What is a grounding source?

[gregtherotterius]

Hi guys, I know this is probably one lame ass question, but I have to ask it.

I bought this;
http://www.cameraclean.co.uk/acatalog/PS0400WebDual.jpg

to clean the sensor on my Nikon D80. It says to attatch the clip to a grounding source before the first use. When I built my rig I had the pc unplugged from the mains, power off, and I touched the case to ground myself before touching the cpu or motherboard.

What do I do this time? What is the 'grounding source' I need to clip the clip to??

[steptoe]

Basically you are removing any static build up in your body to ‘earth’. They are just being over cautious, but I reckon those sensors if you are cleaning the actual sensor could be senstive to static

You connect one of those fancy anti-static wrist bands to you and the other end to say a radiator copper pipe

I have yet to fry anything with static, I’m just careful and plus components are not as static sensitive as they used to be

Some older stuff was very sensitive to static so wearing a wrist band was essential

[gregtherotterius]

The reason it tells you to clip it to a grounding source is so that it releases any dust particles already on the brush before first use. I won’t damage the camera if I don’t ground it, I might however end up coating the sensor with more dust than it might already have.

So if I don’t have a copper pipe handy, what do I clip it to???

[CDan]

Your PC case is a good ground.

[eric93se]

If I had a Nikon D80 I wouldn’t be using that crap on my sensor :Z

Get yourself a can of compressed air, they sell mini ones and larger cans.

[qwakrz]

The one thing people forget is that static can go both ways, its not always you that has the static charge. If the device you are about to touch has a high static charge then you can also kill it by you being grounded which is why you should really attach the clip to the camera so they are both at the same static voltage and then while holding the device you should ground yourself.

The clip on the end of the brush is meant to be clipped to something that has an earth (radiator, PC case with power cord connected etc). Make sure that you are grounded as well and that you pick up the camera before cleaning it, this way you wont have any static problems

[gregtherotterius]

[QUOTE=eric93se;2077026]If I had a Nikon D80 I wouldn’t be using that crap on my sensor :Z

Get yourself a can of compressed air, they sell mini ones and larger cans.[/QUOTE]

THAT is not crap. No sensor cleaning method is flawless and you wont get a professional results. The clip is not so that you don’t SHOCK the sensor , but it’s to do with creating the opposite charge of the brush once you have pulled any dust off the sensor with the brush, to release the particles.

:Z Just as well you DONT have a Nikon D80, as compressed air is just what you should NOT use on a digital DLR’s sensor. Stick to computers dude Not only is compressed air not pure, but it’s higher pressure (could damage the sensor), and will probably blow any dust particles that are clinging to the side of the shutter release mechanism, straight onto the sensor anyway. That and theres the possibility of getting liquid that comes out of the can onto the sensor. No matter what way you hold the can, theres no 100% way for this NEVER to happen. You can get special air cans for sensor cleaning, but I say again, you are just moving the dust around and not actually removing it from the sensor.

[debro]

[quote=gregtherotterius;2076716]The reason it tells you to clip it to a grounding source is so that it releases any dust particles already on the brush before first use. I won’t damage the camera if I don’t ground it, I might however end up coating the sensor with more dust than it might already have.

So if I don’t have a copper pipe handy, what do I clip it to???[/quote]
The kitchen sink should be grounded, or at least all your taps.