"Copper Hill" method CMOS cleanup

[andiwozniak]

Hi All, I just read through this http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning
and I am kind a new user of DSLR. I have Canon 20d. The author is saying that you have to connect the camera to external source of power. In Canon 20d manual i found that the custom function will lock up mirror for only 30 seconds. Is there a different way to lockup the mirror for a extended period of time???

[scottbergerphoto]

You use the "Sensor Clean" function, not the Mirror Lock Up. The mirror will stay up until you turn off the camera. You should use an external power source or a freshly charged battery because if you lose power the mirror will close and get damaged.
Scott

[ssim]

On the 10D and now the 1Dmkii there is a choice in the menu for sensor cleaning. This will lock up the mirror for as long as you have battery power or shut the camera off. I'm not familiar with the 20D but attaching to external power seems a little odd.

One can also switch to manual and set the shutter speed to B but then you have to keep your finger on the shutter button.

[FlyingPete]

On the 10D and now the 1Dmkii there is a choice in the menu for sensor cleaning. This will lock up the mirror for as long as you have battery power or shut the camera off. I'm not familiar with the 20D but attaching to external power seems a little odd.

One can also switch to manual and set the shutter speed to B but then you have to keep your finger on the shutter button.

It is the same for the 20D, although the battery has to have a full or near full charge, there is no way to hook up the camera to external power without buying an adaptor.

[scottbergerphoto]

I'm not familiar with the 20D but attaching to external power seems a little odd.


That's to prevent someone from using a near dead battery and have the mirror slap down while your cleaning the sensor. The battery level indicator isn't that accurate.
Scott

[phili1]

As
Scott said you have to go into the menu, select sensor clean, with your lens off
and blow it out with a rocket blower first. then do a test and if you still have dust specs use the Copper hill set up it is the best. You must follow the instructions to the tee or you will damage the sensor or mirror.

If yiou use the copper hill practice of a CD case to make sure your giving it the right pressure. It should only be hard enough sio when you do the test you see the trial of cleaner acvross the entire span of the tool.

As far as external connection, they mean an AC power source, but you do n olt need it. You can use the batteries but make sure they are fullyu charged.

[GeForceFX]

when you buy such an expensive piece of hardware, it would not hurt to read the manual ...
on page 36 (in the dutch one) you can find how the clean your sensor.

[Cadwell]

I prefer to use a freshly charged battery when cleaning the sensor.

Power cuts are not unknown where I live, and power cables can be tugged out/tripped over etc...

[robertwgross]

I thought the sensor clean mode did a mirror lockup and also killed power to the sensor chip, just to avoid possibility of a problem should some of that nasty cleaning solution get loose and run amok.

---Bob Gross---

[tim]

It would make sense that it turns the sensor off, because a charged sensor attracts dust - that's why they say to turn the cam off before you change lenses.

[Anders Östberg]

It would make sense that it turns the sensor off, because a charged sensor attracts dust - that's why they say to turn the cam off before you change lenses.
I don't believe I've seen Canon say to turn the camera off to change lenses. I never turn the camera off, it's designed to have the lens changed "live".

The argument that the sensor should attract dust I believe is a myth, it would have to carry a serious charge to do that. There is also a mirror and a closed shutter in front of it.

[FlyingPete]

It would make sense that it turns the sensor off, because a charged sensor attracts dust - that's why they say to turn the cam off before you change lenses.

If the camera is on and the sensor charged, does it matter when you change lenses, as the shutter is closed, therefore 'sheilding' the sensor?

[Anders Östberg]

I don't know if there even is such a thing as a static charge specifically on the sensor (haven't seen any credible explanation of how this works), maybe dust is evenly distributed in the camera interior and we just happen to look for it on the sensor.

[tim]

I could be wrong, that's just what I remember from reading the manual, or maybe I picked it up somewhere else.

Is the shutter behind the mirror? I've not spend a lot of time looking at the inside of my camera, yet.

[FlyingPete]

I could be wrong, that's just what I remember from reading the manual, or maybe I picked it up somewhere else.

Yep, I have heard/read that somewhere as well, although cannot locate a credible source to confirm that.

Is the shutter behind the mirror? I've not spend a lot of time looking at the inside of my camera, yet.

Yep, the mirror needs to be infront of the shutter to redirect th light into the view finder, so in fact there are two things stopping the sensor from being exposed to dust whilst doing changes.

I imagine that the mirror movement is quite capable of relocating dust through our the inners of the camera though!

[tim]

Yep, the mirror needs to be infront of the shutter to redirect th light into the view finder, so in fact there are two things stopping the sensor from being exposed to dust whilst doing changes.

That's pretty obvious now I give it some thought. My only excuse is that i'm at work, and my brain seems to have shut down for the day ;)

[FlyingPete]

That's pretty obvious now I give it some thought. My only excuse is that i'm at work, and my brain seems to have shut down for the day ;)

I'm with you there! You are getting quite up there in your posts now, almost at the big 1000 :cool:

I spend far too much time here when I should be working ;)

[tim]

I post a lot yet say little.

I have another view on it: work gets in the way when I should be taking photographs. This site's like a nicotine patch for a photographer who can't take pictures.

[FlyingPete]

I post a lot yet say little.

I have another view on it: work gets in the way when I should be taking photographs. This site's like a nicotine patch for a photographer who can't take pictures.

True! That would make a good footer!