Hurricane blower or Rocket blower?

RovingEyePhoto

Small thing, I know, but curious if one is superior over the other. Do these things hold pressure while you squeeze and then let it go in one big puff, or do I just squeeze as quickly as I can to get biggest puff? The Hurricane says something about a double valve system, the Rocket a single valve. I understand that valve is used to draw air from the rear, not from within the confined space near the lens mount, but is there some difference in the way Hurricane vs Rocket does this, something meaningful about two vs one valve? The Rocket talks about being made of silicone rubber, the Hurricane of thick rubber. Because of this difference, does the silicone one flatten out better in the pack to take less space, is it smoother on the squeeze so I don't accidentally jam the long snout down into the body (where I understand it NEVER belongs), or otherwise is silicone preferable? What about size? I'm using a 40D/D300 size body, so is the large model of each (about 7" long) best for strongest puff, or is a smaller size just as good? Want the best I can use for the purpose designed, so if larger is best, that's where I'll go. I understand the long snout of these blowers detach for storing in pack. Any problem with doing that? I'll store in plastic ziplock, so guess that resolves any problem of dirt sneaking in while not in use. Lots of minutia here. Amazing the detail we get into buying this stuff. Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond.

gtc

both can blow dust under the sensor filter

RovingEyePhoto

gtc wrote:

both can blow dust under the sensor filter

Olympus says to use a bulb blower holding the mount face straight downward, and not to use anything else. I take it there's two sides to this. Would you mind expanding? Thanks for the .02.

J.T.

jimphotog wrote:

Olympus says to use a bulb blower holding the mount face straight downward, and not to use anything else. I take it there's two sides to this. Would you mind expanding? Thanks for the .02.

That's the proper way to use these devices for any camera; face camera down and carefully blow air into the camera to dislodge any minor dust. The manufacturers don't want you to use anything else so you can send in the body for cleaning and charge you for it.

Check out Copperhill Images and their price for packages with the rocket blower and other great tools.

Can't beat their prices and many pros use them too.

RovingEyePhoto

J.T. wrote:

That's the proper way to use these devices for any camera; face camera down and carefully blow air into the camera to dislodge any minor dust. The manufacturers don't want you to use anything else so you can send in the body for cleaning and charge you for it.

Check out Copperhill Images and their price for packages with the rocket blower and other great tools.

Can't beat their prices and many pros use them too.

Thanks again for taking the time.

Manfr3d

I have the Rocket Blower. After months of use and
extreme testing under real workd conditions I came
to the following conclusion:

+ Looks very neat standing upright, on it's wings on my table
- Wings are a constant source of annoyance when trying to pack this thing into a tight photobag.

Recommendation:

Buy a hurricane. It only blows air.

Phyxius

Manfr3d wrote:

I have the Rocket Blower.

+ Looks very neat standing upright, on it's wings on my table
- Wings are a constant source of annoyance when trying to pack this thing into a tight photobag.

Recommendation:

Buy a hurricane. It only blows air.

I have a hurricane and I have a kit from Copperhill. I'm anal about how/when/where I change lenses, even with shooting 99% of the time outside in the dust my sensors stay pretty clean so I've been able to stick with the hurricane.

Glenn NK

I'm going to really upset some people; I tried a blower and discovered that for me at least, it moved the dust spots really well - from one place to another. Mine is the Hurrican blower - it's for sale.

I use a can of Dust-Off - complete with difluorethane. But I don't recommend it because a very small minority of people don't, won't, or can't read and follow directions and they get poor results (or worse).

On the can (in the King's/Queen's English) it states, "do not tilt, shake, or turn can upside down before or during use". I don't even move the can before or during use - I move the camera.

http://www.dust-off.com/

RovingEyePhoto

Manfr3d wrote:

I have the Rocket Blower. After months of use and
extreme testing under real workd conditions I came
to the following conclusion:

+ Looks very neat standing upright, on it's wings on my table
- Wings are a constant source of annoyance when trying to pack this thing into a tight photobag.

Recommendation:

Buy a hurricane. It only blows air.

Straight king's English. Thanks.

RovingEyePhoto

Phyxius wrote:

I have a hurricane and I have a kit from Copperhill. I'm anal about how/when/where I change lenses, even with shooting 99% of the time outside in the dust my sensors stay pretty clean so I've been able to stick with the hurricane.

Thanks for taking the time.

ziggy53

I have problem with all of the simple "squeeze" blowers in that they have to get their air from the air surrounding the camera. Unless you are in a controlled and filtered environment, you are sucking in unfiltered air just to blow it into the camera.

There is also the possibility of the manufacturer using a release powder during the manufacture of the bulb. (Release powder keeps the bulb from sticking to the casting mold.) If any of that should get on your sensor, good luck getting it off. Some manufacturers use a silicone spray, but does your bulb say which was used for its manufacture?

Manfr3d

ziggy53 wrote:

I have problem with all of the simple "squeeze" blowers in that they have to get their air from the air surrounding the camera. Unless you are in a controlled and filtered environment, you are sucking in unfiltered air just to blow it into the camera.

There is also the possibility of the manufacturer using a release powder during the manufacture of the bulb. (Release powder keeps the bulb from sticking to the casting mold.) If any of that should get on your sensor, good luck getting it off. Some manufacturers use a silicone spray, but does your bulb say which was used for its manufacture?

I never had a blowing dirt problem with my rocket blower. Maybe
because I use it on my lenses most of the time and for the sensor
only to blow off the big-o-particles that the mirror box walls emmit
from time to time.

Glenn NK

ziggy53 wrote:

I have problem with all of the simple "squeeze" blowers in that they have to get their air from the air surrounding the camera. Unless you are in a controlled and filtered environment, you are sucking in unfiltered air just to blow it into the camera.

There is also the possibility of the manufacturer using a release powder during the manufacture of the bulb. (Release powder keeps the bulb from sticking to the casting mold.) If any of that should get on your sensor, good luck getting it off. Some manufacturers use a silicone spray, but does your bulb say which was used for its manufacture?

This has always been my concern with any type of bulb blower.

We worry about changing lenses quickly so as not to get any dust into the mirror box, then we take a blower and really load it up.

Any notion that dust only exists or gets into the camera outdoors would be a misleading assumption - just watch a sunbeam leaking in through a crack in a blind and try to count the dust particles floating in the air. They certainly are big enough as they are visible. Now try to visually locate a dust blob on the sensor that shows up at f/16!!

As I noted above, I could make the dust blobs move OK, they just wouldn't move away.

Was I holding my mouth correctly?

Icebear

ziggy53 wrote:

I have problem with all of the simple "squeeze" blowers in that they have to get their air from the air surrounding the camera. Unless you are in a controlled and filtered environment, you are sucking in unfiltered air just to blow it into the camera.

Well Ziggy, while I fully agree with you in theory, in actual practice, the durn thing (Giottos Rocket Blower) works. I get crap on my sensor. I blow it off. Sensor's clean. Couple weeks later, after numerous lens changeovers, there's more crap on the sensor. Blow it off. Sensor's clean. What's not to like? What's the alternative?

kdog

Well, there's clean and then there's clean. A blower is never going to get the sensor perfectly clean. Large particles that are big enough for gravity to effect will get blown off. Smaller ones will stay on the sensor, or perhaps rearranged slightly. I don't believe any sensor is going to pass the F22/autolevels test by just using a blower.

But for my money, getting the big stuff off suffices just fine. I use a Eschenbach illuminated loupe to inspect my work as I go. Once the big stuff is off, it's good to go.

I think the talcum-powder in the bulb worries only apply to drugstore bulbs used for medicinal purposes. There is no way that a photographic bulb supplier like Rocket or Hurricane is going to ruin their reputation by allowing contamination like that in their bulbs.

Two the original question, I have one of each. I have a large Rocket blower that I use at home for sensor cleaning. And I have a small Hurricane blower that lives in my camera bag for field cleaning, mainly for blowing off lenses. The blowers are extremely cheap in the big scheme of things and it's not worth agonizing over which one to get. Get 'em both.

-joel

RovingEyePhoto

kdog wrote:

Well, there's clean and then there's clean. A blower is never going to get the sensor perfectly clean. Large particles that are big enough for gravity to effect will get blown off. Smaller ones will stay on the sensor, or perhaps rearranged slightly. I don't believe any sensor is going to pass the F22/autolevels test by just using a blower.

But for my money, getting the big stuff off suffices just fine. I use a Eschenbach illuminated loupe to inspect my work as I go. Once the big stuff is off, it's good to go.

I think the talcum-powder in the bulb worries only apply to drugstore bulbs used for medicinal purposes. There is no way that a photographic bulb supplier like Rocket or Hurricane is going to ruin their reputation by allowing contamination like that in their bulbs.

Two the original question, I have one of each. I have a large Rocket blower that I use at home for sensor cleaning. And I have a small Hurricane blower that lives in my camera bag for field cleaning, mainly for blowing off lenses. The blowers are extremely cheap in the big scheme of things and it's not worth agonizing over which one to get. Get 'em both.

-joel

Just curiosity. Thanks for the input. Whenever there's two or more of something out there, good to hear others' experiences.

Barry Nichols

I have a Rocket Blower HORROR STORY! My Giottos Rocket Air had a from the factory lubricant in it that after 6 months turned to a spackle like goo and sprayed all over my sensor. Giottos disclaims any knowledge of said grease, but you can find info on it at Thom Hogans website and google. The nice people who sell sensor swabs even said they had heard of the issue through horrified customers looking for information on how to get this crap off their sensors and also got word of it at trade shows. I for one will NEVER use these things again! If you have one and have not cleaned it out....beware. Had I not had a back-up camera, I would have been in deep trouble and lost one of the few paid gigs I have had.

kdog

Barry Nichols wrote:

I have a Rocket Blower HORROR STORY! My Giottos Rocket Air had a from the factory lubricant in it that after 6 months turned to a spackle like goo and sprayed all over my sensor. Giottos disclaims any knowledge of said grease, but you can find info on it at Thom Hogans website and google. [...]

Your post makes it sounds like it's well known that Rocket Blowers have grease in them. But here's what Thom Hogan says on his site.

"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A couple of pieces of advice: some blowers have a lubricating material in them that essentially turns into dust."[/FONT]

"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I personally use a Giotto Rocket that has been modified (a patent has been filed on this by its inventor, one of my workshop students, so don't go trying to commercialize the idea) by adding a Nikon lens cap to hold its tip precisely and very close to the sensor (but not touching it). This makes the air stream very forceful at the filter due to the close distance to the filter."[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

Quite a different picture than you are painting, since Thom actually uses a Rocket Blower himself. I also googled "Rocket Blower" and grease, and found a lot of talk about internal lubricants of the camera getting on sensors. But I did not find any instances of people complaining about grease inside Rocket Blowers.

In fact, Copperhill even includes the Rocket Blower in a kit they sell:
Link: http://www.copperhillimages.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=2&=SID

So while it's certainly possible you got a bad Rocket Blower, it's hardly the epidemic problem you make it out to be. More likely what you saw on your sensor is internal camera lubricant.

Regards,
-joel


[/FONT]

Barry Nichols

kdog wrote:

Your post makes it sounds like it's well known that Rocket Blowers have grease in them. But here's what Thom Hogan says on his site.

"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A couple of pieces of advice: some blowers have a lubricating material in them that essentially turns into dust."[/FONT]

"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I personally use a Giotto Rocket that has been modified (a patent has been filed on this by its inventor, one of my workshop students, so don't go trying to commercialize the idea) by adding a Nikon lens cap to hold its tip precisely and very close to the sensor (but not touching it). This makes the air stream very forceful at the filter due to the close distance to the filter."[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

Quite a different picture than you are painting, since Thom actually uses a Rocket Blower himself. I also googled "Rocket Blower" and grease, and found a lot of talk about internal lubricants of the camera getting on sensors. But I did not find any instances of people complaining about grease inside Rocket Blowers.

In fact, Copperhill even includes the Rocket Blower in a kit they sell:
Link: http://www.copperhillimages.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=2&=SID

So while it's certainly possible you got a bad Rocket Blower, it's hardly the epidemic problem you make it out to be. More likely what you saw on your sensor is internal camera lubricant.

Regards,
-joel


[/FONT]

Whoa fella. I did not paint any picture or use the term epidemic. I am merely relating what happened to ME. Informational purposes only. Everyone has to make their own choices to use them or not. I WISH I had read a post like this before I used the blower. It would have prompted me to pull off the red nipple and look inside which would have thrown up a HUGE red flag as the CAKED ON white dust was everywhere. You open up a NEW item you expect it to be pristine and work correctly. This one did not. It is a very popular item and the vast majority may be fine. This one was defective FROM THE FACTORY. The Giottos rep took much the same tone you have, that defend and protect from lawsuit tone. Maybe I was just lucky and got the magic ticket to Wonka land, but the way I see it, sensors and cameras are not cheap. Any chance there is a manufacturing issue, someone needs to know about it.
By the way, internal camera lubricant does not miracle its way into the blower and the spray out in front of my eyes onto the sensor. I was there, I know what happened.

evoryware

I have a rocket blower. I used it all the time on my 350D and it cleaned the dust that was showing in my images. I haven't used it in almost two years. Never need it on my 400 or 40D.

kdog

Barry Nichols wrote:

Whoa fella. I did not paint any picture or use the term epidemic. I am merely relating what happened to ME.

Whoa yourself. Here's what you wrote:

Barry Nichols wrote:

Giottos disclaims any knowledge of said grease, but you can find info on it at Thom Hogans website and google.

That's a whole lot more than merely relating what happened to you, as you've essentially indicated that other people including Thom Hogan have reported this problem with the Rocket Blower. With some research, I've discovered that's not true. Now maybe that's not what you meant to say, but I can't see how you could fault somebody for interpretting it that way.

Barry Nichols

kdog wrote:

Whoa yourself. Here's what you wrote:

That's a whole lot more than merely relating what happened to you, as you've essentially indicated that other people including Thom Hogan have reported this problem with the Rocket Blower. With some research, I've discovered that's not true. Now maybe that's not what you meant to say, but I can't see how you could fault somebody for interpretting it that way.

I called the Giottos rep and nicely asked him if he had ever heard of this. In a condecending tone he told me that they had sold 70000 and I was the first report of this. HE DISCALIMED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF SAID GREASE.

I ordered some sensor swabs and explained I had a particluar problem that was not ordinary dust...I used a Rocket Blower.....and the gentleman stopped me and said, "let me guess, it blew a white powder all over your sensor." I asked how he knew and he said he had heard of it at a trade show recently.

I googled the issue and found several posts about "rumors of a recall" but nothing in particular.

I merely mentioned Hogans site as a resource for those interested to learn more and maybe save themselves some heartache. I did not claim Hogan was refering to a Rocket Air. I actually said," Giottos disclaims any knowledge of said grease, but you can find info on it at Thom Hogans website. It being a PRONOUN clearly refers to the grease. We know that since I did not use a PLURAL NOMINATIVE such as THEY which then would have refered to Giottos, in which case you would be correct. Words have meaning.

I made no incenderary statements, just my account. I am not however going to allow myself to be Flamed on a MB for stating my experience, or made to appear that I am blowing this out of proportion, or told by someone who was not there what I saw happen and then proceed to basically...."I've discovered that's not true"... call me a liar.

Again, My post was about My experience with a Rocket Blower.

ziggy53

OK, I think we've beat this topic to death.