point you have to wait about 5 seconds in between each squeeze.  The HEPA filter on the other hand allows a much larger volume of air to pass through much faster due to its much large filter. The HEPA Jet can be used like a regular blower as the delay in filling is almost nonexistent.

The exit valve on the Zeeion is smaller than on the HEPA Jet which in turn give you a lower output volume of air from the Zeeion.

If I felt the need for a filtered blower I would defiantly choose the KOH HEPA Jet over the VisibleDust Zeeion not only because it is about 1/2 the price at $24.95 compared to $45.98, but because it puts out much more air and doesn’t have the long lag time in between squeezes.

VisibleDust does make claims of negative ionization with the Zeeion that we are in the middle of testing for and will report back in the next day or two on.

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31. March 2009 by Curt Fargo.

 Dot Line Corp is importing the GGS Sensor Inspection Loupe and rebranding it as the SensorVu Loupe.  This is a decent Loupe at an OK price.

Dot Line Corp is also Importing the Matin M-6361 and Rebadging it as the SensorVu Cleaner II DL-AC02. This is a sticky method Similar to Canon’s. 

Dot Line is also bringing in the ADIDT AC-01 Sticky method to be rebadged as the SensorVu Cleaner DL-AC01.

Visit Dotline Corp at http://www.dotlinecorp.com/

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13. March 2009 by Curt Fargo.

We have put up a cost per cleaning comparison chart up on our main site.  We will periodically update it.

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/cost.html

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12. March 2009 by Curt Fargo.

I’m still quite amused about how low a company will go in their marketing hype to try to sell their product. One company out there is still using their evaporation rate as their reasoning why they are better than everyone else. So yes they found one thing that they are better at, but super fast evaporation just means you have to use more chemical which in turn makes their product the most expensive on the market to use. Ones ability to clean is a whole different talent than it’s ability to evaporate and are we not trying to clean here.

Would you ever by one brand of gasoline for your car because it evaporates faster than the other brands? I bet not, as it’s ability to evaporate is again a whole different talent than being a good fuel for your car. When a company starts stooping to these levels of marketing, it really gets my goat and I will expose them for doing so.

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