sensor dust check after 4 months of use

[roisin_murphy]

I just followed the <a

href="http://www.photo.net/equipment/digital/sensorcleaning/"> sensor

cleaning article</a> and did the test myself, f/22, focus set to

infinity, exposure compensation set to +1, and photoshop to highlight

the dust. This is a 350d after 4 months of mild usage, lenses were

switched maybe 50 times? Of course I haven't noticed spots in my

images, and never really shoot anything at the smallest apertures...

So at what point should you start to worry about this? :)

[roisin_murphy]

ah, I forgot to enter an image caption...<div></div>

[Greg M]

Whenever over 50% of your shots are nothing but blue sky is when you should worry...

 

In all honesty my Digital Rebel, which I have now been using since January of 2004 and my 10D, which I have now had over a year haven't had two cleanings between the two, total, and that's using a "dust sucking" 100-400L quite a lot. I'm still waiting for that infamous problem some have harped about. You've pretty much answered the question yourself. If you don't shoot much between f16 and f22, don't travel to the desert or some other place where you breath dust and don't subject yourself to mundane shots of the blue sky you're probably not going to be bothered much.

[Greg M]

Oh yes. If you DO clean your sensor and don't do it right, you'll wish you never tried. Be careful if you do it yourself. I've not had the nerve to do more than use a blower.

 

Keep your camera pointed down when you change lenses. I also turn my cameras off when I change lenses- may not mean anything better or worse, but I do.

[matt_needham]

"I also turn my cameras off when I change lenses"

 

I have also seen this advice posted in many places; the logic being that a powered down sensor is lees likely to attract dust particles. I was under the impression that the 20D doesn't really power down when the switch is turned to off. So does it matter with a camera like that?

[bellavance]

I don't think it serves any purpose to turn the camera off to change lenses as the sensor is behind the closed shutter.

 

Dust goes on the sensor (from the dusty air inside the chamber and from dust on the back of the lens) while you're actually opening the shutter and the mirror and shutter then disperse this dust around.

 

Pierre

[phyrpowr]

I'm with Greg, I use the "infamous dust vacuum" 28-135 and it's been a non issue for me

[joe_vadas]

This is so stupid, it is funny. Yesterday I was experimenting with the 3 different metering modes on my 10D. Took a picture with a backlighted tree on the right and mostly clear blue sky in the rest of the picture. When I downloaded the RAW image, I noticed 4 spots in the blue sky area. Checked the RAW info and it was f9. Since I am very nervous about cleaning the sensor, I went outide and shot the same picture again. Guess what, no spots. Probably birds in the distance in first photo. Bottom line. Make sure they are dust spots before doing anything.

[mendel_leisk]

Just wondering, anyone have experience with a professional sensor cleaning service? Is there such a thing, enough demand, reasonable enough price? Guarantees? Disclaimers?

[mark_chappell]

Why bother with a professional cleaning service, when doing it yourself is fairly

straightforward once you have a few tools. Of course if you get it REALLY filthy with grease

or other sticky substance, you may HAVE to get it done professionally.

 

As others have said, if you don't see any annoying spots in your photos, don't worry about it.

[bellavance]

Try www.visibledust.com

 

The Sensor Brush makes cleaning the sensor a relatively easy job. I say "relatively" because you usually have to do it once, then take a picture and check on your PC, then clean again, then take a picture... until you get it clean.

 

For me, getting it clean usually means when there are only a few small dust specks in the lower portion of your image (where there is usually no sky).

 

Of course, YMMV and be careful in there.

 

Pierre

[boldgraphy]

Okay, now before you nail me to the tree for ignoring every good advice, just clean the sensor yourself. I tried to get a new 20D passed my wife, so I put the compressed air to my 10D sensor, result frozen and my images had a blur a wedding photographer would be jealous of. I thought that was it, but tried window-cleaner next with cue-tips, it helped, only left a nasty cleaning stripe on the top. Went out, bought a sensor swab with fluid and after 3 swaps, I have only one little dust spot at f22, I was lucky, I know, but I learned to use the product and it was not difficult at all. Only no 20D for me now.

[byronlawrence]

yea that wasn't the best course of action.. might as well use sand paper to try to exfoliate the sensor. :)

 

the reason it is advised against using canned air (from the store) to clean or puff the sensor is because the can contains a compressed liquid. In theory I have read that you can be careful (hold the can upright) make sure the nozzle is clear, and lightly puff the camera's light box with canned air, but it is usually advised against because I think chance of user error is to great. holding the can sideways or if the can is mostly full and gets shook while spraying air, then you will get the frozen sensor thing. and with q-tips.. yea you are risking rubing that dust in and if any of the dust is hard enough, then that will scratch stuff.

 

anyway, most of that is kind of known stuff I think. I have plenty of dust on my 20d sensor and I use a 28-135 lens. you all called it a dust vacuum.. that makes sense. but luckily it is only noticable with shots of the blue sky.

 

alright enough off the subject rambling for me.

[ryanjoseph]

I clean my sensor every month with a sensor swab and eclipse cleaning solution. Not perfect, but MUCH better than leaving the sensor uncleaned.

[phyrpowr]

Oh, BTW, most posts that have the words "sensor cleaning" and "canned air" both in them, usually also have the words "PLEASE HELP"

[ken krueger]

On holidays now in Turkey and have a persistant dark spot problem with my 20D. Noticable mainly on skys top right corner..

Tried everything to remove it including compressed air from a camera shop.

 

Looks like with only one week left I will not get the problem solved untill I get home and may need to send it into Canon. This is a real heartbreaker since I w�ll now need to use photoshop on my hundreds of photos to remove the speck.