david_zapatka Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Spent the day shooting outside after a snowstorm and discovered terrible dust spots on my images. I stopped by a local camera repair shop for advice, and they said the D2H has a mirror lock up that allows you to clean the ccd. On my D2H, the menu for mirror lock up won't allow me to activate it. The manual says to use the optional adapter to access the ccd but I don't have the device. I've read in these forums that others have suggested just to open the shutter by using bulb, but the camera shop says this will create static since the camera will be on, resulting in possibly making the ccd dirtier. Is there any safe method for cleaning without this adapter and without paying the shop $35 for a cleaning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_ Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 And a film camera has no CCD to catch dust.... You may have to order the 'optional adapter' for self-cleaning the camera. Cold weather will create strange electric (static) fields... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 The way I clean my D100's CCD is that I put in a freshly charged battery, lock the shutter in B mode with a mechanical cable (which is what the D100 takes) and clean it myself. It really is not that big a deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_lloyd Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I've read a myriad of reviews and suggestions about cleaning the CCD yourself and all but the odd one recommend the average Joe stay well clear for fear of more expense than 35 bucks! One method that had the most "home baked" credence was to use a $5 or less ear syringe "bulb type" and with the mirror up and the camera in the firing line - hit the bulb and blow the dust out with a good jet. Your choice I guess, but don't de-wax your ears first. hardly "definitive" but credible don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnabdas Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 "definitive" might mean needing to switch to Olympus ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I would wager that your average negative, when returned from processing at the lab, has more dust than your average DSLR's sensor. Get some Eclipse solution and some Sensor Swabs. Do it yourself. It's not that difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoine_morin Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Been doing it on for years. Thousands have been doing it. Only problem is when too much methanol is used, it can leave streaks on the sensor. These can be removed by an another cleaning with less methanol. All the details you need at: http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_sokal___dallas__tx Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Get a giotto rocket blower from B&H. It can blow the dust off the sensor and the pepperoni off a small pizza and you won't have to worry about ear wax or propellant from canned air. Getting the mirror up is another question and I guess you have to buy the adapter. Using the blower though I have not had to touch the CCD in my D-70. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Seems a little unlikely that enough static would build up in the short time it would take to clean the sensor to attract even more dust. Assuming it's even true that the sensor creates static that way - didn't someone on the forum recently indicate that this doesn't happen? BTW, David, what's the largest print you've made with the D2H with satisfactory quality? I'm considering this camera but I haven't been able to get my hands on a print, just online images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnabdas Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 BTW Lex, have you seen <a href="http://www.grafphoto.com/articles/printdogma.html">this article</a> regarding the D2H printing capabilities? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundaram_venkatachalam1 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Arnab, Thanks for the article. "This image required careful planning and work by a skilled technician in the enlargement methods" - how much will this cost? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_zapatka Posted March 3, 2005 Author Share Posted March 3, 2005 Thanks to everyone for their input. It seems there are several differing opinions on the answer and it's up to the individual to decide. I've got the eclipse and the cleaning cloths, so I'll go to town. Lex--I've been shooting mostly sports for high school yearbooks and the local small town paper's sports section so I haven't had the need to make larger prints, but the 8 x 10s have been fairly clean. Because much of the time I'm shooting in rather poorly lit gymnasiums and I hate going with the flash, I've been pushing the gain to Hi-1 and even Hi-2. I see the differrence with the noise, and at Hi-2 it borders on the edge of unacceptable, but when I'm shooting the kid's last high school gymnastics meet, the shot can be out of focus, completely off color and badly composed and the parents won't complain. There are so few good pictures taken of most of these kids that the quality demands are low, but I try as best as I can to meet my own standards. When I want to take a higher quality digital photograph which I know I'm going to enlarge, I shoot with my D100. I recently had a 40" x 60" print done for a trade show and I was blown away by its quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnabdas Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Venkat you're welcome. These comments are rather subjective ... I don't even know what "careful planning" entails. And if you are really into digital you ought to be a "skilled technician" isn't it? 12 MP seems just about quite enough, now they should be focusing on image quality (e.g. color accuracy, noise, highlights/shadows) more than resolution. The SuperCCD SR and the Foveaon are some nice initiatives and are things that everyone can learn from. Also, a decent mechanism to keep dust off the sensor (a la Olympus) should be in order. Lets see what the next couple years have in store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I know exactly what you mean, David. My 12-y-o neice just got her team basketball photos back now that the season's over. They're awful. Overexposed, poor color correction, no lighting behind the girls to highlight their hair and give it some separation from the dark background. Her mom is outraged over having to pay for these photos. I told her I might submit some samples of my work to the local schools, tho' I suspect they'll decline. The photos were taken by the coach's wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Arnab, thanks for that link. I'm amazed the guy got such good results in a 24"x36" print from the D2H. I'd like to know what the lab did to prepare it. If this can be replicated using any of the better resizing utilities available I may be convinced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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