Blobs on sensor? :O

Does anyone know what the two large blobs on the sensor are? They're faint, but it does worry me a bit. I put brackets around them so they're easier to see. Gonna give it a wet clean soon, but I'm just curious as to how blobs got on my sensor.

that is a very dusty sensor.

Dust, specks of lubricant from the shutter....you name it. We didn't see this in film photography because we had a blank canvas on every shot. Now we have a renewable canvas that collects every speck of debris that comes along. Your sensor is filthier than most. Cleaning it sooner than later would be highly recommended.

I will definitely clean it, but the blob are odd... Just took another picture at a smaller aperture hoping to get a better view. Looks like they're migrating south.....

Yep, looks like oil. I used Visible Dust's green swabs with Smear Away to get the oil off, followed by VDust Plus to finish. Thankfully the oil splatter stops coming back after a while.

http://www.visibledust​.com/

http://www.the-digital-picture.com …Tips/Sensor-Cleaning.aspx

http://www.cleaningdig​italcameras.com/method​s.html

How come the oil blobs move after a matter of minutes? And I like to use Photographic Solutions' Sensor Swabs. I've only used them and I feel they work well for me. But does anyone know what the blobs are and why they're moving? Woolburr mentioned lubricant, but if it were to slide across the sensor, would it not leave a trail?

The big blobs look more like dust bunnies. The smaller specks are typically the lubricant. The movement of the mirror can move dust around, but it doesn't move the lube.

Woolburr wrote in post #13968225
The big blobs look more like dust bunnies. The smaller specks are typically the lubricant. The movement of the mirror can move dust around, but it doesn't move the lube.

Thanks Wool, just wanted an idea of what it was. Guess I'll be shoving a sensor swab in there sometime soon!

just a reminder- if the blob LOOKS like it is moving south, it is in reality moving north. East is west too.

While I am here:

I have to wonder how long the self cleaning sensor thing is going to last in DSLR's. Personally I would rather be able to blow out the box and wipe the sensor with the product of my choice without having to worry about dislodging little bits of dust that a vibrating sensor has "migrated " onto a strip of "adhesive" in there. Dust was bad enough, but sticky dust is just a bad idea. Are you with me?

birdfromboat wrote in post #13969336
just a reminder- if the blob LOOKS like it is moving south, it is in reality moving north. East is west too.

Half right.

Up is down, but left is left, right is right.

Because we're looking at the sensor from the front rather than from the rear.

-js

!tcerroc era uoy. dekcehc I

But the interesting point is that if the "blobs" appear to be moving down then in fact they are moving up, and not in a "liquid" fashion.

To the OP, have you tried a Rocket Blower or something similar?

I have tried blowing it and I always check my sensor after I blow it. That's how I found them. x.x I'll probably take another shot and see where they're headed!

birdfromboat wrote in post #13969336
I have to wonder how long the self cleaning sensor thing is going to last in DSLR's. Personally I would rather be able to blow out the box and wipe the sensor with the product of my choice without having to worry about dislodging little bits of dust that a vibrating sensor has "migrated " onto a strip of "adhesive" in there. Dust was bad enough, but sticky dust is just a bad idea. Are you with me?

Er, if you don't like the automatic cleaning why don't you just switch it off?

Personally, I think it's fantastic. And it seems to keep getting better. When I had my 20D I would need to give the sensor a quick blast with a Rocket blower every time I used it, sometimes more than once per day. Once a month it needed a wet clean. When I switched to a 40D (with auto cleaning) it was more like once a week. The 50D stretched to around once a month with a sensor lenspen clean about twice a year. With the 7D it has a blast with the rocket blower about once a year!