I DID IT!!!!

[kahfluie]

I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has gone over how to clean your camera's sensor. For whatever reason when I used the rubber bulb to try to blow dust away, it only seemed to make things worse.

After a lot of procrastination, I decided to do the cleaning myself and not send the Camera back to Canon (which means being out of the camera for 6 weeks). Let me tell you, I was extremely nervous doing this myself, but the result is amazingly wonderful. I used the Sensor Swabs by Photographic Solutions that a store in Columbus sold individually.... pricey yes, but worth it considering I still have the camera with me, along with Eclipse. I didn't get all the dust out, but the one or two specs that are left is more than manageable. The cleaning was simple to do, however you certainly do not want to rush through it.

Of course, the best way to get your sensor cleaned is to send it to Canon and have them do it... but this is certainly an alternative one can perform at their own risk, and if done properly, will get excellent results!

Again, many thanks to everyone who's commented on how to do this and provided appropriate links for information.

[chris.bailey]

You are brave men indeed, I know how my luck goes with such things and will leave it to those more experienced and with the appropriate insurance if they get it wrong.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I still have not had "the minerals" to try this myself.. but when the time comes I will try myself beofre shipping it off to Canon..

[AndyDe]

What scares me when the time comes is the thought of the shutter closing when I'm half way through cleaning it.

[Derek Smith]

Welcome to the club Lou, of those brave few who have (as cds so delicately puts it) found 'the minerals' to 'go in' with Eclipse and a swab.

I use the Copperhill method (see links) and am pretty sure that I not only got rid of visible bunnies, but that I also finished up with a clearer and brighter image. I now wipe the sensor regularly, just to make sure any microscopic bits attracted to the charged CCD don't get a chance to accumulate.

I must admit though to AndyDe's trepidation about the shutter closing on the swab. Consequently, I only dare do it with a battery that has been on charge all night long.

[fishingjts]

I now wipe the sensor regularly, just to make sure any microscopic bits attracted to the charged CCD don't get a chance to accumulate.



small point... it's not a CCD... it's a CMOS sensor... just being picky :wink:

[Jim_T]

I had a few bits of dust on my sensor.. They weren't that bad, but I decided to get a rubber bulb blower and give the sensor a gentle puff..

This is when I found out some bulb type blowers have rubber dust in them left over from the manufacture. If you puff too hard, the dust is ejected from the blower and it sticks to the sensor.

This rubber dust REALLY STICKS.. No amount of blowing with any sort of clean air from then on would remove it. (See image below to see how bad it was.. The dust showed up even at widerl apertures):

http://members.shaw.ca/jamestownsend/after-blowing.jpg

I picked up some eclipse fluid and pec pads and gave the sensor a quick wipe in each direction as they instruct on the photosol web page.. It worked perfectly. I had no dust after that... It was all removed.. Just like new..

This was last July.. I haven't had to clean the sensor since, but I'll do this again if needed.. Just as a dislcaimer.. I heard it costs $800.00 US to replace a damaged CMOS sensor..