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SHOP WINDOW -- CAMCORDER CARE PRODUCTS
HEAD
DIRTY VIDEO GUIDE
INTRO
A clean camcorder is a happy camcorder; this
month we round up a selection of products to help keep your video machine
pristine and fit to be seen
COPY
A single grain of sand can wreck a
camcorder's tape deck in just a few seconds. Dirt and dust increase wear,
reduce life expectancy and resale value. Tar-laden smoke and grime impedes
delicate motors and mechanisms and grubby lenses reduce picture quality.
Camcorders attract dirt like magnets; they're used in unclean environments by
unclean people, so it's no wonder that dirt and contamination are one the
biggest causes of failure; so don't wait for your camcorder to develop dirty
habits, give your machine a thorough spring clean now, before it's too late!
Dust and smoke particles are the biggest
problem because they're so small, they can get in through the smallest holes
and attack the hundreds of moving parts inside your camcorder, finding their
way into the microscopic gaps in the tape heads, increasing picture noise
levels and break-up. Dust is absorbed into lubricants, turning grease into an
abrasive paste and fouling the tiny motors, servos and gears that operate the
focusing, exposure and zoom mechanisms.
Grime, slime and other greasy substances are mostly confined to the
outside surfaces of the machine and on the lens, where it will drastically
impair picture quality and upset the action of some types of auto focusing
systems. Dirt and dust on the viewfinder won't necessarily affect the operation
of your machine but specks on the screen and eyepiece can be incredibly
annoying and difficult to shift. External contaminants are less liable to do
permanent damage, they still needs to be removed, though, before they make their way inside...
Keeping your camcorder clean is common-sense
but it's not simply a case of giving it the occasional wipe-over with a damp
sponge, or worse still, using household cleaners; you could easily end up doing
even more damage; that's something camcorder accessory manufacturers have been
quick to recognise, as our survey of specialised cleaning products reveals.
The oldest and still one of the best ways of
removing loose dirt and dust particles is the blower brush. They're simple,
cheap and effective, use with care, though, as there's always the risk that
you'll blow or sweep dust into, rather
than away from the camcorder's delicate innards. To remove dust from those
really awkward recesses there are aerosol blowers, a can of compressed gas to
blast away the dust. These are good at clearing out hard to get at nooks and
crannies, though again make sure you blow out, not in. There's no chance of
that with a mini-vac, miniature battery-powered vacuum cleaners that suck the
fluff and dust out. Don't expect too much however, these little gadgets do
work, but their suction power is very
limited and they can only lift small amounts of loose debris. Don't dismiss the
old fashioned low-tech solutions, a decent quality paintbrush makes a very
effective camcorder cleaning tool, half-inch ones are the best, but don't
forget to wrap some tape around the metal collar, to prevent it scratching
plastic surfaces.
Stubborn grime and sticky finger marks on
lenses need to be wiped away and there has been at least one major
technological breakthrough. No, it's not a wonder cleaning fluid or miniature
floor polisher, but a new cleaning cloth, made from a material, sometimes known
as Belima X. These cloths contain zillions of
micro-fibres (over 13,000 to the square cm), that soak up gunge like a
sponge, yet they're soft and non-abrasive, so can safely be used on coated and
plastic lenses. When the cloth will clean no more simply wash it out in warm,
soapy water, and it's ready for action again.
They're about the most efficient way of cleaning lenses we know of,
and good value too, given that they're
re-usable.
Persistent and widespread grime calls for
more drastic measures; specialised isopropyl alcohol-based, anti-static
cleaning fluids have been developed for cleaning camcorders, and similar items
of optoelectronic hardware. Do not be tempted to use household cleaners or
solvents as there's a good chance they'll attack the plastic, and if any of it
gets inside, it could quickly ruin your machine. Specialised cleaning fluids
should be applied, and wiped off with a soft lint-free cloth, cotton buds are useful for getting into
those tricky little places.
Whilst we've concentrated on lens and general
cleaners a couple of other types of camcorder care products have crept in. Two
kits contain cassette head cleaners, which we're going to be looking at more
closely in a future Shop Window. We regard them primarily as first-aid
measures, after the head-clog warning has come on, and before you take your
machine to be properly attended to. The other one is a battery contact cleaner,
which we've included because it's so unusual, and turned up too late for our
recent survey of battery care products.
CAMLINK CLCK-2 £19.95
Just about everything you need to keep your
machine looking like new . The cleaning solution is particularly effective, and
it smells nice too.... Fair value, and well presented, in it's own sturdy carry
case.
Type 8mm cleaning kit
Contents/features mini-vac, 'wet/dry' head cleaner cassette, cleaning cloth, lens
cleaner tissues, cotton swabs, anti-static cleaner, carry case with handle
Ease of use 8
Effectiveness 8
Value for money 9
CAMLINK CLLK 1/2 £4.95/£5.95
Simple lens care kit, supplied with (CLLK2)
or without (CLLK1) its own carry case. The lens cleaning fluid is rather watery
but it doesn't smear or leave a residue. The lens cloth is on the small side.
Type Lens cleaning kit
Contents/features blower brush, lens cleaning tissue, cloth and fluid, cotton
swabs, carry case
Ease of use 8
Effectiveness 8
Value for money 8
CANON CANOCLEAR £5.00
The original microfibre cleaning cloth and
one of the most effective ways of cleaning lenses. Unfortunately Canon no
longer actively market Canoclear, so you may have to hunt around to find one;
rival cloths are now better value.
Type lens cleaning cloth
Contents/features microfibre cloth
Ease of use 10
Effectiveness 10
Value for money 7
HAMA 5629
£4.99
Glass-fibre cleaning brush, ruthless on rust,
oxides and other undesirable deposits that find their way onto battery
contacts, a major cause of power supply problems. Watch out, the fibre
particles get everywhere, and if they get under your skin you'll be scratching
for weeks...
Type Battery contact cleaner
Contents/features propelling glass-fibre brush
Ease of use 9
Effectiveness 10
Value for money 9
HAMA 5952
£8.81
Eco-friendly compressed air can, just give the built-in pump twenty or thirty
strokes for a good stream of air. Not quite as powerful as the larger aerosol
blowers but it's good exercise, and works out a whole lot cheaper in the long
run.
Type Compressed air canister
Contents/features pump-action, reusable
Ease of use 8
Effectiveness 10
Value for money 9
HAMA
44726 £15.23
The most powerful of the mini-vacs, and the
most expensive. The dust-catcher is also easier to clean. Fine for those
inaccessible corners and particularly good for safely sucking dust out of
ventilation slots and grilles.
Type Battery powered mini-vac
Contents/features mini-vac and attachments
Ease of use 9
Effectiveness 8
Value for money 8
HAMA 5916
£2.99
The largest of the microfibre cleaning
cloths, and a slightly different texture to the others but no less effective at
cleaning the glassware, very good value!
Type Lens cleaning cloth
Contents/features microfibre cleaning cloth
Ease of use 10
Effectiveness 10
Value for money 10
HAMA 5932
£5.99
The highly effective, concentrated
alcohol-based lens cleaning fluid and classy blower brush account for the
relatively high price of this kit, but you get what you pay for...
Type Lens cleaning kit
Contents/features blower brush, cleaning fluid
and lens tissues
Ease of use 9
Effectiveness 9
Value for money 8
JESSOPS JECA-450 £5.99
Industrial strength canister of compressed
gas, capable of delivering a good powerful blast that will shift the most
awkward detritus. The can doesn't say what's inside but it claims to be free of
CFCs and other nasties.
Type Aerosol air-duster (450ml)
Contents/features CFC/butane free compressed gas
Ease of use 10
Effectiveness 9
Value for money 7
JESSOPS JESLCK £4.29
Basic, no-frills lens cleaning products, including a larger than average blower
brush, decent-sized cloth and generous supply of soft tissues, more Dixel than Izal. Good value.
Type Lens cleaning kit
Contents/features blower brush, cotton swabs, lens cleaning cloth, tissues and
cleaning fluid
Ease of use 9
Effectiveness 8
Value for money 9
JESSOPS JESMVCK £8.99
Moderately useful mini-vac plus an assortment
of practical cleaning aids. The pump-action bottle of cleaning fluid works well
and once again they're not stingy with the tissues and cleaning cloth, good value if you're keen on the mini-vac.
Type Mini vacuum cleaning kit
Contents/features mini-vac, spray cleaner, cotton buds, lens cloth and tissues
Ease of use 9
Effectiveness 7
Value for money 9
LINXS 90101 £8.49
Bare-bones mini-vac with attachments, which
include angled pipe and brush or open-ended fittings. A partial solution to the
cleaning problem but not especially
good value in this instance..
Type Mini-vac
Contents/features mini-vac and attachments
Ease of use 9
Effectiveness 7
Value for money 8
LINXS 90120
£11.99
A good assortment of general cleaning aids.
Neatly packaged in their own fitted carry case, and the only one with anything
other than the most cursory instructions on how to use the various products.
Type 8mm cleaning kit
Contents/features blower brush, leans cleaning fluid, tissue, cloth, cotton buds
cleaning fluid, carry case, cleaner cassette
Ease of use 8
Effectiveness 9
Value for money 9
VIVANCO VRP-04 £2.99
It's difficult to wax lyrical about blower
brushes, but as these things go it's a good 'un, with a pliable squeezy bit,
and soft bristles.
Type blower brush
Contents/features just a blower brush...
Ease of use 9
Effectiveness 8
Value for money
VIVANCO
APS-41 £2.99
Similar in smell and cleaning abilities to
the liquids supplied in several of the kits we've seen; a good general-purpose
camcorder-friendly cleaner.
Type cleaning fluid
Contents/features pump-spray cleaner
Ease of use 10
Effectiveness 9
Value for money 8
VIVANCO VDL-03 £ 4.99
It may be small but it packs quite a punch,
and the extension tube provided directs the gas to where it's needed.
Expensive, but it's small enough to slip into a gadget bag and carry around for
emergencies.
Type aerosol air cleaner
Contents/features CFC-free compressed gas
Ease of use 10
Effectiveness 8
Value for money 7
VIVANCO VOT-06 £3.49
Yet another microfibre cleaning cloth, this
time available in a range of colours (magenta, white and blue etc., and
supplied in a neat plastic wallet, to keep it clean, dry and ready for action.
Type lens cleaning cloth
Contents/features microfibre cloth
Ease of use 10
Effectiveness 10
Value for money 8
CONTACT ADDRESSES
CAMLINK -- see Lamba
CANON UK
Unit 4 Brent Trading Centre, North Circular Road, Neasden, London
NW10 OJF.
Telephone 081-459 1266
HAMA Unit 4 Cherrywood, Chineham Business Park, Basingstoke,
Hants RG24 OWF. Telephone (0256) 708110
JESSOPS Jessops House, Scudamore Road,
Leicester, LE3 1TZ
Telephone (0533) 320033
JOSTY LTD Perry Avenue, Teeside Industrial
Estate, Thornaby, Cleveland
TS17 9LN. Telephone (0642) 769000
LAMBA plc Albion Mills, Albion Road, St
Albans, Herts AL1 5EB.
Telephone (0727) 840527
LINXS -- see Josty
SIMA -- see Prisma
PRISMA Europe Ltd Priory House, Pitsford
Street, Birmingham, B18 6LX
Telephone 021 554 5540
VIVANCO Unit C ATA House, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead HP2 7SS
Telephone (0442) 231616
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(c) R.Maybury 1993 3004
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