By Andrew Liszewski
Digital SLRs combine all the conveniences of a digital camera with the flexibility of interchangeable lenses but they unfortunately have one big downside. When you change lenses you basically expose the camera’s image sensor to dust and dirt which will show up in your photos. As a result if you do a lot of photography with your DSLR you’ll also be doing a lot of CCD cleaning.
The Sensor Scope is a really great idea because one of the hardest parts about cleaning the CCD is actually seeing where the dust and particles are. Even the smallest of specks that are barely visible to the naked eye can show up in a photo so typically you have to clean the sensor, re-assemble the camera and then examine a reference photo you’ve taken to see what areas still need cleaning. The Sensor Scope is a 5x magnifier with 4 built-in ultra bright LEDs that attaches to your camera like a standard lens but instead allows you to look inside and easily examine the CCD to make sure it’s clean. While it doesn’t make the actual cleaning process any easier it does make it less of a hit and miss endeavor.
The Sensor Scope System is available from Delkin Devices for $189.99 and includes other cleaning tools like a mini vac, sensor swabs and a bottle of sensor solution. It primarily supports Nikon and Canon DSLRs but Olympus, Fuji and Pentax versions also seem to be available.
[ Sensor Scope ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]
