Customer Reviews

Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly 724 Brite Sensor Brush

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is my second Visible Dust sensor brush. Unlike the version with separate brushes, the Arctic Butterfly is well made, and spins perfectly every time, building up a nice charge. While sometimes it takes more than one pass to clean my sensor, and now and then I end up with new dust, at most it takes 3-4 passes before the sensor is absolutely dust free.

The plastic cover the for the brush is really welcome as well. The other kit I purchased from Visible Dust had flimsy plastic bags for the brushes which quickly fell apart. Since keeping the brush very, very clean is vital, it's nice to have simple, sturdy protection for the brush.

The only reason this isn't 5 stars is the LED. It's far too dim to use to actually inspect the sensor. It's much dimmer than the $1 keychain LED flashlight I bought elsewhere on the web. It's a nice idea, but Visible Dust really should have used a brighter LED. If you're considering one of these, you might as well buy the Arctic Butterfly 724 without the light.

- Gus

Raise your hand if you've ever found particles on your camera's sensor....

The first time this happened to me I panicked as I had an important shoot a couple of weeks away. I knew I could easily take my camera in for a professional cleaning but I became concerned over one aspect. What if this happens when I'm in a position where I can't take my camera to a repair shop?

I spoke with someone I know who is a lifetime photographer about my situation. She told me about her time at a National Geographic photography course she took and said they recommended the Arctic Buttery 724. She also mentioned that it was a requirement for all National Geographic photographers to have one in their kits when out in the field.

Knowing the conditions National Geographic photographers go through, I figured they're must be something to this device. I ordered one and tried it out on my Canon 5D Mark II....and it worked! I also followed the rest of the advice I was given and ordered a wet sensor cleaning kit too.

In fact I've only had one time when I had to take the extra step and use the wet sensor cleaning kit when I was out in the field.

I've read some negative reviews about the Arctic Butterfly and wondered if possibly they didn't follow the instructions properly. When I use it I take these steps:

1) Activate the spinning arm for a good 4-5 seconds then turn it off. This removes any possible debris on the brush.

2) Repeat the first step 3-4 times. This gives the bristles a good static charge.

3) Start at one end of the sensor and wipe only once in one direction.

4) Take a few test pictures of a blue sky at different focal lengths to see if the sensor is clean.

5) If particles are still present, repeat steps 1-3 and wipe the sensor from a different side each time. Then use step 4.

The few times I've needed to use this device I had to use all 5 steps but it did eventually work. As mentioned I only had one instance when I needed to use the wet sensor cleaning kit.

I would also buy the Arctic Butterfly 724 with the LED light. While you won't be able to see the particles, it is useful in positioning the brush and making sure the bristles are covering the entire sensor when wiping.

I must admit I initially complained about the price. $100+ for such a simple device bothered me. That is until I was out far away from a camera shop and not about to pack up & leave. Since that time I've found the Arctic Butterfly to be worth every penny I spent on it.

I used this brush today to clean off three spots from the sensor of my Canon 40D. I carefully followed the directions, with the brush only on the sensor to avoid getting grease onto the brush. After spinning the brush, the first pass made no change. After spinning the brush, the second pass moved the three spots toward the center of the sensor. After spinning the brush, the third pass left one spot. After spinning the brush, the fourth pass left the sensor clean. I provided you this level of detail so you wouldn't get discouraged after the first pass if you didn't see an improvement.

Using this brush is so much better than taking or sending the camera to a place for cleaning. This particular kit is a nice size for traveling.

I highly recommend this brush kit. I am very pleased with it.

The LED is not very useful as it's quite weak but the brush is very good! It took me a couple of brush strokes to completely remove all traces of dust on the sensor (you can check this by setting your Aperture to F22 and take a picture of a white wall/background) but it's completely clean now!

The instructions say spin the brush 3 times to charge it before using it.

Well, on the 2nd spin, the brush invariably falls off... the first time this happened it fell to my dusty carpet!

WAY TOO MUCH MONEY for something that is POORLY DESIGNED.

This was exactly what I was looking for. If you need to clean your sensor and all you have is dust and not stuff stuck on there, I can't think of a better was to do it. While the price seems high at first, the brush is built like a tank, and the head is detachable so that if the brush ever gets really dirty you can just get a new one (brushes can be cleaned with ethanol). Something you shouldn't be without... ever... unless you enjoy hours of work removing spots from skies in Photoshop.

The other day I used my new Arctic Butterfly for the first time and it left white streaks on my sensor which resulted in me having to drop the camera off at my local camere store to have the sensor cleaned. In my opinion this product is a horribly flawed from the factory and is a front for selling sensor swabs. Beware that if buying this product you may encounter more time loss and frustration. I shoot quite frequently and change lenses often, and I don't have time and money to waste getting my sensor cleaned because a factory product doesn't perform perfectly the first time I use it.

This product works very well and obviates much of the trepidation about getting dust on the sensor as a result of changing lenses.

It is outrageous to charge so much for something that is so terribly flawed. The brush tip spins off after about 3 seconds of spinning!(and falls on the dirty floor) They should recall this product. Save yourself some $$$ and a huge disapointment-DON'T BUY IT.

For starters, the LED ain't very effective & bright... the primary job of this product is to generate static & pull out the dust... unfortunately, it ain't generating static & i don't think its worth the investment! Sorry!