REALLY stuck dust....

[Joytek]

I have had my 10D for two months now and am on my 5200th pic. Ever since the third day of owning the camera I have had dust specs stuck to my sensor. I have used the sensor wipping technique with pec-pads and mthanol but some specs just refuse to budge. Since the vast majority of my shooting is done at night with long exposures (and thus "lots of charge" on the sensor) I wipe the sensor after every session (so about 4-5 times a week. I have set up a "clean room" with an ionizer to keep the air dust free. When cleaning the sensor I take all my clothes to make sure that there is as little chance of contamination as possible.

But all this still doesn't solve my problem and the stubborn specs remain in exactly the same place as they were two months ago. Has anyone experienced this problem? How can I get rid of these "really stuck" dust specs? I use fairly high f numbers for my tripod work and really would prefer not to have to touch up every photo.

Please help me out.

Thanks.

p.s. the most important improvement that I am hoping for in the succesor to the 10D is some sort of internal dust protection/cleaning solution (maybe along the lines of the Olympus vibration thingee)

w.

[defordphoto]

Bummer. I had that happen with my D60. It took two trips to Canon (they paid for the second trip overnight both ways) and they ended up replacing the filter.

[lightandlife]

Would cleaning alcohol dissolve it?
(This may have undesirable side effect.)
I wonder if anybody has tried it.

[defordphoto]

He's already using methonal-based alcohol. Which may have long-term side-effects used 4-5 days a week.

[lightandlife]

Then maybe it is a scratch on the sensor, rather than dust.
No amount of alcohol or any other cleaning fluid would remove a scratch.

[Joytek]

It isn't a scratch for sure. It has the very distinctive look of a spec of dust.

The sites where I read about how to clean the sensor said to use methanol (and that it was safe (sensor filter friendly)) Suposedly that is all that the "Eclipse Cleaning Fluid" really is. Does anyone know anything about that?

If I send my cam to canon for cleaning/possible filter replacement how much would that run me in ($)? I hope that here in Korea the service is good and won't "cost" me more than just the price. I am very nervous about letting some Jimmly of Lionel fumble on my 10D in some grimy little "canon registerd/qualified" cervice center here in Seol. I just don't trust them.

thanks

w.

[Daytripper]

Can you post some pics of the dust?

Perhaps it is a dead pixel....

Pete

[David Lawson]

I'd guess it's behind the AA filter, on the sensor. I have one on my 1D that has never moved after many wipes with swab. Just having to live with it. david