Review on Carson SensorMag: DSLR Camera Sensor Cleaning Loupe & DustBlaster Air Blast Kit by William Mathis

I've tested for years of dust on the sensor using the standard blue sky or white wall tests. And it has served me very well. Finally, if you can't see the specs in the enlarged images, the sensor is clean. Right? Enter this inexpensive device. Bought primarily as a toy for gadgets, but intellectually justified under the pretext of saving time for test shots. I was really surprised when I first saw this loupe at how well put together it was. Yes, it's plastic; But for the $18 I paid for it, it's far from a toy. I tested the loupe with a Canon 7D Mk II crop sensor, which I knew from test photos needed a sensor cleaning. I examined the sensor with a magnifying glass before cleaning and yes I saw dust. I cleaned the sensor and took test shots until I was satisfied the shots came out clean. Then I examined the sensor again with a magnifying glass. And what hey!?! I could see a few tiny dots with a magnifying glass! By going back to the test shots and seriously editing them in Photoshop, I was able to convince myself that "yes, I think they were there all along, but they wouldn't affect the images." I cleaned the sensor again, checked with a magnifying glass, took a picture, and now everything is clean, clean, clean! It was similar on my full frame 5D Mk IVs and 5Ds. I thought the sensors were already clean. But the magnifying glass revealed some details in the corners. The only "issue" I had when using the loupe on full frame sensors was that I had to move my eye in the viewing window to see the sensor space. This changes your perspective a little, and in turn means you may need to refocus as you look around. Not a terrible problem, but finding those tiny details takes a little longer. Oh, and I might also note the selling point that the eyepiece rotates 45 degrees to the side, making it easier to clean the sensor. It's not far enough to really get out of the way. And since the magnifying glass simply sits on the lens mount, the last thing you need is something that could potentially flap around if you carefully try to wipe the sensor. Just take off the magnifying glass when you clean. So. scam, scam. It's worth the small cost for something that's not a toy, and it helps with sensor cleaning. And also. Think how much time you save by not taking test shots!