HELP! What the heck have I done!!

[Matty777]

Sorted

[Sune Wendelboe]

I'd send it as soon as possible!!
The streaks are probably dried fluid with a bit of solid residue (dust). But starting to save up a bit might be necessary ;-(

Sincerely
Sune

[Headcase650]

Use a new pecpad with 2 drops of solution and clean it again, it may take a few tries, but Im sure you will get it.

[Tom W]

It's probably smeared dirt and/or residue probably from the overwet swab, followed by the dry wipe. The sensor needs to be treated like extremely fine glass.

I'd try the copperhill approach one more time, but be sure NOT to oversaturate the pec-pad. Use a clean, fresh pecpad (swab) each time you do the sensor (don't re-moisten a used one). Make sure to blow off loose particles before you start so that they don't scratch the sensor surface. Personally, I'm not in favor of any kind of dry wiping or swabbing.

[bolantej]

everyone has a scare when doign this for the first time. glad to hear you bit the bullet and gave it another go. looks tons better. some dust is just too stubborn for a first cleaning.

[sugar_babygirli]

I was also going to suggest, (though this is a last resort of course ;) ) that if you can't seem to get a certain spot off, it is easy enough to just do one quick clone stamp over it in Photoshop, but I realize that isn't really the best way as having a clean sensor to begin with...but, just saying. :D

[RobKirkwood]

If the stubborn bit is the mark over to the right above middle - that's in sharper focus than the other dust ...just wondering if it's actually under the filter rather than sitting on top? ..or maybe in the lens?

[MagentaJoe]

I think RobKirkwod is right. That stubborn bit is not in the same plane as the other spots. It's too shaprly in focus.

[wazmunstr]

it might be between the sensor and the anti-aliasing filter. if so, send it in. i would not tackle that job yourself.

[sqjaw]

Be safe and send it back to Momma, and let her fix your baby for you, and you can pace the floor for awhile , and will do things slower next time

[MarkoPolo]

Check out Arthur Morris's technique using the Lens Pen. As you may know, he is a world famous bird photographer and a very practical person. I met him at the NANPA forum last month and heard many testemonials to this technique. I have used the Copperhill method myself and bought one of Arthur's kits and will definitely use it the next time I clean a sensor. The link is here:http://www.birdsasart.com/lenspens.htm

[Steve Parr]

I bought myself this industrial strength Promaster bulb-blower thing today. A few puffs of air, and my sensor was nice and clean.

The way I see it, if there's ever anything more than just simple dust on it, I'll just pay my local guru to do it. That's why he's him, and I'm me...

[Shabookie]

I had a problem with the first few cleanings. I forgot that I was touching the swabs before I put the solution on them and went on to cleaning the sensor... I had big time smears and streaks. I now make sure that I use a hand sanitizer before I clean. I also stray from touching the swabs with my fingers.

I use a rocket blower for most of my dust removal, but for the hard to get sticky dust, I resort to swabs and a cleaning solution.

The first time I cleaned the sensor I almost passed out from holding my breath during the process. I was so afraid that I was going to slober or drool all over the naked sensor. LOL I

Then I was like whoa! I just saved a 100 bux on a cleaning.

[schmoelzel]

I have a dirty sensor......there, I said it!! I don't worry about a few dust specks because:

A) They never show up unless I really stop down the aperture (which I rarely do)

B) If I do notice the few dust bunnies that live there, I clone them out in PSCS. I just do not subscribe to any of the cleaning methods that I have read about that involve actually touching the sensor. Maybe it's just me but the cost, success-rate, and being non-essential in the picture making process don't make sense for me.........the only cleaning I do is a quick blow of air.......sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I have the dame feeling for wiping a lens.......a few specks of dust will never show up in the finished shot; but wiping a lens can easily destroy coatings so I would rather look at dust specks than have a perfectly clean lens.

[lost]

wiping a lens can easily destroy coatings

I cant agree with you on that. The only lenses that I have seen with worn/damaged coatings are the ones severly mistreated. You know the guy, uses whatever shirt he is wearing to wipe the lens, doesnt care if the lens cap ever gets back on the lens after its out of the box, etc...

The coating on a modern lens is VERY tough, altough I dont plan to find out exactly how tough on my lenses. :lol:

I am very tempted by the Lens Pen approach. I might drop the 22 bucks on it to see what its all about.

[EOS_JD]

Looks fine to me. My sensor has this and before long youy'll have more and will need to clean again. Copperhill method works 90% well enough for me. My sensor is sililar to yours.

[Samiad]

I've not seen a cleaner sensor. You have to admit defeat here, the object is not the on the sensor cover, it's somewhere else. Perhaps between the AA filter and sensor surface.

personally, I would send that in for cleaning, stating explicitly that you believe the object is not on the AA filter, send in these shots too.

Basically any time you use f/22 or thereabouts you are going to get this (relatively) large, in focus spec on your photos, and that would be a pain for me. A typical piece of dust is usually very soft, and quite hard to spot. I don't think this spec is hard to spot and WILL show up in a lot of photos.

[dj sin]

i already have a lens pen, does what's the 'magic' method to clean without breaking my sensor..

have anybody here used such lens pen?
i have never used it on MY lens but used it at my old job, the lens pen has a small pad wich i think is humid. i have put this pad on a towel and the 'humid' stuff turned out to have a tint/color... it was black like black diluted ink would have do in water.
is this normal or just bad stuff accumulated ... or a kind of coating ?

please other lens pen user :) try to see if the pad on your produce a color on that pad ... at the time of using it i was too worried with that stuff.. so i used it with rubbing alcohool never seemed to have done anything bad to coatings but again :) im concerned about all this before putting solvent on my sensor with my be bad .

[Jon]

Don't use a Lens Pen. Check here for threads on the Copperhill method, Giottos Rocket blower, or Eclipse solution. All are intended for sensor cleaning.

[wei328]

I followed the instruction from this link, I think it's
the best/cheapest way to clean sensor

http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/How_to/a_Brush_Your_Sensor/a_Brush_Your_Sensor.html

[EOS_JD]

just remember cheapest may not be best