Should I clean my sensor?

[Toogy]

Just got my 10D yesterday and so far it works great. Anyways I decided to see how dirty my sensor was and shot at the sky at F22. Here is the image, please note that I did adjust the highlights/shadows in Photoshop to really bring out the dust. What is the best way to clean the sensor? Just a blower bulb?

http://www.digitaliso.ca/sensor.jpg

Thanks

[Chris1le]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=45486&highlight=sensor

[Chris1le]

:idea: Hey mods. This question is coming up more and more. Can we get a sticky sensor cleaning thread? :idea:

[ssim]

Naw, I'd leave just like that :roll: :roll: :roll:

Actually I think that someone posted one that was worse than this one a while back ubt yours ranks right up there.

I doubt that you will get all of this with a blower. Cleaning is real easy. I've been accused of being a little anal about this as I clean mine when I see just a couple of spots. I use Pec Pads and their solution.

[drisley]

Fess up, that was taken thru a dirty car window wasn't it! :lol:

[Jesper]

You've probably understood it from the other replies: do a search, this question has been asked many times before.

I use this: http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning
Works well and is cheap.

[robertdrake]

Most of those specks look too in focus to be sensor dust. Have a look at the back of your lens first. Frankly, I'm be too scared to clean a sensor that dirty.

[EXA1a]

Most of those specks look too in focus to be sensor dust. Have a look at the back of your lens first. Frankly, I'm be too scared to clean a sensor that dirty.
Nope. The specks rather look too in focus to be on the lens, except dust on the front element of a super wide angle lens.
Look at this:
The sensor of my 300D without any lens, straight out of the camera, no postprocessing except resizing for the web.
http://www.bidencap.de/Dust800.jpg
Here a 100% crop of the upper left corner:
http://www.bidencap.de/Dust100.jpg
How I did it? Lens off, camera on, Av 00, point at a spotlight from 5 feet distance, shoot.
BTW: in 99% of my pics the spots are not visible at all, in some you can see the big one in the lower center.

--Jens--

[CoolWalker]

...never...never...never...never touch the sensor...blowing compressed air will aggrivate the problem...get it serviced. :shock:

[JZaun]

Toogy, most here clean their sensors. Start with a good blower. The rocket blower sold by B&H is tops, that alone may solve 90% or more. Try it then read the info given by Jesper and you will be up to date. Coolwalker you need to read more before giving such advice. I suggest reading Jespers post and others here on cleaning sensors. Its done all the time and safe if done correctly.

JZ

[Cadwell]

...never...never...never...never touch the sensor...blowing compressed air will aggrivate the problem...get it serviced. :shock:

:lol: Didn't you say you were a Canon tech support rep? Sounds like you are trying to drum up some business. :lol: ;)

Most of the users on here clean their own sensors as and when needed. If done carefully it's no drama and works well. If I sent my camera back to Canon service every time the sensor needed cleaning it would cost me a fortune and it would spend a good portion of it's life in some Canon service centre or other.

I'll repeat the link Jesper has already posted http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning If you follow the instructions there you won't go far wrong!

[ScottE]

Here is a link to a review of a new sensor cleaning product. The reviewer seems to be quite happy with it. I haven't ordered one yet so I can not comment myself.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/visible-dust.shtml

[CoolWalker]

...clean them if you want but you will be sending them in later complaining of oily residue. Hey, who am I to tell you how to spend your money? :D

[jcsorensen]

Where would the oil residue come from? Eclipse is almost pure methanol, and even most lens cleaners are almost pure propyl alcohol--if not, they may include some distilled watter. I haven't heard of anyone on this forum that has cleaned their own sensor and had any problems, yet alone caused any permanent damage--and there are lots of us that have done it.

[Chris1le]

...clean them if you want but you will be sending them in later complaining of oily residue. Hey, who am I to tell you how to spend your money?

Stop with the scare technique. I and many others have cleaned our sensors with no problems. As a matter of fact I've yet to see one thread started where someone cleaned their sensor and messed it up. Sure it could happen if one is not careful, and if one does not feel comfortable cleaning it by all means. Send it back to Canon. Don't tell the rest of us though we are damaging our cameras by cleaning them ourselves.

If you have any inside knowledge, how about providing some of that. How exactly does Canon clean the sensor?

[defordphoto]

...never...never...never...never touch the sensor...blowing compressed air will aggrivate the problem...get it serviced. :shock:

Canon clearly says in all their manuals to use an air blower to knock dust off the sensor. Aren't you aware of that?

[dsze]

CoolWalker... I've cleaned both my 300D and my 10D myself MANY MANY times... Shooting weddings and portrait sessions in the parks and forests & changing lenses quickly and often means that I have to clean the sensor more than I'd like. I've always done it myself using the copperhill method and have never had anything but a clean sensor as the result. Most of the guys/gals here do the same thing. On the contrary, I've read several posts complaining that Canon charged an arm & a leg and the sensor came back with MORE spots...

...bottom line; clean it yourself. Its not that hard. As Chris said, you keep sending yours to Canon if you dont feel comfortable, but don't tell the rest of us that we are ruining our cameras unless you have some research or at least some anecdotal evidence to support your claim. I think most would agree, your claim is unfounded at this point.

Toogy, My 10D came brand new to me in much the same condition as yours. I cleaned it the first day I had it. From what I've read, lots of new cameras come with a dirty sensor. I don't really understand why this is the case, but don't be affraid to clean it....read up thoroughly on the Copper Hill website, gather your materials and think about each step for a few nights and then just do it. My first time, I was sweating and worried sick, but I've literally cleaned my sensors more than 35 times and now its like brushing my teeth. No big deal...and never a problem.

-daniel

[timmyquest]

...clean them if you want but you will be sending them in later complaining of oily residue. :D

That depends on the cleaning solution you use.

Perhaps if you guys could come up with a better way to prevent the acumulation of dust then this wouldnt be an issue. But if i sent my camera to canon everytime i found dust on my sensor then i'd never have the darn thing.