Sensor Cleaning

[Gary T2]

I have started to notice dust on the 10D sensor. Anyone have any ideas as to the best way to clean the sensor?

Gary

[wtlloyd]

http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning

[pwagner]

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/sensor-cleaning.shtml


Before you go too far, though, let's make sure that your sensor is the problem. Point your camera at a blue sky and note any dust specs visible in the viewfinder. Then take a picture of the sky and note dust in the digital image. When taking a picture of the sky set the lens to manual focus, since the camera (at least the 10D) will refuse to shoot if the autofocus can't find a lock. It doesn't matter what you set the focus to.

Here are the 4 possible cases. Only if you are case (2) do you need to clean your sensor.

(1) Dust in the digital image and dust seen in the viewfinder: your lens is dirty
(2) Dust in the digital image but NO dust seen in the viewfinder: sensor is dirty. :-(
(3) No dust in digital image but dust seen in the viewfinder: mirror is dirty
(4) No dust in digital image and no dust seen in the viewfinder: all is well!

If a blue sky is unavailable, a brightly (and evenly) lit piece of white paper will work fine too. Zoom (or move) so that the camera takes a picture of the largest amount of the paper possible and make sure you are NOT focused on the paper (use manual focus and focus at infinity); that way any impurities in the paper will be blurred and won't show up in the image.

[martcol]

If you've got dust can you live with it? My advice FWIW, do so if you can.

Try a search on this forum there's plenty of previous discussion and research on cleaning. As always with difficult issues advice is helpful but won't solve the "shall-I-shan't-I" inner turmoil you might be experiencing! £1,500 worth of kit at the mercy of a drop of cleaning fluid and a sqare inch of tissue!

At the end of the day, you have to put on you germ warfare suit and rubber gloves and go in (or not). Some will say don't dare touch it or risk the end of the world others, have a go! I'm in the latter camp.

Take care, let us know how you get on.

Martin

[leony]

The best advice: http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning

I've done this with 10D - works like a charm!