Last year, Nitecore released a battery-powered air blower designed to let you clean lenses and other camera optics using pressurized air on-the-go. It was very handy, especially since it came in a form factor that fit snugly in most pockets. The Nitecore BB2 Electronic Blower updates the outfit’s electronic air duster for even better function.
Just like its predecessor, the second generation “electronic blower” uses its onboard tech to draw air, pressurize it, and direct it towards any object you’re trying to clean. This time around, though, it brings higher wind speed, longer battery life, and adjustable power settings, making it an overall better and more efficient cleaning tool.
The Nitecore BB2 upgrades the wind speed from the original’s 43 mph to 50 mph, allowing it to direct an even more powerful airflow, all while getting a dial adjustment that lets you switch between three power settings. That means, you don’t need to use the full 50 mph when you don’t need it, letting you dial in just the right amount of airflow for whatever each job requires. If you just want some light airflow, you can stick with the Silent setting, which blows air at 19 mph while producing just 55 decibels of noise. For cleaning lenses and camera sensors, they actually recommend the Optical setting, which produces 34 mph of airflow, resorting only to the 50 mph Turbo setting for tougher jobs.
On occasion, when air pressure isn’t enough to get stubborn dirt off, it also gets a cleaning brush right at the tip of the air outlet, so you can apply some physical pressure on top of the directed airflow as it’s needed. Sure beats having to pull out a separate brush or microfiber cloth to get things done.
The Nitecore BB2 is equipped with a 7.2Wh lithium-ion module, which gives it a 30 percent higher capacity than the battery on the original. Despite that larger size, it actually charges faster than the previous device, requiring just around an hour to fully charge from a drained state. That larger battery, combined with the three power settings, should allow you to use it for much longer, making it all that much more useful when you’re working in the field. On average, the outfit estimates it can be used approximately 800 times between charges, assuming average cleaning times of 10 seconds.
If you’ve been using a light with the original BlowerBaby to illuminate the lenses you’re cleaning, that may not be necessary here. That’s because it also comes with a high-color rendering light right by the same air outlet, making it easier to see finer dust a lot easier when you’re cleaning. Basically, you can do your cleaning even in low-light settings, since you’ve got a light right by the nozzle to provide the necessary spot illumination. Other features include an impeller with 20 high-density spiral blades, a Lock mode on the dial to prevent accidental operation, a power level indicator on the power switch, and a 33.6W motor.
The Nitecore BB2 is available now.
