1D issue with sensor?! please help. :(

[O1SalsaX]

Hi all.
I recently picked up a very low actuation 1D off ebay for a very good price and the dealer included a 1 year Mack warranty. I already registered the camera, so technically it's under warranty right now.

When I first got the camera everything was working fine. I absolutely LOVE this camera and am selling my D60 (w/ a bunch of extras) because I can't bring myself to pick it up after using the 1D for a while.

Recently I noticed that my pictures have a little curved line in the same spot.
Center, top portion of the picture. Black spot with two lines coming off of it.
See example below. It was shot on RAW, then converted to jpeg and scaled to 640x480dpi.
I just shot a picture of a light colored interior door. This is not a true white.
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL554/459177/4899980/210218375.jpg

It doesnt matter what resolution I shoot at, it has the same lines in it.

I dont know if this is just a hair or a scratch on the sensor. It looks like a little chip with two spider cracks coming from it. :(

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

I am in NY and I believe the Mack warranty is based in NJ.
How exactly does it work if I need to get this serviced?
Has anyone dealt with it before?

Thanks.

another example.
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL554/459177/4899980/210221314.jpg

[blonde]

did you try using a blower and cleaning the sensor?

[O1SalsaX]

Thanks for the quick reply.
I havent touched the sensor yet. I was afraid to do anything before I got input about it.
How do I clean the sensor? Is there anything special I require in order to clean it?

I assume that I goto "Menu..sensor cleaning" Then click OK, and then press the shutter in order to clean the sensor?
How exactly are you supposed to clean the sensor once you go through these steps?

[blonde]

you will need to get a rocket blower like this one:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=318545&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

remove the lens from the body. then, you will go into the menu and select "sensor clean". press the shutter and you will hear a click. when you do that, the mirror will open up and the you should be able to see the sensor. use the blower and give it a few good blows while you hold the camera facing DOWN. MAKE SURE NOT TO PUT THE BLOWER TOO CLOSE TO THE SENSOR, YOU CAN SCRATCH IT. when you are done, shut the camera off and the mirror will go down. take more shots of a white wall and try to see if the thing is still there.


if you don't feel comfortable doing that (you really shouldn't be) you can always go to a decent camera store and see if they will do cleaning. (don't go to Ritz or anything like that)

[Woolburr]

Cleaning the sensor is a fairly simple project...the blower should be your first line of defense. The rocket blowers seem to work very well. If the blower does not remove the offending material, you can do a bit more elaborate cleaning of the sensor...LensPen SensorKlear or Eclipse and SensorSwab method are very common and quite popular. If you aren't comfortable with the more elaborate cleaning options...suspect that using your Mack warranty wouldn't be a bad idea.

[O1SalsaX]

Thanks for the info guys.
I clicked on the sensor cleaning mode and just took a look at it.
It really doesnt look like it's a piece of hair. (not looking good) I'll pick up a blower tomorrow and give it a shot (literally), but its not looking very promising.
I will be reading up on the "copperhill method". I just started reading another thread about that method when you posted this link. Thanks!

If both of those methods dont clear it up, then off to Mack it goes..
I can clean up the pix in photoshop, but I shouldnt need to.. ugh..
Just frustrating. I'd hate to be without my camera for a length of time due to something as stupid as this..

If it is scratched, do they replace the whole sensor?
Does that affect my number of actuations left in the camera?
Has anyone dealt with Mack for something like this before?

[blonde]

you never know man, i had a stubborn hair on my sensor that looked just like that. it took about 5 blows and it finally decided to give up and go away.

[Woolburr]

The scratch...if it is a scratch and not just a stray hair or fiber....is on the filter that covers the sensor...that would be what they change. That has no effect to the number of actuations that a camera can do. The talk you hear about number of actuations is called the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). This is just fancy talk for the expected life cycle of various components to a camera or any other device. The number of actuations listed for given cameras is just the MTBF numbers based on the materials used in each camera model. As the models become more complex and expensive...you will notice that the MTBF number goes up. Better materials are used in the more elaborate cameras, therefore typically extending their useful service life. Even if the shutter should fail in your camera...it can be replaced fairly inexpensively and then the camera is just as good as new...and the MTBF count starts fresh.

[O1SalsaX]

The scratch...if it is a scratch and not just a stray hair or fiber....is on the filter that covers the sensor...that would be what they change. That has no effect to the number of actuations that a camera can do. The talk you hear about number of actuations is called the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). This is just fancy talk for the expected life cycle of various components to a camera or any other device. The number of actuations listed for given cameras is just the MTBF numbers based on the materials used in each camera model. As the models become more complex and expensive...you will notice that the MTBF number goes up. Better materials are used in the more elaborate cameras, therefore typically extending their useful service life. Even if the shutter should fail in your camera...it can be replaced fairly inexpensively and then the camera is just as good as new...and the MTBF count starts fresh.

Ahhhh. That explains a lot. Thanks.
I was assuming that when the shutter dies that it was cheaper to buy a replacement camera rather than having it fixed. I am definitely wrong then. Good. I want this camera to last, actually, I NEED this camera to last a very long time. :)

I'll post some results tomorrow.
Thanks and good night.

[blonde]

IIRC, a new shutter is about $250 which is really not a lot of money and definitely not worth buying a new camera.

[fWord]

The thing they'd be replacing here will be the AA filter, if it's actually scratched. It's not cheap either and cost me about $250 to change.

[cdifoto]

I was assuming that when the shutter dies that it was cheaper to buy a replacement camera rather than having it fixed.

Depends on the camera. Replace a Rebel, repair a 1D.