(The version of Dust-Aid reviewed here has been updated for compatibility with a wider range of sensors, including those with dust control systems and weak coatings. While this new Dust-Aid Platinum kit expands the use of the product, it functions identically to the way we’ve tested below.)

By Ryan Klos, Calumet Photographic

Sensor dust is an unavoidable evil of digital photography when shooting with a DSLR. And for as many different cameras as are available, there are just as many methods for cleaning your sensor. But not everyone is comfortable doing so, and with good reason. For me, one of the biggest deterrents of cleaning my own sensor has been the thought of depositing more dust as soon as I remove it. Many sensor cleaning products use swabs or statically charged brushes which may do a decent job of removing dust, but I can ’t get over the feeling that those types of products transfer the dust to a different place inside the camera body and don’t completely remove it. There’s always the threat of scratching your sensor, too, when swabbing or brushing it. So I was curious after discovering Dust-Aid used an adhesive that actually collected and removed dust. Admittedly, the thought of poking a stick with adhesive foam on it into my camera unsettled me at first. However, after reading about the research Dust-Aid put into their low-tack, patent-pending foam tapes and watching their online tutorial, I thought I’d give it a shot.

The Product
The entire cleaning system comes in a little metal case reminiscent of the old Band-Aid tins introduced circa 1950. It’s lightweight and durable so you can toss it in your bag without having to worry about squashing the foam tabs or breaking the reusable wand, and, because Dust-Aid isn’t a liquid, airport security check is a breeze. As an added bonus, after you’ve used all 12 pads, you’ve got a cool case for business cards or extra AA batteries.

Instructions are clear, well-illustrated and very easy to follow. If you learn better by watching, check out Dust-Aid’s instructional video at the bottom of this review. It walks you through each step of the sensor cleaning process using their product.

The foam pads have a very sticky, high-tack side and a not-so-sticky, low-tack side. The high-tack side adheres to the application wand while the low-tack side is applied to your sensor. The low-tack side doesn’t feel very sticky to the touch, but it’s got enough tack to remove dust without damaging your sensor or leaving behind a film.

The Test
During a recent product shoot using my Canon EOS 30D I noticed dust in some of my images, especially when shooting wide open at f/22. To see how bad the dust was, I took a photo of a blank white sheet of background paper at f/22. I opened the image in Photoshop, adjusted curves and boosted the contrast and brightness so the dust became obvious. I knew I had dust, but I didn’t realize how much until I was preparing for this test. As you can see in the before photo, my sensor desperately needed a cleaning.

Using Dust-Aid was easy. I removed my lens, set the camera to sensor cleaning mode, which opened the shutter, used Dust-Aid as instructed and removed nearly all the dust in my first attempt. After using the product, I turned off the camera to exit sensor cleaning mode and replaced my lens. When I had finished, I took another photo against my white background and repeated the process of adjusting levels and brightness/contrast in Photoshop, and inspected the image (see First Attempt).

A few dust specks remained in the lower left corner, but Dust-Aid had removed the majority of dust on the first try. I repeated the cleaning procedure to remove the rest of the dust and, after the second attempt, am quite happy with the results (see Second Attempt).

A few specks still remain on my sensor, but those may require a solvent cleaning because they’re in the same place on each image and a bit darker than the normal dust (which leads me to believe they’re welded on). Looking at my sensor before and after the cleaning, you can see just how effectively Dust-Aid works.

Recommendation
Dust-Aid removes dust exactly as it advertises. I recommend this product to anyone with a steady hand and without an anti-dust mechanism already built into their camera. It was extremely easy to use, effectively removed dust and the entire system fits into its own cool container. The entire process took about 15 minutes, which might be longer than expected, but I also did two cleanings. I’d imagine future cleanings will require about five minutes.

The foam tape’s footprint allows for generous overlap on the sensor each time it is put into position. The illustration in the instructions made the overlap appear small, but during actual use it was much more significant. It looked like it covered approximately two-thirds of my sensor (horizontally), possibly a little less. The flag design of the wand allowed me to clearly see into my camera body while using it and provided the necessary leverage when removing.

Dust-Aid is great for dust, but if you’ve got welded dust or liquid spots on your sensor, this is not the product you need to remove them. Dust-Aid only removes loose dust that’s on your sensor. For more stubborn dust or spots, consider a solution-based cleaner with a swab.

Overall, Dust-Aid is an excellent, easy-to-use, low-risk answer to removing annoying sensor dust.

Video Demo