Arrgg... my dirty sensor

[shawn1965]

Well, I tried to clean my sensor. .It had an annoying speck right in the middle

of it. I used a makeup brush, very soft... and then I had two specks. I

tried it one more time and now have what look to be smudges on my sensor. I

need to do this right and welcome suggestions from anyone. I have a 40D.

 

Thanks in advance,

Shawn

[spritestress]

You should never touch a digital camera's sensor with anything. If dust appears on test photos, first use the 40D's electronic auto sensor cleaning feature numerous times. After that, use only a blower, like a Giottos rocket, when trying to remove sensor dust. Do that only after carefully reading all the instructions in the manual repeatedly, a few times. If a blower can't remove something on the sensor, send the camera to Canon for service, following their instructions carefully, with insurance on the camera, via a shipment method that provides a delivery receipt.

 

If you physically touch a camera's sensor with anything, the camera's warranty will be void, void, void.

[mendel_leisk]

Shawn,

 

Look into the CopperHill Kit.

 

Sprite,

 

I find with light use and moderate lens changes I have dust at least every 6 months, to the point that it's obvious, showing up frame after frame. I don't think I'm that atypical. If anything I'm on the "cleaner" side of the spectrum.

 

Your guidance may be technically correct, and good once in a while, in particular if you were sending your camera in anyways, but to ship a camera to Canon everytime it needs cleaning (beyond blower method) does not seem practical or affordable.

 

This does seem an issue that is not addressed properly. Perhaps a solution would be for Canon and others to certify local camera stores to do this service, for a regulated fee.

 

For me, for example, the nearest Canon service center is in another province, across a mountain range called the Rockies ;)

[manuel barrera houston,]

I use the arctic brush and swabs, got too expensive and time consuming to keep sending out my cameras for cleaning

[john_t3]

Here are a couple of references for sensor cleaning. Generally all that gets in there is dust that will blow out easily. It is flakes of your own skin that contain enough oil and protein to stick, and if not gently lifted off, will smear necessitating wet cleaning. Take care when changing lenses to keep the chamber verticle or facing downward to keep debris from your body or clothing from falling in there and you will find the mirror and sensor stay much cleaner.

 

Done carefully and following directions, there should be no problem cleaning it yourself, just remember to be gentle and sensitive while doing it.

 

http://www.sensorcleaning.com/main.php

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/index.html

[beauh44]

You can touch the sensor - as long as you use the proper equipment and not a

makeup brush. Besides, you're not really touching the "sensor"; you're touching (or

hopefully cleaning) a piece of glass that sits on top of it. There are many products

out there like sensor swabs (I've used 'em dozens of times without any problems)

that are meant to do precisely that: Touch the sensor and in doing so, clean the crud

off of it.

 

Sometimes you get "sticky dust" on a sensor and all the blowing and vibrating in the

world won't clean it. And imho, it's just not necessary to send it to Canon to do it any

more than it is sending them a lens. If you're at all careful, use the proper tools,

common sense and equipment, you can clean both just fine so you don't have to do

without your camera for a week or more.

 

I might go so far as to say it's more risky shipping your camera these days than it is

to clean it yourself. Good luck!

[g dan mitchell]

<p>Sprite Stress may have created some unnecessary, uh, stress with that post.

 

<p>There is nothing wrong with "touching your sensor" (which is actually a glass plate over the sensor) if necessary, though

doing a "wet" cleaning is not usually the first resort.

 

<p>Obviously, if you have a camera like the 40D that has a dust removal (or reduction) system, using that should be your first

resort. But it will not solve all dust issues. Some steps you might consider, more or less in order, include:

 

<ol>

<li>Try a good blower. With the lens off, the cleaning mode enabled, and the camera body opening perhaps facing down, a few

puffs from the blower may remove some dust. Don't put the blower <i>inside</i> the chamber, and do realize that the blower

may occasionally move around of possibly even introduce dust.

<li>If the blower doesn't get all of the dust, I like to use a sensor brush. For me this resolves nearly all dust problems.

<li>Occasionally the dust (or other stuff) may adhere to the glass, in which case there are several other steps you might take.

I use PecPads and Eclipse fluid at this point. If you have a smudge on the sensor you will almost certainly need to use

something like this.

<li>Sometimes I find that a bit of loose stuff may be left on the glass after a wet cleaning, in which case a follow-up with the

brush will usually get it.

</ol>

 

<p>Finally, don't hope for a perfectly clean sensor. You'll probably never get it perfectly clean, and even if you do it won't last.

In most cases I find that it is less trouble to spot out a few dust spots in post-processing (I used Photoshop) that to become

obsessive about a perfectly pristine sensor glass.

 

<p>Dan

[jimstrutz]

Bob Atkins uses a makeup brush. I use an artist's brush. As long as you clean them well enough to get the sizing off the artist's brush they won't cause smudges. Usually makeup brushes don't come with sizing, so are easier to clean. Cheaper too. Get them with nylon bristles and put a static charge on them with canned air. They work quite well if kept clean.

 

No that you have smudges, you need to use a wet method to get it clean. Start looking here: http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/sensorclean.html

[johnson_d.]

You could've wet cleaned your sensor in less time than it takes to read this thread. It's worth learning to do yourself, if not to save money then at least to save the time and hassle of giving your camera to someone else to do it for you. Don't give in to the FUD mongers.

[john_t3]

...mmm, don't be over confident either. Experienced professionals have managed to scratch or crack the AA filter, did it myself being in a hurry on a dusty semi-desert location, both stupid and expensive. Ruined my day.

 

If you don't feel right about doing it, let Canon do it.

[davebell]

I use Eclipse fluid. The 1st time I was very nervous, but now I am less nervous..... No big deal, just do it (after blowing etc.) and save yourself time and money.

[shawn1965]

Thanks for all the advice. The auto sensor cleaning happens every time I turn it on and off, which I believe is the same process as is in the menu, the non manual cleaning. I will investigate the methods you have recommended. I have had the camera about six months, and thought the idea of sending it in to get one speck removed a bit overkill.

 

Shawn