Page 78 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #4

What is FireFly?

FireFly is a tool for cleaning your sensor.

How does FireFly work?

The FireFly uses a small battery to create a "blast" of ionized air that will be used to clean the sensor.
Ionized air has both positive and negative ions. The presence of positive and negative ions assures that both
positively and negatively charged particles on the sensor will be neutralized and removed when air from the
FireFly passes over the sensor.

What are the advantages of cleaning a sensor this
way?

Other cleaning methods can damage the sensor. For example, wet cleaning can leave dirt behind, or, when
coupled with harsh chemicals, the sensor can be damaged. Adhesive tape can leave a sticky film on the
sensor that makes images look distorted or which can leave a sticky film that attracts more dirt. Using a
brush can also damage the sensor if the dirt particles are abrasive. The brush will create micro scratches on
the sensor which will create lines in images. Blowing compressed air over the sensor simply pushes the dirt
into the camera body. When the camera is powered on the dirt will be drawn back on to the sensor.
Ionized air causes the dirty to fall away from the sensor and camera body - provided you point the camera
down when using FireFly.

Is FireFly difficult to use?

Not at all. Simply power the unit on, turn you camera body face down and squeeze the black bulb that forms
the body of the Firefly.
The most difficult part of using FireFly was inserting the battery and replacing the tiny screws that secure
the base to the body of the device. Actually, it is important to be careful when inserting the battery so that
the wires that connect it to the circuit board are not damaged. The battery sits loosely in the base of the unit.
Be careful not to lose the screws as well. They are tiny and we found that even though they appeared to be
inserted correctly, they weren't. We recommend adding or replacing the battery over a clean white surface.

78 | Fire-Fly