Nitecore BlowerBaby
Rechargeable Camera & Sensor Cleaning Blower
Winner of the 2022 Red Dot Award
NEW: BB2 Electronic Blower
Introduction Specifications Accessories
Nitecore BlowerBaby (5.4 oz./154 g with included internal battery, $79.95). bigger. I'd get mine at B&H, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
January 2022 Better Pictures Canon Sony Nikon Fuji LEICA Zeiss Hasselblad All Reviews
Backside. bigger.
Introduction top
Introduction Specifications Accessories
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
The BlowerBaby is a clever, tough little rechargeable blower for cleaning cameras, sensors and anything else you'd clean with a stream of filtered air.
It's nicely made with an anodized stamped-aluminum case and laser-engraved markings. It's held together with tiny Torx screws to keep your kids from taking it apart.
The yellow tip is soft silicone so hopefully you won't break anything if you touch your sensor with it.
It has a 26,000 RPM centrifugal blower powered by a rechargeable Li-Ion battery. The blower draws air through an included, interchangeable filter.
I'd get my BlowerBaby at B&H, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Specifications top
Introduction Specifications Accessories
I'd get my BlowerBaby at B&H, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Power
Internal rechargeable 1,500 mAh Li-Ion battery.
There is no marking for energy capacity in watt-hours (Wh). Assuming a 3.7V battery, it's about 5.5 watt-hours, a small battery.
Recharges via USB-C. It's rated to take 1.5 hours to charge from dead.
Mine arrived charged.
USB-A to USB-C charging cord included.
Cleanings per charge: about 90 ten-second blows.
Motor specifications top
Direct-drive.
26,000 RPM.
Filters specifications top
Standard filter included.
The optional CMOS sensor filter is finer, but doesn't allow as much airflow.
They bayonet onto the side.
Air Speeds specifications top
70 km/h (43 MPH or 64 feet per second) as shipped with its standard filer.
50 km/h (31 MPH or 46 feet per second) with the more restrictive optional (finer) CMOS sensor filter.
Weight specifications top
5.445 oz. (154.4 g) actual measured weight, with included internal battery and standard filter.
Included specifications top
Cool box with outer perforated slipcase. bigger.
What's in the box: nice USB-A to USB-C cord and blower with attached air filter. bigger.
Quality specifications top
Made in China.
Environment specifications top
Usage: -10 ~ 40º C.
Storage: -20 ~ +60º C.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
January 2022
Sells for a little more with a few extra accessories included at Amazon and at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Optional Accessories top
Introduction Specifications Accessories
I'd get my BlowerBaby at B&H, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
"CMOS sensor" filter
Optional (finer) CMOS sensor filter. bigger.
This filters smaller particles, but limits airflow in the process.
Camera Cleaning Pen
Nitecore Camera Cleaning Pen, all closed. bigger.
This crazy little thing contains a magnetically attached "carbon cleaning tip" as well as two small brushes that attach to the front of the BlowerBaby.
Pull out the carbon tip from the left and flip it around to use to clean grease and fingerprints from glass.
Pop open the magnetically-latched little cover to get to the two brushes. The finer yellow one is for lenses and the coarser purple one is for cameras. Pop either onto the front of the blower:
Nitecore Camera Cleaning Pen, open, and with the magnetically-attached carbon cleaning tip ready to use. bigger.
User's Guide top
Introduction Specifications Accessories
I'd get my BlowerBaby at B&H, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Charging user's guide top
Bottom. bigger.
Plug into USB-C any way you like. Use any charger.
The LED is RED while charging and turns GREEN when done.
I measure about 5W while charging, tapering to 49 mW when done. It doesn't need PD (Power Delivery); even with a PD charger it charges at 5V.
It's rated to charge at 10W, but since mine arrived mostly charged I didn't see it charging at that higher rate. Big deal; this is a toy, not a spacecraft - so what if I actually measure all this with instruments?
Like all Li-Ion batteries, Nitecore suggests using and charging it every three months if you don't use it otherwise.
Battery Test user's guide top
While off, tap the POWER button. The LED tells us:
GREEN LED: > 50%.
BLUE LED: 50% ~ 10%.
RED LED: < 10%.
Filters user's guide top
They pop on and off bayonet style.
I use the regular filter so I get more airflow. I've not found any point to the optional CMOS sensor filter which restricts airflow because it filters more.
Look for the triangular index on the outside of the filter and align it to the marks on the blower. It's on the left of the filter in this photo:
Blowing user's guide top
Just hold the button and the fan runs. Release to stop.
If you want to leave it running, tap twice. Tap again to stop.
The LED is BLUE while blowing.
Recommendations top
Introduction Specifications Accessories
I'd get my BlowerBaby at B&H, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This is a well made little filtered-air blower. It does a good job at blowing dust and crumbs off my desk or crud out of the tracks of my sliding doors. It should dislodge hairs and larger dust bits from camera sensors, but sadly it can't blow away the tiniest specks from my sensors. For the smaller specks I still use my — gulp — big, American Shop-Vac or Craftsman wet/dry shop vacuum. Most people are too cautious, worrying that they'll suck the mirror or shutter blades right out of their camera with such a powerful vacuum, but after 15 years I haven't had a problem yet.
For more sane people, Nitecore recommends using their conventional wet Sensor Cleaning Kit to get the small specks. Personally I don't mind jamming my 4-peak horsepower Shop-Vac nozzle inside my camera's lens mount, but I've never dared actually touching a sensor with anything.
I keep my BlowerBaby sealed in a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag to keep it dust-free and keep it in my camera bag. It's so much better than when I used to breathe on my sensor to dislodge big pieces of dust in the field. I open my shutter in BULB mode and suck away with the big vacuum, or blow with this little blower.
I'd get my BlowerBaby at B&H, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
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