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I've a little useful tip for DSLR users. Probably you have the same problem as I - dust and dirt on the sensor. I shoot most of my photos at clean studio but it is impossible to keep my 5D's sensor clean. Because of electrostatics all small pieces clinging to the sensor each time I change the lenses.
I've used "SpeckGRABBER" but it is very expensive set and use up very fast. It is necesary to clean sensor every 2-3 sessions or spending tons of time at photoshop removing swarms of the black dots.
I found a very cheap and easy tool to clean the sensor. It's regular straw. I cut it at an angle and use it like goose-quill (look at the photo below). It is a very precision tool and because single-use always clean.

My understanding is that you don't actually clean the sensor itself, but the clear low pass filter over the sensor.

This brings up a question: What is the sensor filter made of? Is it glass?

If it glass, then plastic wouldn't harm it.

I have also heard of using Saran Wrap to clean the sensor filter.  Anyone ever tried this method?

Where can I find the copper hill method?

I have EOS 400D with its integrated cleaning system (ultrasonic), but I am new with it, so what are your expiriences with it? Does it really works?

So far, the Olympus cameras seem to have the only cleaning system that works properly. I've had an E-1 for a year now, and so far, not a single dust spec. My Fuji S3, on the other hand, needs a thorough cleaning     

HA HA HA..... I was just complaining about this all night. I'm working on about 600 pix I just shot down in the Smoky Mountains and the North Carolina and Tennessee countryside last week...   I swear, 98% of the work I did tonight was removing sensor spots from dark blue skies.....
 
I gotta get this thing cleaned!! Canon Rebel....  I'm very leary about cleaning it myself...  it hasn't been cleaned in over 2 years...and I've had this thing open in some pretty dirty/dusty locations (arizona desert, jersey beaches, appalachian trail,... LOL).  Man, I beat this camera to death, Canon should take it back and put it in their  "believe it or not' museum!

My last Canon went swimming. I was shooting white water, standing in it up to my knees... and the next thing I knew, me and Canny were * in h2o.  The Canon folks fixed it for only $99. That was sweet!
   
  But I'm motivated to get the Rebel cleaned..   my wife won't let me buy a 5D until I get this one cleaned for her....LOL..  Monday, I'll get my nose in the phone book and find a shop that'll clean it.    -tom

P.S.  I'm thinking I won't be standing in any water once I get the 5D.... LOL

I haven't noticed anything in my camera yet, and I wonder if I'm blind to it.  It's a Canon 400D, but I don't expect its auto cleaning thing to be so perfect.  What would be the best test to do, like shooting a plain color surface or whatever. 

Regards,
Adelaide

then open the image up in curves and click 'auto' (which makes the contrast very high)... and look at all the black dots (this is dust)

just just the image lots of contrast and you'll see the dust.  I can guarantee you that you have dust!!

I bought a camera once from a pro photog and did the dust test only to find it was HEAVILY freckled with dust everywhere.  I like to keep the dust spots to a minimum of 20-50...

oh yeah...  especially a dark, deep blue sky   (if you can find days like that anymore) .....  My wife said I sounded like a madman last night as I 'shopped' them out...  the spotting was horrible and very very time consuming... and when you deal with sky,  it is usually gradient, changing ever so slightly from top to bottom side to side.. then, sometimes...  you just can't  'paint'  the spot out,  you just create a different looking spot!   LOL     ... repeat after me, "sensor dust sux, senso dust sux..."    -tom

Try the equalize tool... create a layer and equalize it, then, paint over the spots on the first (background) layer... then delete the layer and you have a clean image.

As for dust i use a blower, not a rocket blower but is similar, and i use it occasionally before a big session or every few weeks. I blow it to the sensor with the camera facing down so dust will fall as much as it can and do it several times, inspecting the sensor in between blows. This at least removes the big stuff, as for the rest, i don't have really that much of a problem with dust.

But, the thing is, doing that shows up everything.

I'd guess even a camera fresh out of its box will show dust specks using that test.


My advice would be to ignore the dust unless you can see it on your normal images (and you seem to be okay Adelaide). Then deal with it by blowing with a blower/brushing with a static-charged brush.

Of course, take sensible precautions whilst changing lenses (camera switched off, pointing down, in a non-dusty environment, quick lens change). But the dust question can get blown out of proportion.

Not so long a go I saw a photographer with some weird little changing bag. It looked like something for handling radioactive waste. He changed his lenses by putting camera and new lens into the bag, zipped it all up, slipped his hands into glove-shaped pockets at the sides of the bag, changed the lens and then unzipped it and took the whole lot out again.

Now that's seriously paranoid.

there is wear and tear of the gears and such inside the camera which create dust and goo so it is going to come no matter what.

and if you are taking images of landscapes at f18 or so, you are going to see all the dust that way as well - so I prefer to get all the dust away with cleaning (or at least 90% of it)