V1.02
Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300
Page 698
your sensor. Make sure that you’re in a reasonably clean
environment and have an EH-5a AC adapter or a fully
charged battery handy before you use the following method
to clean the sensor
159
:
1.
With the camera off, if you’re going to use AC power
plug the EH-5a adapter into the camera (and into an
AC wall socket. Better yet, use an UPS [
uninterruptible
power supply
]). I strongly suggest that you have a fully
charged battery in the camera, as well.
2.
Remove the lens.
3.
Turn the camera on.
4.
Press the
MENU
button to bring up the menu system.
5.
Use the Direction pad to navigate to the SETUP menu
(yellow wrench icon) and the
>
key on the Direction
pad to enter the menu.
6.
Use the Direction pad to navigate to
Lock mirror up
for cleaning
and press the
>
key on the Direction pad
to select it.
159
A slightly more elaborate description of sensor cleaning is on my Web site at
http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm
. There I describe the two commercial methods
I use here—Sensor Brush and Sensor Swabs—but do-it-yourselfers can create their
own versions of each. For a brush you need a soft nylon brush that is free from
additives and glues (try makeup counters and art supply stores). For a swab support,
use a narrow Rubbermaid spatula cut to size or a soft plastic or wood stick (I use
artist palette knives found at a local art store). The swab material needs to be lint-free,
soft material, such as the PecPads you get when you buy Eclipse solution. However,
do-it-yourselfers should read the disclaimer on the Copyright page (i.e. I won’t be
responsible for damage to your camera). The commercial solutions work well, and in
the case of Sensor Swabs, there’s a damage-free guarantee that’s worth noting.
