Sensor Cleaning Disaster?

[c_jin]

So I'm a little freaked out that I made a huge mistake.

There was some dust on my sensor and I made to blow it off. Only I found a smudge after that, and I tried to

clean that with a tissue (stupid mistake, I know, don't yell at me I've yelled enough at myself).

The end result being that there is a lot, I mean, a lot of little tiny dust-looking specks on the sensor, or the

screen above that one (not the mirror). I'm terrified of touching it now. Is it really that easy to scratch up

the sensor, or am I safe enough to go to a B&H and ask for them to clean it up?

 

Should I even go to that place, I'm in new york.

 

Thanks to any and all responses. Yes, I know I'm an idiot, please don't remind me anymore.

[paul_runnoe2]

<p>I don't actually know if B&H offers a sensor cleaning service - but if they did I would trust it.</p>

<p>Otherwise use some of the tips and procedures here <a href="http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/">http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/</a></p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>Could you take a photo of a blank white subject, out of focus, at f/22 and post it here? We should be able to see the sensor issue that way and make a more accurate judgment about what might be going on.</p>

<p>There is a chance that all you've done is ended up with some fiber from the tissue on the sensor glass, in which case there are a few options for cleaning it that aren't all that hard. By the way, the information at the link in the previous post is, in my opinion, dated. I have used the PecPad and Eclipse fluid method for cleaning sensors, but I most certainly would not start with that approach. That should be reserved for stubborn spots that will not succumb to less invasive and simple procedures.</p>

<p>The approach that has worked very well for me is outlined here: http://www.gdanmitchell.com/2007/10/20/my-approach-to-dslr-sensor-cleaning</p>

<p>If you didn't damage the sensor - and my guess is that you may not have - don't rush too quickly to send it off to someone like B&H, fine company that they are.</p>

<p>Dan</p>

[JeffOwen]

<p>I had a similar disaster once on my 20D when I used tissues that had softener or suchlike impregnated and the results were significant smears! With a lot of patience I gradually eliminated the problem using proper lens cleaning tissues moistened with pure meths. There was a lot of sweat and curses from me initially at my stupidity but I did eventually clean the sensor, I believe that the actual surface is quite tough but nevertheless should be treated with care.</p>

<p>There are plenty of techniques how to clean sensors in Photo Net so I won't go into details here.</p>

[richard_oleson]

<p>I got a LensPen SensorKlear (is that the correct spelling?) tool recently and was pretty impressed with it, a big improvement over just a blower. If you're nervous about messing with it and you're in a location where you can walk into B&H, that's probably worth doing.</p>

[c_jin]

well i will try to get that picture asap, but i was so annoyed with myself i didnt bring the camera with me to school. if you would all be so patient to wait until this upcoming friday for giving me a definitive diagnosis, I would be so grateful. Im just so flustered I didnt know what to do with myself. I have to confess to trying to use a little purel to try and clean the sensor in my desperation. I am praying that was the fullest extent of my idiocy. I guess in the meantime it would be nice for some cleaning places to suggest because I really dont trust myself with this thing...or are camera places supposed to be avoided as my father keeps telling me?

[g dan mitchell]

<p>Purel, eh? :-/</p>

<p>There is a lot to respond to in your messages.</p>

<ol>

<li>Your father exaggerates when it comes to camera shops, but some caution is warranted. We don't know your location so we cannot give specific recommendations, but you may want to seek out the good shop in your area - if there is one there is a good chance that someone there will be knowledgeable about these things and be able to help you. </li>

<li>You could send the camera to Canon if the results of your "experiment" cannot be easily cleaned up with a brush and blower. If there are now any streaks or similar marks on the sensor - and the test photo I recommended is the right way to find out - then it is likely that a wet cleaning will be necessary. </li>

<li>Don't guess about how to fix things like dirty sensors... or lenses... or bent card pins... etc. Unless you have a fair amount of experience with this stuff, I'm afraid you are perhaps more likely to guess wrong than right - as you use of Purel (!) suggests. Better to just hold off a moment or a day and <em>post the question here before experimenting!</em> </li>

<li>That said, just because you blundered the first time, don't lose the opportunity to learn from this and find out the right way to handle the sensor dust issue now. It really is not that complex or dangerous if you do it correctly. </li>

<li>Whatever you do, do not use force to clean this thing and don't use chemicals, etc. not intended for use inside your camera body. No more experimenting, OK?</li>

</ol>

<p>Dan</p>

[c_jin]

Dan, I already feel like garbage about it so consider it lesson learned. Is there an estimate I can get for cleaning if I go to adorama or BnH?

[alfonso_valdes]

<p>High end (not chain) camera stores offer sensor cleaning services for not too much (locally, about $35 US). Or you can use a static brush like Arctic Butterfly. Follow Dan's advice above.</p>

[steve_dunn2]

<p>First, let's clear up a couple of things. The "sensor" you touched isn't actually the sensor; there are a number of items in front of it, which are generally more durable than the surface of the actual sensor. See <a href="http://www.photo.net/equipment/digital/sensorcleaning/">the standard photo.net page on cleaning your sensor</a> for more info, including a diagram. (And yes, I know, we all talk about cleaning the sensor, myself included; we're all wrong, but it's common usage.) The screen you mention above it is the focusing screen, and while it's not particularly fragile, it's probably a bit more easily damaged than the "sensor" is.</p>

 

<p>Chances are that the stuff you now see on your sensor is just debris from the tissue. Annoying, yes, and it will not look good in your photos depending on your aperture, but probably not harmful to the camera. Gentle use of a blower brush may remove some of it, but to clean it properly, including both the original smudge and the tissue debris, you'll either need to clean the sensor yourself or have it serviced. The former is easy (lots of us, with no training of any sort in camera service, do this without problems) and quite safe if you approach it with a modest amount of caution; see the photo.net page I mentioned above for more detail.</p>

 

<p>As for the focusing screen, gentle use of a blower brush may help there, too. The good news is that lots of us have some amount of dust on our focusing screens, and while it looks annoying in the viewfinder, it isn't on the sensor or in the path the light takes to the sensor, so it has no impact on the image you capture. So don't fret too much about it. If you decide to have a store clean the sensor for you, they should also be able to clean the screen.</p>

[c_jin]

<p>Once again, thanks to all your helpful responses. I've finally gotten a hold of the camera again, and I'm going to attach a few photos. Trying to find a well lit white space was hard, so I had someone hold up a brand new sheet of computer paper.<br>

I've included several pictures (as instructed at f22, uncovused), because when I was looking at them on the viewscreen, I had a hard time seeing anything, but when I actually put my eye to it I saw a lot. The dust/whatever is visible as consistently spaced fuzzy spots on the screen. I also have some lens cleaning cloth, and "Vista-clear, Transistions" eyeglass cleaning solution. I am getting kind of impatient with not having a camera, but I suppose caution is better. Just stick to buying solution online?<br>

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/Neopluto/IMG_7241.jpg" alt="" width="570" height="400" /><br>

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/Neopluto/IMG_7242.jpg" alt="" width="565" height="430" /><br>

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/Neopluto/IMG_7246.jpg" alt="" width="560" height="428" /><br>

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/Neopluto/IMG_7247.jpg" alt="" width="547" height="432" /></p>

<p>So what's the diagnosis?</p>

<p> </p>

[mbkissel]

<p>I don't really see any damage to the sensor from these shots, but they are small and it's hard to tell for sure. So you may be okay. There are quite a few dust spots visible at this aperture, but I doubt they would show up in most shots. Take the advice that so many here have already given you...take the camera to a reputable place and have them clean the sensor for you. <strong>Do not</strong> use lens cloths or eyeglass cleaning solution.</p>