Sensor - Should Have Used a Blower !!

[Mark_48]

Oops, I tried to clean a piece of dust off my 20D sensor by blowing on it with my mouth and now I'm not sure what to do...It even appears as if so of the stuff now on the sensor is crawling around if that's possible. :shock:

Any ideas what I can do now ? 8)

[dsze]

LOL.... Well, now you should probably go rinse your mouth out with something strong.

[tim]

Are you serious? It looks like there's small spiders or something on the sensor.

To start with, i'd see a doctor of that stuff came out of your mouth. After that i'd use a blower on it, then send it to Canon to be cleaned.

[Raj]

Just take it to canon for cleaning. Dont tell them what you did, just ask them to clean it.

[badrotation]

lol, looks like spiders.


Just use the copperhill method. works great, and is very safe if you do it EXACTLY as the instructions say.

[Ballen Photo]

This photo should be made a sticky at the top of the EOS Forum with the caption stating; This is why you should NEVER try to blow dust off your sensor with your mouth. (or anything that might have liquid in it.) :shock:

I hope you can get this cleaned off. :( Good Luck with it.
-Bruce

[Raj]

Actually the middle one looks like a tiny octopus rather than spider ;) I once saw something similir under microscope in my biology class but I will refrain to speak it out :-) The lower bottom is spider w/out any doubt :-)
It most probably is is saliva & probably still fliud if you see it moving ...

[kenyc]

Oh, man. That's nasty!

KAC

[ScottE]

Oops, I tried to clean a piece of dust off my 20D sensor by blowing on it with my mouth and now I'm not sure what to do...It even appears as if so of the stuff now on the sensor is crawling around if that's possible. :shock:

Any ideas what I can do now ? 8)

If that stuff is growing in you mouth you are already dead and you shouldn't be doing anything.

[Viking Joe]

Send this pic to the makers of Listerine. If they told me this stuff was in my mouth, I'd be sucking on those breath strips constantly.:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[elbirth]

lol, I love how everyone's freaking out thinking he's got things growing inside his mouth. Ever take a biology class? We have living bacteria and other things in our saliva regardless of if we wash our mouths out.
Think of how TINY that stuff is in real life, I mean, it's on that sensor which is quite small, and magnified quite a bit when the picture was taken. Besides, that just looks like small spots where the spit hit the sensor and "splashed".

Just try to remember to NEVER blow into your camera with your mouth again... always use a hand blower

[drisley]

That is scary :shock:
I've never seen anything like that!
I normally highly recommend the Giottos Rocket Blower. That is all I use and I have no spots at all, even when I take pictures of the sky at F11.
But, in this case, if you have a Canon service centre nearby, I would take it in and ask them to clean it. That almost looks like some sort of dust mite or something.
<<shivers>>

[tim]

That is all I use and I have no spots at all, even when I take pictures of the sky at F11.

Dust spots are easily visible at F32, by the time you get down to F11 they're larger and blurry. At least that's what I found. By F8 they're almost invisible, and at F2.8 you can't see them at all. From that you can make some interesting observations about the path the light must travel thru the lens to the sensor elements.

[DocFrankenstein]

Here's what you do:

Add some dextrose and incubate for 5 days. Then dye it it with the red L dye and take a test shot. Let's hope it's not the Noink strain.


Seriously, that might cost you 500 bucks or so. :( I would not bother sending it to canon, I'd use copperhill.

Good luck.

[pierrot]

Did you blow yourself? :shock:
According to what I see, I'd bet you asked a N***nist to help you! :mrgreen:

[Joytek]

Sorry, dude, I think you gots crabs or somethin'....;-)

w.

[pjd83]

Looks like a few illustrations of dust mites.

[juhhyto]

This guy really have a trick, hahhaha.

[Wazza]

OMG, that freaked me out, looking at that. Just thinking that could have come from your mouth. Time to detonate my mouth with listerine...

[ddelallata]

Try the Copperhill method with the tissue impregnated with Listerine. J/K

[Bruce Hamilton]

Did you blow yourself? :shock:

Rather personal question, isn't it? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Mark_48]

Looks like a few illustrations of dust mites.
:smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

Three gold stars to the man with DSLR attached to his eye !!

[guitarman3]

Great post! Very entertaining. Funny responses--thanks for the laughs all. A creative way to get across the idea that the sensor must be cleaned with the proper equipment!

[magicmoe]

come on, it is dust mites. I can't tell if they actually are on the sensor, or they have been placed in the picture in PS, but it sure looks hilariuos. I the guy really blew with his mouth on the sensor he should have his head examined! I hope he's not a pilot, surgeon or anything which require a bit of skill and "thinking".

[Titus213]

If I ever found something like that on MY sensor I'd blame it on someone else.

This is the funniest thread I've read all week! I think I'll start marketing a lens blower with an antibiotic option. In truth I have been tempted many times to just blow on it (but resist every time).

[Gary H]

Oven at 400 degrees for one hour.

Send to Canon

[Titus213]

:smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

Three gold stars to the man with DSLR attached to his eye !!

Actually I think I can sell you a vaccuum cleaner that will take care of these...:lol:

[glangston]

Giotto Blower....have used it twice...works very well.

[Medic1]

Looks like a few illustrations of dust mites.

I was just about to say the same thing....in my humble medical opinion

[bubba]

I don't mind spiders. I give you couple bucks for the camera, that's including shipping.

[wibbly]

Well, on a more serious note I had someone in a Canon authorised service centre show me how he cleans sensors. He basically used the Copperhill method, but gently blew on the sensor (with his mouth) whilst wiping. He said it made the fluid evaporate more quickly and resulted in less (likelyhood of) streaking. He's smeone who does this stuff all day long for paying customers. And this is a service centre with a very good reputation. I guess experience counts...

J

[napolar]

This is better than a Bloo Dog post. Funniest thing I've read in a while.

[Jon, The Elder]

Wait nine months it may turn into something useful !

[DocFrankenstein]

And always use a tissue instead of your camera.
Equipment fetish in it's finest? :confused:

[Becks]

http://members.aol.com:/photochopping/race/sensor.gif

What yer gonna need is an exterminator.:)

[wolf]

Way to go Becks, that is hilarious. I knew they were dust mites all along. Becks just had to blow on them to get them moving.

[elbirth]

http://members.aol.com:/photochopping/race/sensor.gif

What yer gonna need is an exterminator.:)


http://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gifhttp://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gifhttp://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gifhttp://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gifhttp://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gifhttp://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gifhttp://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gifhttp://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gifhttp://www.heycubed.net/pics/lol.gif

That's awesome, thanks for the laugh :lol:

[clintd1369]

I'm new to the forum but have learned a valuable lesson from this (besides a good laugh)... Invest in a good blower. I'll be buying the Giottos blower with my EOS D Rebel XT!

[drisley]

That is a hillarious, and disturbing animation Becks!

[Huckaback Photo]

I thought Becks post was just brilliant, did not help solve the problem, but just great
well done Becks

Gary H,
I recon came the closest to the solution, only thing he mentioned was the wrong appliance in stead of using an oven at 400 degrees for an hour.
it should have read....a freezer for an hour or so.

now various dust mites, small insects etc were often found in 35 mm cameras pentaprisms etc.
and a well known way to deal with this was the freezer.
the camera body would be put into airtight containers also that inside sealed plastic bag, ok it did not remove objects but it certainly killed anything moving in the camera body.

An extra tip for anyone that would like to blow dust around inside you Digital camera body or lens.
1...fit the 100 to 400 L zoom to the body. (its push-pull zoom, if you dont own this lens)
2... hold the lens barrel and rapidly push /pull the zoom in and out several times.
3... if any dust inside lens or body I guarantee it will move it around.

if you were to try this with the lens off you can indeed feel the air being forced out from back of lens.
how did I learn this you may well ask.
From a Canon Rep !! showing me how to move a speck of dust inside my 100 to 400 L .
by pumping it a few times he actually made it worse, finished with 5 specks,
oh well live and learn I guess.
truth is a few small specks in any lens will never really affect performance.

Cheers
Martin (Huckaback Photo)

PS. How about a new sticky...
Golden rules for SLR digital bodys
1..never blow on a sensor to clean it.
2..never leave body without body cap or lens fitted.
sure you guys have many more.

[lost]

Uhhhhh I cant help but think that freezing a DSLR is a bad thing. I would not give that sugestion a shot.

[Huckaback Photo]

Lost
I would agree with your thoughts, that freezing a camera sounds like a bad thing to do.
Please note it was a 35mm SLR that I referred to above.

I use a 1D mk 2 and it has been used below freezing point several times.
so if you think this through, the camera could be taken out to shoot snow scenes in freezing conditions and i doubt the photographer would worry to much as long as we get the results.
so if the camera is in freezing conditions outside or inside whats the difference ?

However the main problem with our cameras in freezing conditions is the batteries.
the 1D mk2 battery life is seriously dropped from ..
20c / 68f degrees..= 1200 shots
0c / 32f degrees...= 800 shots
and thats according to the Canon handbook, so you can see its intended to be used in cold climates.

Imput from anyone here thats used a camera at known minus temperatures ?
Anyone used a D SLR in artic conditions ?

Cheers
Martin (Huckaback Photo)

[clintd1369]

I have used a point and shoot S50 in Rovaniemi (Finland - also the home of Santa Claus) with an average daily temperature of -25 degrees celcius! Before going on the trip I asked Canon if anything would happen to the camera at these temperatures and they said they could not guarantee anything and the specifications were in the manual. I kept it inside my jacket pocket and took it out only to shoot (it was a real pain in the rear to have to take off my gloves and put them on again everytime, but after 2 days I didnt even notice it!). The camera was fine and still works well. Bringing it back into the hotel room did not result in any fogging/condensation. The battery life was crap, but we carried a spare along. Took some of the most wonderful shots ever (it was our first trip with a digital camera along).
This wont guarantee anything for the digital SLR but I think the intent of putting it in a freezer is not to freeze the camera and bring its temperature down to 0, but to really cool the stuff on the sensor so it can be blown off. I've previously put jeans in the freezer to get chewing gum off :-)

[lost]

The only experience I had with a Camera below freezing was a Sony Digital 8 camcorder. The results were not good the camera would not work at all. Luckily when it returned to room temp. it worked fine.

[Ballen Photo]

Freezing your camera won't result in cool pictures?
No, But it MIGHT result in "Frozen" expressions. ;)
-Bruce

[poogpost]

Dude that is very bad it looks like a viral Nikonian Strain. Take two doses of "L" and call me in the morning.

John

[Huckaback Photo]

Bloo Dog , Ballen & Poogpost.
great replies, vary funny, well done.

Clintd 1369.
thanks for input, amazed to know about the minus 25. glad you got results.
Fortunately we dont have those sort of temps here in UK .
I think that should kill off any bugs inside a camera !

I think the norm for this type of photography is the battery ( or power pack)on a lead and next to your own body,
and the lead to the camera.

Martin (Huckaback Photo)

[drisley]

Many bugs can survive freezing temps, they just slow down to a hibernation type mode.
But, it just might work for these.
Btw, I've used all my cameras in temps as low as -20C without problems.

[Huckaback Photo]

Lost
I just re read your post, in particular ..
256 Lexar 16x (dead.. assasin was found to be the washing machine). " I'm still laughing"
Do i take it you wrecked that card by cleaning it in the washing machine ?

most people clean up the cards by format or delete and I'm having trouble finding that program
on our wash machine !!.
Martin

[kenyc]

I'm new to the forum but have learned a valuable lesson from this (besides a good laugh)... Invest in a good blower. I'll be buying the Giottos blower with my EOS D Rebel XT!

Everybody needs a good blower. :)

KAC

[lost]

Uhhm no I think it probably survived the washing machine fine. I think it was when I stuck it in the Card reader still wet.

I was looking for it and asked my wife where it was and she gave it to me. My fault for not asking why she had it, but then again she does have her own P&S. LOL Thank God it wasnt the 2GB Lexar.

[sam bailey]

Drink plenty of beer like me. If it doesn't keep the dust mites out of your mouth, at least they can't crawl around if they're drunk.

Clean your sensor yourself, it is easy and there are already threads to give you guidance. Ask more questions if you are in doubt.

[MgnDvD]

W O W !!!
I almost died from laughing!!!!!!
These are dust mites !
I think CNN recently had a story about mattresses and dust mites there. I remember well these dinosaurs.
Mark_48, it's been a week. What did your doctor say ? ;-)
Did he have a heart attack, by chance ?? ;-)
I think you should contact Dr. Gupta from CNN, you might appear on TV and become a celebrity...

[malla1962]

wow,buy some sensor swabs use one on your camera and the rest on your mouth.lol

[mrclark321]

NEW SCOPE...Anti bacteria and dust mite mouth wash!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Pelao]

Oh dear. Have you perhaps served in the military - in a biological warfare unit?

I agree - send it to Canon. tell them to don those bio-protection suits....

[shiato storm]

perhaps a hoover would have been best not a blower...? them dust mites...grrr!
i guess its the new 'scan-ography' letting things drop on your sensor and capturing them that way. beats macro at least

[spiders]

They are definitely dust mites. However, just to rachet up the squeamish factor...Most of us have Denodex follicularum infestations that we acquire at some time during our lives. The prevalence is about 20-25% among 20 year olds and will reach 100% if you live long enough. They are transferred during kissing and other skin contact--so unless you live in a plastic bubble and have never been kissed--you got 'em! They lay about 25 eggs or so in your follicles and happily each sebaceous secretions around your eye lashes, ears (mmm..tasty oil and earwax!) and nose (mucus is yummy too). They generally cause no problems unless you have a heavy infestation, then it leads to some dermatological conditions like Rosecea and hair loss. Anywho, file this one under the too much information department. They are easy to distinguish from dust mites because of their elongated bodies.

[escapehtml]

All in good fun. :D

http://photos.escapehtml.com/20d-sensor.gif

[CorruptedPhotographer]

Rather personal question, isn't it? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

hehehe

[robertwgross]

Too much information.

---Bob Gross---

[Coco-Puffs]

Just go yell at Canon and be like "MY CAMERA ISNT TAKING GOOD PICS ANYMORE AND ITS YOUR FAULT!!!". Youre the customer, you automatically win LOL. jk, be nice to them, and im sure they could figure something out. good luck man.

[MadMesh]

thats pretty gross man, im gona start keeping my camera inside a plastic bag...

[Desertraptor]

Maybe this should be in the Macro forum as well :)

[trtagawa]

This is COMEDY!!!!

[Kadath]

I'm pretty sure thats Lord Cthulhu rising from the deep, accompanied by a Great Old One.

Fnord!

[fetching]

if you market this right, you could make a million.

what you've got there is a crack team of Sensor Zamboni Drivers.

Send them down a few bits of Pec Pad and they'll clean your sensor spotless while you sleep!

Just make sure you train them to jump off and hide in the recesses of your camera while you are shooting. a good way to lure them is with tiny bits of food that stick in your teeth after eating. just place the food bits in an out of the way corner and they'll be all over it and out of the way until next time you need your sensor zambonied.

:D

[marie]

http://members.aol.com:/photochopping/race/sensor.gif

What yer gonna need is an exterminator.:)




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[Crashoran]

Nice try..but..I googled "dust mites" and found pictures that match the mites on your "sensor"

[kross]

I cracked myself up!!!!!:lol:

[nicshow]

B&H shows several sizes of Giottos Rocket Blower. Obviously the bigger the better at moving air but is the "large" too big for any reason (7.5")? I don't want to get it and then find it is too big to use on the camera.

Thanks!

[Bmaintz]

OK, since I will be buying a 20D & several lens, HOW do you prevent crawing creatures on your sensor in the first place??____ I would assume that you would hold the camera in the down position when you change the lens & to avoid a windy area....

[I Simonius]

lol, I love how everyone's freaking out thinking he's got things growing inside his mouth. Ever take a biology class? We have living bacteria and other things in our saliva regardless of if we wash our mouths out.
Think of how TINY that stuff is in real life, I mean, it's on that sensor which is quite small, and magnified quite a bit when the picture was taken. Besides, that just looks like small spots where the spit hit the sensor and "splashed".

Just try to remember to NEVER blow into your camera with your mouth again... always use a hand blower

ahem...bacteria wouldn't show up at that size looking like spider mites!

[I Simonius]

Nice try..but..I googled "dust mites" and found pictures that match the mites on your "sensor"

that was my first thought too!

LOVE the animation :lol: :lol: :lol:

[DragonJade]

Scared the crap out of me when I saw that pic.

[Jeff Zombie]

Funny stuff.. ha, anyway. I don't have a local Canon dealer what would I do if I needed something cleaned/repaired etc.

[dsze]

OK, since I will be buying a 20D & several lens, HOW do you prevent crawing creatures on your sensor in the first place??____ I would assume that you would hold the camera in the down position when you change the lens & to avoid a windy area....

You can't avoid dust. It will get on your sensor, regardless of how you change lenses. Eventually, you will have to clean it. I use the copperhill method. Between those 'real' cleanings though, I just use a Rocket Blower to blow off the sensor

[SYS]

Enough with the germ jokes, please.... It's bad enough to have this kind of problem to deal with and then to find everyone being so helpful on this forum...:rolleyes:

[MariaG]

Did you ever see a magnified dust might? Looks just like that...I don't think it was in your mouth I think they were in the dust on the sensor...but wow there must have been alot of dust. Anyway thats just my opinion.

[MariaG]

maybe I should have spelled that correctly..mite..as in bug..lol

[tiktaalik]

Heh. I love it. A dust mite and a spawn of Cthulhu.:lol:

But for those who get squeemish about dust mites living around and on you, may I recommend avoiding the book Furtive Fauna by Roger Knutson. Not only do you
encounter the usual, fleas, lice, dust mites etc., but other fun little creatures like face mites. Yes, you've got little 8 legged mites living in the hair follicles on your face, typically in the eyebrow follicles. They are harmless, much like the tooth amoebas in your mouth.

Julie

[storeman]

Got to admit that my first thought was that they looked like dudt mites but then figured they were probably tiny droplets of spittle.

Why send the camera to canon when the copperhill method is so simple ?

As for freezing electronic items - you will only encounter problems if

a: you get them cold enough to actually damage the components on the PCB or
b: you power up before it teturns to normal temperature and is completely dry.

I have managed to salvage data from mechanically faulty hard disk drives by cooling in the freezer (inside airtight containers) then powering them up and copyinf the files onto a good drive.

[tzalman]

It seems fairly likely that some time in the last year he may have managed to solve his problem.

[evandavies]

...and never heard from again..............

[blackviolet]

uh... did i miss something? it was a joke to illustrate a point. i love old threads!!!

[Aidenswarrior]

Heh. I love it. A dust mite and a spawn of Cthulhu.:lol:

a fellow dnd player?

[TSmith8779]

Nobody mentioned hanging a Shell No Pest Strip around the lens???? Although it really does draw attention to the grey L's.