The Arctic Butterfly has a brush suitable for cleaning delicate optics with conducting bristles to help remove statically charged debris. The brush can be spun using a battery-powered motor to remove the debris from the bristles. (You never spin the brush against the object you are cleaning.) Spinning helps eliminate some problems with brush contamination and speeds the cleaning process. This particular kit contains four different brushes: an APS-sized sensor brush (about a half-inch wide and about the size of the standard Arctic Butterfly brush); a sensor brush that is about 3/4 in wide; a sensor brush almost an inch wide, and a mirror brush about an inch wide exactly matching the size of an APS-C camera's mirror. The APS brush is supposed to be stored on the motor. There is one small plastic adaptor for adapting each brush to the motor (not sure why that was necessary).
I've used an Arctic Butterfly brush many times before on both APS-C sensors and on a full-frame sensor. It is very convenient to be able to run the brush over the sensor a couple of times, hold it away from the camera and spin it, and then run it over the sensor again. You may wisely be asking whether you need all these different-sized brushes just for sensors. I don't really see the need, even if you have different sized sensors as I do. It is nice to have a separate brush for the mirror, and that was what made me buy. I don't like to let a sensor brush touch anything but a sensor. I've used the same brush on APS-C and full-frame sensors with no problem. Only the APS-C brush in this kit is small enough for an APS-C sensor. The larger brushes are definitely too large for an APS-C sensor. If you want to have multiple brushes for spares and are worried about the spares being too big, don't be. You could easily trim off the outside bristles to get any of them to an optimum size. As I explain below, the one thing you don't want is a brush that's too big. BTW, the mirror brush appears to have the same bristles as the sensor brushes.
I use a sensor-cleaning loupe whenever I clean a sensor because it makes all dust visible. It will show dust that is much too small to appear in a picture.
When I have a sensor problem, I'll use a blower first. If that doesn't work, I'll use a brush. Normally, if debris hasn't been left on too long, a brush will get it. Only in severe cases do I resort to cleaning fluid, although cleaning fluid makes a sensor look cleaner under a loupe than any brush.
I do want to offer a word of caution. You must be extremely careful not to let a sensor brush touch anything but a sensor. I once let an Arctic Butterfly brush touch the inside of my camera at a point near the sensor. It apparently picked up some grease, because it suddenly started smearing my sensor. I successfully used Photographic Solutions Eclipse fluid to clean both the brush and the sensor, but it wasn't a pleasant experience. This is precisely why you must not try to use the larger brushes on an APS-C sensor without trimming them first. You have probably read the review from the guy who claimed a brush was making small scratches on his sensor. My guess is that he got some grease on it like I did, and what he saw were grease tracks. I saw a review of another Arctic Butterfly brush that said the reviewer's brush suddenly started smearing his sensor. That doesn't happen spontaneously. The grease doesn't just materialize on the brush. And I personally don't think it's possible for these bristles to actually scratch a sensor. That would be like saying you scratched glass with a paint brush. If there's a hazard associated with these brushes, though, I believe brush contamination with something like grease is the hazard.
The kit comes with a hard-plastic case and a lightweight zipper case. I will use the latter and add to it some swabs, Pec Pads, and Zeiss lens-cleaning pads (which I would never use on a sensor, but I have used successfully on lenses and coated filters). The kit in this form is ideal for me. I do pack the blower separately.
I'm a believer in the Arctic Butterfly brushes. They do what they're supposed to and they do it well. Coupled with a (Giotto's) blower, they allow me to avoid cleaning fluid 99 percent of the time. Bottom line: This is a good kit for the money. I'd get it again.
Update: I have encountered a problem. This kit comes with a hard case and a soft case, which are both extremely nice. Both cases came with an extremely strong smell of mildew/mold. The worst was the soft case. I've tried everything under the sun to clean the soft case because, as I said in my original review, I had plans for that case. The case is padded, and the padding is not accessible. I think the padding is the problem is since I've cleaned everything else. I e-mailed the manufacturer and received no response. I'd have returned it for a replacement if it were sold by Amazon, but I didn't want to waste time with a third-party vendor on a matter this small. Also I thought, given that he is a small vendor, his entire stock may be contaminated anyway. I'm not taking away a star because I doubt you're buying the product for the case.
Skip to main content
Disability Customer Support
Medical Care
Groceries
Best Sellers
Amazon Basics
New Releases
Prime
Music
Customer Service
Today's Deals
Amazon Home
Registry
Books
Gift Cards
Pharmacy
Smart Home
Fashion
Luxury Stores
Sell
Toys & Games
Find a Gift
Automotive
Computers
Coupons
Home Improvement
Video Games
Beauty & Personal Care
Household, Health & Baby Care
Pet Supplies
Sports & Outdoors
Works with Alexa
