Giottos Rocket Blaster
This rubber rocket doesn’t provide as much pressure as Dust-Off, but it exhales a forceful-enough blast for dusting photo/electronic gear, and standing upright on its base sidelines as playful desk dressing/stress-relief toy. I squeeze the oblong bladder (the rocket’s body) and a burst of air entering through a hole at the bottom exits the narrow hard plastic red nozzle. I can't compare their relative dusting power, but unlike the ReAir Duster, the Rocket Blaster doesn't require refilling. Mine’s been in regular use in the office and on location for a couple of years without any noticeable wear.
The general consensus is that products like Dust-Off should be kept away from digital camera sensors, either because the pressure can be too high around delicate internal mechanisms or the potential for harmful residue. Giottos Rocket Blaster is the best alternative I’ve seen -- an inexpensive low-tech tool for maintaining expensive high-tech tools.
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Giottos
Favorite (15)
JR
Highly recommended. I regularly use it to clean out dust and "whatnot" from my keyboards. Buy it once, use it forever. What's not to love?
Conny Lingus
Try getting that through the airport.
Dave
I like it, and will buy one.
And, by the way a consensus is by definition general.
Richard
I travel regularly through airports with one of these. TSA doesn't flinch when they see it if they see it. No problem at all.
The only downside to all of these bulb blowers is that they can blow dust into a camera body. If you use them in a dusty environment when they "inhale" they're inhaling the same air that's got the dust in it.
This may sound like splitting hairs to come but all it takes is a few small specs of dust on a sensor to ruin a shot done with a small aperture.
Best to use on open camera body pointing down and in a clean environment.
V2
I've used the Rocket for about 4 years after reading very favourable reviews. My complaint with it is the body is not rigid enough.
You point the nozzle at a particular grain of dust and give a big squeeze to blast it with all the rocket power you can, but... the body bends as you squeeze and it's impossible to keep the red nozzle pointing at your target.
You can improve your hits by using two hands - one on the red nozzle and one squeezing the body but then you have to leave the camera flat on its back and that's not very good (see Richard's comments).
Compressed air works much better, but I had my last can of the stuff confiscated by the guards at Kansai airport.
The Rocket gets through airports OK. Most guards just look at it as something kinky and foreign.
John Hamilton Farr
I had some dust on the image sensor in my digital SLR. This gadget cleaned it right out! No more spots on the photos.
mandy
kewl, i want one.