Overheard a guy at a camera swap say he cleans sensors with lighter fluid

I was at a swap meet in Portland last Saturday and this older guy was bragging about using Zippo fluid to clean sensor dust. Said he's done it for years with no issues. I didn't say anything but man that scared me. One wrong move and you've got a $400 repair bill or a ruined camera. Anyone else hear about weird DIY cleaning methods that make you cringe?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_west23d agoTop Commenter

Zippo fluid, huh. Man, I once used a compressed air duster upside down by accident and frost-bit my shutter. Lighter fluid sounds like a good way to turn your sensor into a wick. Guess his camera's either bulletproof or he's just got great luck so far. I'll stick with my overpriced swabs and hope I don't fumble those either.

the_jenny23d ago

Wait, @riley_west, you really think Zippo fluid would light up a sensor that fast? I figure if you let it dry completely before powering on, it’s probably fine - just risky.

the_zara15d ago

@riley_west that frost-bitten shutter story made me wince. It's funny how people treat their expensive gear like it's a lawnmower or something. I see this same "if it works, it works" mentality with my friend who fixes her car with zip ties and duct tape, and with people at work who ignore all the safety protocols because they've never gotten hurt yet.