Do you have dark spots on your digital images?

Arrrgggghh!!! Those ugly spots!

You have a beautiful sunrise before you and your camera is ready. You click the shutter and look forward to seeing the result. Everything looks great until you get home and look at the picture on your computer screen. There they are, those pesky dark spots that we have all encountered and had to spend time removing with Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or some other image editing application.

What you are seeing is dust on your sensor. While many companies have made tools to clean digital SLR camera sensors, few can match the Green Clean vacuum system.

If you have dust spots on your images, you need the Green Clean travel kit. Here's what you'll see on your camera store shelf:

This vacuum pump will remove dust very quickly. Once assembled, you can easily remove dust, lint, and other foreign matter. You may need to use a swab for stubborn spots. I did.

I found out that some of the folks at Canon use a lens pen to remove spots that the Green Clean will not. I followed their lead and used a lens pen and a "chopstick" that I cut to a very thin edge with about four layers of lens tissue. I was able to remove the stubborn spots that the Green Clean machine would not and my camera is as good as new once more.

So, if you notice a small little line of dark spots on the Green Clean box picture I have in this article, it's not the sensor of my digital SLR, the marks are actually on the box. I looked to make sure I did not miss anything.

I have to admit that I read about the Green Clean in another photo magazine before I opted to try it. After my results, I had to write this piece and recommend it. Just a couple words of caution. Don't drag the tip of the plastic hose over your sensor. It is best if you are close to the sensor, but not making physical contact. Also, don't handle the business end of the plastic vacuum tips. You'll get skin oils on them. One last thing, the can that powers this pump system is small. Don't hold down the trigger continually or your hand will freeze and you'll be out of juice in a short time.

I am going to look around to see if I can find larger cans of propellent that will mate with the vacuum head in the kit. Even if I can't find a larger can somewhere, this kit is worth its weight in gold. Buy it, use it, you'll be glad you did.