Argh I think my rebels sensor is dirty.. really bad

[Ogrt48]

Ack, I'm poor and I need some where local to buy cleaner but i dont know of a local camera store and I can't pay more than $5-7.. I'm broke =\
Any cheap fast ideas to get this cleaned? =[

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattsOnlyHope/IMG_1049.jpg

[HJMinard]

Start with a Giottos rocket blower (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=259157&is=REG). That will usually take care of most of it.

[Ogrt48]

I've actually been blowing into it hard and nothing budges. I can't get that item anyways I dont think regular stores sell it =\
Must be local. I have a compusa, circuit city, best buy, target and radio shack around here for sure.

[HJMinard]

Blowing into your camera with your mouth is probably a bad idea ... saliva has been known to leave spots on mirrors and sensors ... and a blower won't take those off. Your next step becomes sensor swabs, and that gets a bit more expensive.

[Ogrt48]

Ok, so say saliva gets on it and shows up at f8... can i get rid of that still...?

[HJMinard]

Ok, so say saliva gets on it and shows up at f8... can i get rid of that still...?

Yes. Here's some info to check out:

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/sensor-cleaning.shtml

[michael.luczkow]

ahhhhhhhh, don't blow in your camera for crying out loud.

[Ogrt48]

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=16-3688
argh would this work on the sensor for dust and 2 er saliva spots. can't find anything else around here.

[tim]

I've never seen a sensor anywhere near that dirty before! By blowing with your mouth you'd be adding moisture and cementing the spots to the sensor cover. I think you're going to have to go to the big daddy of sensor cleaning, the copperhill method. I use it myself, and it works very well, and it's not too expensive if you buy it straight from the guy who does it.

http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning

[Motorsports Photo]

For those looking for a blower thats inexpensive but much easier to find in your local area, stop in the local drug store and have a peek in the infant section. Look for an infant enema syringe. I have used these for years to blow particles off of watches and clocks that I repair.

You will probably want to cut the tip off to about an inch instead of the ~4" it comes with.

-Pete

[Ogrt48]

Ok I'll get one of those tonight motorsports for the dust but what do I do about the new streak of saliva.. its showing up in all pics.
Btw I think it got that dirty from me hand holding my lens backwards to it for reverse macros.

[Ogrt48]

Also can I use "kodak lens cleaner" on the sensor when I get a swap thats ok?
I mean put it on the swap first then use that to whipe it? Will that fix the saliva streak?

[tim]

Why risk your sensor, use the method I linked to above.

[Ogrt48]

I have no money to order it.. I do have a few bucks cash though.. Anyone know where I can buy menthol ? It seems to be the liquid the page recommends. I have like now photo supply stores here =\

[Ogrt48]

Well after awhile screwing around it looked like this.. I thought all hope was gone =\
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattsOnlyHope/IMG_1100.jpg

I seemed to fixed most of that and just have some left i can't get rid of
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattsOnlyHope/IMG_1171.jpg

Does this still look like dust that will be fixable with the proper stuff?
It seems to barely show in f22 pictures at all and i dont see it in f8 which i mainly use so I'm just going to leave it. Will leaving it like that harm the camera at all?
Thanks

[tim]

Take the photos in a high an f-stop as you can, I use F32. Also, try and take a photo of an even blue sky... or white sky if that's what you have. In the end, only you can decide if the dust makes a difference. As long as you can't see it when shooting blue sky at F16-F22 I wouldn't worry too much. My sensor is perfect at F20, and at F32 only a few specs show up.

Yes, a proper cleaning kit should get almost all of that off. The recommended solution is ethanol, not methanol, though i'm not sure how much difference it makes. It's like $30 for the cleaning kit, I personally wouldn't risk a $1000+ camera (depending on your model) with a cheap cleaning product.

If in doubt, have it done by a professional.

[Ogrt48]

Ah thats at f22. I'm gonna leave it how it is for now. Everytime I wash it with my solution it just ends up having it somewhere else. That all looks just like dust right? When I go to te store tonight I'll get a baby syringe to try blasting it

[skyphix]

I look at it this way... whenever I am cleaning/replacing/working on anything expensive. If I've only got a few dollars and what I need to properly clean it is a few dollars more than I have... I wait. Its much better to wait a week or two and maybe do some extra work to get the stuff to do it properly than to ruin something as expensive as a sensor (or a 5,000 dollar paint job) by rushing and panicing and trying to work with lesser equipment than needed.

Maybe thats just me, and Im glad it worked out for you... you're much braver than I.

[Ogrt48]

Id do that if i could find a freaking job, I've been looking since Oct. I live on Ramen noodles for lunch and dinner EVERYDAY.. I dont have money =\

[Bob_A]

Hi Ogrt48,

You mentioned that you were considering using Kodak Lens Cleaning Solution. I would strongly recommend not to do this. The solutions that have been selected to clean sensors are compatible with the sensor materials, are very pure, and completely evaporate away after use (i.e., leave no residue behind). The Kodak cleaner is great for removing stubborn smudges from lenses, but it's not volatile, so it would probably leave a film on the sensor.

The wipes that are used are lint free and non-abrasive. If you use something that scratches your sensor you will need to replace it which would cost many times that of a proper cleaning kit or having it professionally done. I wouldn't be rubbing it with a Q-Tip ...

Seriously, it would be better to wait until you can afford a proper cleaning kit than to experiment and likely end up requiring an expensive repair.

By the way, the principle ingredient of Eclipse Optic Solution is Methanol (see the MSDS at this link http://www.photosol.com/msds_ewipe_eclipse.pdf ). Photosol also cautions users NOT to use Pec*Pads for cleaning sensors and to use Sensor Swabs instead, stating they are made of different materials. I have no idea what the consequences are if you use Pec*Pads ... will it damage the sensor or just leave lint behind?

Just my $0.02

Bob

[Ogrt48]

Hm I have an amazon.com credit account I might be able to abuse. Can anyone find the stuff on there that I need? I dont wanna end up thinking I found the right stuff and order the wrong stuff... like I normally do.lol

[wolf]

Eclipse Fluid & Pads (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000AUR1I/qid=1110866109/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3_etk-photo/102-2372300-3455300?v=glance&s=photo&n=502394) from Amazon.com for $7.99

[Ogrt48]

Would you guys recommend eclipse fluid and pads or SpecGrabber for this? With the pads and homemade spatual(sp) thingy I tried it seems to have gotten some off but just keeps pushing that dust around or whatever it is.

[wolf]

I use methanol and pec pads with a homemade swabber and have had great success with that combo.

[kraterz]

My god! After looking at that, I think I will never buy a DSLR :shock:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattsOnlyHope/IMG_1171.jpg

[tim]

I'd still buy from the link I posted above, you get the handy tool that's made just for cleaning sensors. After that you can buy from amazon.

kraterz, that's an exceptionally dirty sensor, I returned a camera because of one that had less dirt than that on it.

[HKFEVER]

Id do that if i could find a freaking job, I've been looking since Oct. I live on Ramen noodles for lunch and dinner EVERYDAY.. I dont have money =\

Anybody live near by Ogrt48 area with Copperhills cleaning kit, just email to Ogrt48 and help him out for this time. Only cost the helper couple mins. and couple cents only. But sure will help out Ogrt48 a lot.:rolleyes:

[HKFEVER]

My god! After looking at that, I think I will never buy a DSLR :shock:


Just careful with your toys and tools, never use mouth, expect with girl friend.:p

[Joytek]

how do you think the guys at the service center clean it?

I have seen it done at the Korean Seoul CC....they just did the same thing as I did...pec pads and methanol...so I would not freak about scratching the low-pass filter...they don't.

just make sure that you don't introduce sand or something into the chamber...if you are clumsy then it might happen anyways...

try to change lenses in a "clean" environment, or at lease t not to expose the inerds of your cam to the elements.

then use the standard copperhill method to clean it...nothing mysterious here ....i have used it a couple hundred times already....on my 10D and my 1D mkii...with no ill effects.

w.

[roanjohn]

yikes!!!!

[Persian-Rice]

EEW!

What did you do? Dump you vacuum cleaner bag in the camera?

I dont have dust, but I have one of those circles with the dot in the middle(saliva) on the top left corner of my camera, but its much lighter then yours, you can barely see it. I dont know how it got there since I dont even breath into my camera. I have tried everything short of sending my camera to canon for a cleaning.

There is no other choice for you, even copper hills is not 100% perfect.

[nancy g]

There is a new product called "DSLR Clean". Here is the link:

http://www.intemos.com/USA/dslrclean.asp

[Bob_A]

There is a new product called "DSLR Clean". Here is the link:

http://www.intemos.com/USA/dslrclean.asp

Hi Nancy,

Welcome to the POTN forum!


Bob

[dsze]

I agree, if you can't afford to clean it properly right now, then bag it and put it in the closet until you get paid! If you don't have the $30 it will take to get the Copperhill materials, then why are you taking such risks with your $1000 camera? I just don't get it. That sensor is probably the worst I've ever seen. Wait and do it right when you have a few bucks to order the right stuff, and follow the link already given to the copperhill site and READ....stop blowing into your camera with your mouth! :eek:

-d

[dsze]

Ogrt48, It doesn't sound like you've gone to the copperhill site and read it thoroughly. Use pecpads, eclipse and the sensorswipe. You can probably buy pecpads and eclipse at a local camera shop for $15 or less and then order the sensorswipe from copperhill.

-d

[PhotosGuy]

I agree, if you can't afford to clean it properly right now, then bag it and put it in the closet until you get paid! Or you could still use it at bigger f-stops 'till you get it clean.

[Ogrt48]

Right now I only really see one spot on it anymore when i'm taking pics at f8 and thats at blue skys so I got it cleaned a little better. I'm too scared to do the spot test though to see how many I really have.. what i dont know wont hurt me >< no $$ still living on ramen noodles and water :\