Sensor Cleaning is going to be the Death of Me! ugghh

[EricKonieczny]

I have only had my 20D for 2 months and my dirty 20D sensor is causing me many pains.

I have used the Copperhill method of cleaning more than a several swipes, following the exact instructions. Yet I have spots on my sensor. Not just a few spots, like 20 spots.

It just astounds me that with all the technological innovations out there, that they couldn't create a method to keep the sensor from getting dirty. Like putting a glass barrier over the entire compartment or some other crazy idea.


Should I worry about spots that I can only see when I do the Blue sky test, like I did today. This was after I cleaned the sensor. Should I just send it in for cleaning to Canon. What is there technique of cleaning the sensor and inside compartment?

This is a shot at 33% normal 20D, non edited.

http://www.ekreating.com/images/33spots.jpg



This is run through Auto Levels in PS CS. It is the same shot above 33% size.
http://www.ekreating.com/images/33Auto.jpg


This is a 100% crop of the upper right corner.
http://www.ekreating.com/images/Crop-spots.jpg


Sorry for the long post.

Help is greatly appreciated. I am pulling my hair out.

[Digital Prophet]

I too have dust on my sensor. But in recent weeks I have been reading about the IR filter that sits in front of the sensor. So I have to wonder why it is such a risk to clean the sesor. Is the glass that soft? I guess I just don't get it. If I can find a place with walk in service here in Houston I will gladly have it serviced. But I can't be without my camera for the time it would take to mail it somewhere.

As if I even knew where to mail it for service.

- Digital Prophet -

[ssim]

with all the technological innovations out there

While they're at it could they find a way to keep the dust out of my house. I would rather clean my sensor than dust the house.:)

I have cleaned the sensor on my 20D and my 1DMKII with great sucess. I buy the pec pad solution and sensor swabs (which are similar to the copperhill ones). Cleaning it shouldn't leave you with a sensor that still looks like this. I'd try it again.

[Incomplete Pete]

Urgh, dust really does not matter as much as most people make out! Most pros I know have stupidly filthy sensors, myself included, it doesn't matter!

[lancea]

I've stopped worrying about any dust that is only obvious on a blue sky as that's easily retouched. And I have never tried a test that is designed to show up the dust. Those tests are akin to the vacuum cleaner salesman who shows you the dreadful amount of filth that lies in the carpet you thought was clean. If it's not normally noticable, then it's not bad. So far a blower-brush has proved sufficient, but I have a SensorSwipe waiting just in case. Even my old slides and b&w negatives aren't spot-free.

As to technology being the answer - I think it's either Minolta or Olympus who have an ultrasonic thingy in their recent cameras that is supposed to keep the sensor clean. Perhaps Canon could give their Ultra Sonic Motor lenses a new mode that would do the trick :)

[badrotation]

I just use the copper hill method once every 2 weeks as needed (with some of the locations I shoot, the sensor gets filthy on the 20D in short time.) Basically I will do the auto levels test once every 2 weeks, and if there are more than a few spots, first I will try blowing them out with my dedicated turkey baster :lol: (too cheap to get a rocket blower), if that doesnt work, then I clean it with the copper hill method..


Havent had a problem yet (I must admit, I am quite gentle though, and barely put any pressure on it).

I made my own sensor swipe out of a frosting spatula that I cut down with a razor blade, and then wrap it in a pec pad, and put a couple drops of eclipse on it.

Very easy, and takes only 2 minutes to do.

[badrotation]

Oh, and a few tips for keeping dust off the sensor. I have found these work very well for keeping dust out.

Keep the camera pointed downwards while changing lenses.

Dust off the top of the camera, and dust off ALL the buttons and dials after each use. I have found that a great deal of dust actually finds its way in through the buttons. Just use a simple blower brush, and keep the dust out of the cracks and buttons.

Dont change lenses in windy conditions. In fact, if at all possible, change them inside your camera bag.


Just by doing those simple steps, I have greatly increased the time between my sensor cleanings.

[tim]

Eric - looks like it's time to send it to a professional to clean.

[bikers1]

I've had my 20D (Kit) for three weeks, never had the lens off it, here's a shot I took last week, are 20D owners destined to have this problem forever ? :rolleyes:

[Dannes]

Hi there,

It's okay to sweap a little harder. It's hard glass. Don't overdo it ofcourse but a gentle sweep alone won't clear the spots. What i also do is look at the sensor with a bright light. When you move your camera around a little bit in the light you can often see tiny spots. You can remove some of them with a cotton stick (a good cotton stick from a professional store) with some Sensorswab liquid on it. After that you can use a sensorswab to sweep one more time (one time in one direction and one time in the other direction.

If ypu only use a sweep, you will likely just move the dirt to the edges of your sensor.
Oh, and always make sure that you don't clean your sensor in a dusty environment.

Hope to see some better results from you when you succeed.

Succes!

[erik-nl]

I bought my 20D together with a 24mm, both in unopened boxes.
I put the lens on without any delay, as quickly as I could, and didn't take it off for about two weeks.
After one week already there were black spots, after two weeks it looked absolutely horrible!
It must have been particles and lubricant from the new camera and lens itself that contaminated my sensor.
Cleaning it took SIX sensorswabs with eclipse! and even then it wasn't completely spotless.
Using these cameras causes the sensors to get dirty, period.
I think it's a serious design flaw we will just have to learn to live with.

[GeForceFX]

has somebody tried these yet??

http://www.visibledust.com/sensor_cleaning_products.html



her you can see some videoclips:
http://www.visibledust.com/instructions.html


seems like you have to 'charge' the brush with (compressed) air

[sdommin]

Its definately a problem with today's SLRs, but if you keep your apertures to around f16 or lower, you'll minimize the effect.

Sensor dust is kind of like eating hotdogs - if you don't think about what's in them, you'll be much happier.

has somebody tried these yet??

http://www.visibledust.com/sensor_c...g_products.html

seems like you have to 'charge' the brush with (compressed) air

I have tried them and I recommend them highly. They work great for me.

[badrotation]

by any chance, are you guys taking pics with the cameras pointed upwards? I seem to get MUCH more dust on mine when I take photos with the camera angled upwards. Im pretty sure it is because the dust falls onto the sensor when the shutter opens.

[Raj]

Just out of curiosity, in countries other than Japan, dont canon service centre clean sensor within warrenty period for free ?

[Dannes]

Just out of curiosity, in countries other than Japan, dont canon service centre clean sensor within warrenty period for free ?
Take some pictures of the ground, maybe all the dust will fall out....
Sorry, i know it's a serious issue. I have the same problems. I think the problem is more likely to occur when you use a zoom lens. These lenses are not air tight.
I hounestly think that it is ridiculous that this problem isn't fixed yet by canon.

[birders]

I mentioned this on another thread.. I bought a 20D and noticed one or two spots. Under close examination they appeared to be under the first layer on the sensor. I returned the camera to the dealer, who tried to clean the sensor. This was unsuccessful so he immediately replaced it with a brand new camera. The new one seems to be free of problems.

[pierrot]

The problem has nothing to do with Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Minolta, Olympus or whatever brand you can imagine.

It is caused by very low static charges in the electronic circuitry, which attracts dust particles.

DSLR bodies are not more badly built than 35mm cameras were. The problem is that in film cameras the "sensor" (the exposed part of the film) was changed for each picture taken, as in a DSLR the sensor remains the same whatever quantities of shoots you make. Thus, day after day, there are more and more small dust particles attracted by the sensor, and in the end the quantity becomes so high that you just can't ignore their presence anymore.

There is no way to avoid all intrusion of such small particles (apart from living and working in a "white-room" in a hig-tech lab). But to be honest, only the big ones are always visible and a good rocket-blower puff will get rid of these. The very small one, only visible on very plain and luminous backgrounds and small apertures (f/16 and beyond) like a blue sky, are less annoying on most of the daily pictures.

The worst ennemies: pollens in spring and sooty fumes in busy cities and industrial environments. In case of such a sensor pollution, a swab cleaning with a pec-pad and a couple of drops of methylic or isopropylic alcohool (methanol eg. Eclipse or isopropanol) is the only solution.

[stoneylonesome]

Another thing you want to make sure you do ALWAYS shut the camera off before you change the lenses. I also was concerned that I had some bad dust on the sensor but all it was was dust on the lens. it's amazing how fast you can pick up lens dust so just make sure there clean.

[drisley]

I only use my Rocket Blower once a month, and I only use primes so I have alot of lens changes.
A few weeks ago I was shooting F10 on a sunny day, and noticed no spots at all.
I still say the Rocket Blower is the way to go, or possibly THIS (http://194.100.88.243/petteri/pont/How_to/a_Brush_Your_Sensor/a_Brush_Your_Sensor.html)
BTW, what aperture were those pictures taken?

[mjordan]

It is more of a serious issue than you think. If you don't keep your sensor spotless, every time you take a picture at f16 or smaller you are going to be hounded by the spot police that look at every image posted ready to point out every little speck they find. Your name will be posted in the Dirty Sensor List and you'll never be able to show your images in public again. So if you have a dirty sensor, never post them under your real name so nobody will know who it was.

;) :D


You might try going into the bathroom and close the door then turn the shower on hot and let it steam up the room real well. This will settle all the dust out of the room (keep the hairy dog, cat and the kids if they just came in from outside out). Once the steam has settled a bit, then clean your camera. At least this way you will reduce the chance that dust will fall on your sensor as fast as you clean it off. When I develope negatives, this is how I dry them and I've never had any dust left on them after they were dry. It's how I plan on cleaning my camera when I clean the sensor as well.

Mike

[bikers1]

F29/ 100/s

I've spent a few hours trawling everything I can about sensor cleaning, I just need to spend the next week reading it all :rolleyes:

If it get's too dirty I'll take it into my 'clean shed' where I build my bikes, It'll be clean enough once I turn the lathe and the tig welder off, my 120cfm/8bar compressor should give me enough air to shift the most stubborn dust ;) :D

[EricKonieczny]

BTW, what aperture were those pictures taken?


All pictures were taken at f22,

I have cleaned it about 10 more swipes and it is looking better. but not 100% of there are a few spots that won't budge on the edges.

The problem is I have events every weekend for the next 3 weeks I need to shoot, so sending it away right now is not an option, maybe after June 3. :o


Thanks for everyones help

[Nicholas R.]

Eric,

May I ask what type of tools you're using with the CopperHill method? What kind of swab are you using and are you using PecPads and Eclipse? If you adlib or deviate from those three prerequisites, then you run the risk of getting terrible results.
From what you're describing, it sounds like you're using something that isn't particularly rigid across the tip. That's maybe why you're leaving a lot of dust at the edges of your sensor. A perfect tool that is used to swab will have a nice, even pressure, flush on the sensor; this lets you clean edge to edge - 100% of the CMOS' surface. If, by some chance, you do have a good tool at your disposal, then you must be doing something VERY wrong.

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

[rent]

i know the service center here in irvine does one free cleaning within the warranty period. -alex

Just out of curiosity, in countries other than Japan, dont canon service centre clean sensor within warrenty period for free ?

[eos10dmacosx]

has somebody tried these yet??

http://www.visibledust.com/sensor_cleaning_products.html


I have tried these - my very first sensor clean; no worries, sensor is now a lot cleaner than I started with. Still not perfect, but I don't notice any spots in any photos shooting under normal conditions, whereas I did before.

What was actually bothering me more was the fifth that I had in my viewfinder.
After cleaning my sensor, I used the brush on my mirror and up underneath -- Like new, no dirt, hair, etc. Crystal clear viewfinder. I had tried cleaning this with other methods, but it only seemed to add more hair or moved it around.

[mkirkpatrick]

I use both the brush and the cooperhill methods, the more you clean the sensor the better you will get. You won't get it 100% clean the first few times. But if you are careful and practice it will become routine.

[pierrot]

It'll be clean enough once I turn the lathe and the tig welder off, my 120cfm/8bar compressor should give me enough air to shift the most stubborn dust
...and there are chances that your camera (or at least your sensor or IR filter) will end up orbiting somewhere at 22,000 miles high :mrgreen:

[soupdragon]

If you don't like dust? try loading a fresh roll of film.

[Keiffer]

I've had my 20D (Kit) for three weeks, never had the lens off it, here's a shot I took last week, are 20D owners destined to have this problem forever ? :rolleyes:

I think they blend in nicely...Looks like a bunch of aircraft in the air LOL Just kidding you might want to take some evasive action on that.

[Jim_T]

This may sound impossible, but I've found the less I worry about dust, the less I have..

When I got my 10D a year and a half ago, I was festidious about keeping things clean.. When I changed a lens, I used a blower on the joint between the lens and camera just to make sure no dust would come loose when I twisted the lens off. I held the camera facing down and made the change as quickly as possible.. I always blew off the back elements of lenses before I put them on. I never changed a lens outdoors if there was any wind.

I still got dust..

After a while, I just stopped caring.. I now change lenses frequenly with no worry about how I hold the camera or where I am or if the surroundings are dusty or not..

Since I've taken this approach, I hardly get any dust on my sensor.. In the year and a half I've owned the camera, I've only had to clean the sensor 4 times.... (That's once every 4.5 months).. I use Photosol and sensor swabs.

Yes, there will always be some dust.. Don't sweat it.. Edit out the odd fleck when you shoot scenes with the sky at f/22.. Other than that.. Just enjoy your camera :)