K&F 10-Pack APS-C Sensor Cleaning Swabs with Cleaning Fluid | SKU.1616

Main Features:
Swabs are made from highly absorbent ultra-fine optical microfibre
Soft and ultra-fine texture ensures safe, scratch-free cleaning
16mm size swab for the cleaning of a APS-C sensors
The super absorbent swabs easily collects and removes dust and greasy spots
Swabs are flexible to help keep the pressure lightly applied to the sensors surface for even cleaning
Can be used dry for dust removal
Can be used wet with the supplied cleaning fluid for stubborn spots or grease removal
Swab sticks are individually vacuum sealed keeping them pristine until needed
Sticks are ergonomically designed with thumb groove for secure grip and smooth cleaning
Includes alcohol-free sensor cleaning fluid
Compact packaging is easy to store and is travel-friendly

A safe and cost-effective crop sensor cleaning kit for easy DIY sensor cleaning

Your camera’s sensor is where the magic happens. It is a very sensitive and delicate piece of equipment, and it is critical to the performance of your camera. Having even the tiniest of dust particles on your sensor can lead to spots on an otherwise flawless image. Camera sensors are dust magnets and infamously prone to dust and smudge build-up. Even more so when you regularly use more than one lens on your camera body. It is not a question of if, but rather when, you’ll have to clean your sensor. It is unavoidable! This is especially important on Mirrorless Cameras as their sensors are very close to the opening and are often exposed if no lens is attached.

Cleaning your own sensor can be intimidating, as mistakes can quickly turn into expensive repairs. On the other hand, professional cleaning is also expensive. You’re not the only photographer who simply cannot pay for professional sensor cleaning after every couple of shoots. Many cameras released in recent years have self-cleaning sensors that vibrate at ultrasonic speeds to shake off dirt from the sensor. The vibration can shake some of the loose dirt off but is not a substitute for manual sensor cleaning when requiring the removing of oily marks. Effective and safe DIY sensor cleaning is now made possible with these K&F sensor cleaning swabs.

Safety and the quality of products used are absolutely critical when considering cleaning your sensor. It is important to remember that there are correct methods when clean sensors in order not to cause expensive damage. Using incorrect tools and can lead to scratches and damage to the delicate coatings on the surface of the sensor. K&F focused first and foremost on safety when they designed these sensor cleaning swabs. They are a cost-effective-solution for safe and effective DIY sensor cleaning. The business end of the swab is made from highly absorbent ultra-fine optical microfibre. The swab is gentle on sensors, preventing scratches and damage to special sensor surface coatings. A clean and scratch free sensor ensures blemish free images – time and time again. You will spend significantly less time in post-production editing out little dust specks. It will also help to keep your lenses and filters scratch free and in optimum shape for high-quality images.
The plastic swab handles are ergonomically moulded to be used comfortably. The shape helps you to apply the perfect amount of light pressure, for an easy and stress-free sensor clean. Each of the sensor cleaning swabs are vacuum sealed and individually packed. The size and shape make it easy to slide one into your K&F camera bag. Being individually wrapped means it remains clean and in excellent condition until you need it.

The soft front end of the swab makes light work of sensor dust and smudges. The front end of each swab is completely wrapped in microfine fabric cloth. The fibres are micrometre fine, creating a large surface area in which to absorb dust, smudges and fingerprints and other dirt. This ensures delicate cleaning for sensitive camera sensors, and less stress when cleaning time inevitably comes around. K&F use high-grade imported optical microfibre, which is extremely soft to the touch yet very densely woven. Microfiber fabric is the optimum material for cleaning your delicate sensor. It does not lint and leave behind particles on your sensor. A cheap swab that releases lint when cleaning would defeat the purpose of cleaning. The super soft fabric is safe to use on your sensor and will not scratch or damage your sensor surface when used correctly. At 16mm, the front end of the swab is perfectly tailored to cover the height of your APS-C sensor, for a perfect pass of the swab. This means that you can clean the entire surface of your sensor with one wipe – no dust gets left behind, including the corners.

The package includes 10 individually packaged and vacuum sealed sensor cleaning swabs. Products used to clean something as sensitive as a camera sensor need to be free of any dust and dirt when packaged. If your cleaning product is contaminated with dust and dirt, it can act like sandpaper when applied to your sensor surface. The vacuum sealed and hygienically packaged cleaning swabs and are completely free of dust and dirt, protecting your camera sensor and its delicate coatings. The vacuum packages also means that each sensor swab has a reduced packaging size, and a compact profile. The slim overall package makes it a space saver when you are packing for a shoot. Having one of these on hand for every shoot can save a day's work that would otherwise be lost due to a dirty sensor. It is important to note that each swab can only be used once. After a single use it should be disposed of. Using a swab more than once would mean that you run a risk of old dirt causing scratches on your sensor. As a first step, you should always use a blower bulb to blow off larger dust and dirt particles that are loose enough to be removed by air before using the swab.

Along with your sensor swabs, you also get a bottle of specialised sensor cleaning fluid. You just apply a drop of the fluid to the tip of a swab before you start cleaning the sensor. This makes cleaning silky smooth and leaves a crystal-clear finish. Your camera sensor is covered with glass (or low pass filter) for protection. The low pass filter has multiple thin layers of film to filter out infrared light and the glass layer also seals the sensor with the help of an O-ring. It is best to use a fluid specifically made for sensor cleaning and does not contain methanol (alcohol). Products that have a methanol base should not be used for sensor cleaning for 3 reasons. Firstly, Methanol is very corrosive and can over time decay the O-ring that separates and seals the sensor from the low pass filter. Secondly, Methanol readily absorbs water on the sensor. Water serves as a buffer and without it the debris on your sensor may cause scratches. Thirdly, Methanol based products are not travel friendly as you cannot fly with them on an airplane. No need to worry about all that, as the cleaning fluid supplied is alcohol free. K&F sensor cleaning fluid is specially formulated to remove all types of stains, smears, fingerprints and dust without harming the low pass filter. Be careful to not oversaturate the swab with liquid as little goes a long way. The cleaning fluid comes in a compact 10ml travel-friendly bottle.

The K&F APS-C sized Sensor Cleaning Swabs safely cleans your camera sensor without breaking the bank. With the included alcohol-fee sensor cleaning fluid, you can easily remove stains, smears, fingerprints and dust. You’ll be saving a lot of time and avoid sitting with the headache of fixing spots on your images in post-production. Both the swabs and cleaning fluid are compact and can easily be stored in your bag when traveling.

Cleaning your sensor:
Clean your camera’s exterior and make sure your battery is fully charged before cleaning the sensor. Do your cleaning in a clean room or space out of the wind. Gather all tools and cleaning products before starting to clean.
Most cameras are able to clean the sensor through the build in ultra-sonic vibration. This shakes the sensor to knock dust off the sensor. This is unfortunately not always enough.
Your DSLR camera will also have a function for cleaning your sensor by locking the mirror up. When you activate this the mirror moves into the up position and the shutter opens allowing access to the sensor if you have removed your lens. (It won’t do this unless your battery is well charged)
Do not touch the sensor, use a blower bulb to blow out dust and hairs while holding and facing the camera opening pointing down, so loosened dirt falls out the camera body.
Apply a small amount of sensor cleaning fluid to the tip of the swab (1-2 drops) wait about 10 seconds for the fluid to absorb into the swab and for some excess fluid to evaporate.
Wipe sensor with wettened swab. Start on one edge, with a light and gentle pressure wipe to the other side. Then flip the tongue face and wipe back to the other side.
Throw the swap stick away they are single use only.
Switch off your camera to return the shutter and mirror to their default position. Replace your lens back onto the body.
After cleaning, attach the lens as quickly, leaving the cameras insides exposed for the shortest time possible.
To test if the sensor is clean, shoot clear blue sky, open the image in Photoshop and apply auto levels. This forces a very high contrast which shows up dirt very, very well.
If you find lots of dirt start the process all over again having taken note of where the dust was on the sensor.
To swap lenses turn off the camera so the sensor has less static charge to attract dust.
K&F Concept and its resellers shall not be held liable for any damages caused when cleaning your sensor.

K&F Concept have a growing range of cleaning products for photographic equipment. Check out our range of cleaning kits, swabs, microfibre cloths, blower bulbs and lens pens. K&F Concept offers affordable cleaning products which are of a high quality.

What’s in the box
10 x Sensor Cleaning Swabs
1 x 10ml Cleaning Liquid