A Poll about Automatic Sensor Cleaning

This topic came up in another thread. Here: https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=17522880
I suggested that most Canon shooter's likely leave this option on AUTO-ENABLED, whether they do periodic manual cleaning, or not. I thought it might be interesting to put some numbers to this. For the record, I leave mine in AUTO-ENABLED, all the time, and only do a "Clean Now" to map out hot/dead pixels.

EDIT: Just noticed I messed up the poll choices. Default is actually ENABLED, not both. DUH!

Yup it works very well as it comes from the factory (enabled).
I can't see the point of changing it.

The first Canon DSLR to have this feature that I owned, was the 1D3.

Like every bell and whistle that comes on a camera, (image review, beeping , etc..) I turned it off immediately, and only used it when I wanted it. I did not like having to wait for it to do it's thing when i want4d to turn the camera on or off, it reminded me of waiting for windows updates!

Since then I have left it on. I think that if you leave it on, you are less likely to develop the kind of stuck particles that require hand or wet cleaning.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #17524015
The first Canon DSLR to have this feature that I owned, was the 1D3.

Like every bell and whistle that comes on a camera, (image review, beeping , etc..) I turned it off immediately, and only used it when I wanted it. I did not like having to wait for it to do it's thing when i want4d to turn the camera on or off, it reminded me of waiting for windows updates!

Since then I have left it on. I think that if you leave it on, you are less likely to develop the kind of stuck particles that require hand or wet cleaning.

It must have been a lot slower way back then.

No, I just get impatient when stuff I pay for wants to do it's own thing on my time

That I will even use a computer or smart phone is actually amazing.

I am pretty sure all the Canons I've ever had would bypass the start-up routine and go right to shooting mode if you touched a button during start-up. Well, the digital ones, anyway.

I'm not picking on you, Jake, just making a general statement about life. I used to be fairly impatient, too. (A damn answering machine putting me on hold still gets my goat!) My second trip through the CICU (cardiac intensive care unit) took all the impatient out of me. I don't miss it a bit. Jeez, I can even tolerate children most days.

I and the other 35 before me voted 'enabled'. My 'problem' is that I don't turn off the camera often enough to have the auto clean...

All I can offer is negative evidence - I've left the auto clean turned on in every camera which had it (4 to date) and have never experienced crud or dust sticking to the sensor on any of them. Of course, I'm careful about changing lenses and always keep the body cap on when the camera is in the bag. But it doesn't seem to have done any harm.

I always leave my cameras set to auto clean and it apparently does a good job. I have never had to manually clean a sensor, other than a blast from the Rocket Blower, though I recently checked and the 7D has some spots. I will try the Rocket Blower again and if that doesn't work I will purchase some supplies and try my hand at manual cleaning.

Wet cleaning scares me. I'd just send mine in to Canon for service.

In the old days I had to do it often. My 1D2 (no built in cleaning) right now would need a good wet cleaning, but I haven't shot with it in some years. It's mostly a keepsake at this point.

Oh, for the days of film. A brand new sensor for each and every frame! Ok, maybe not.

I hardly ever turn my cameras off, so the auto sensor cleaning cycle rarely runs until I consciously make a point of flipping them off and back on to make it run.... which I do occasionally.

I've left mine auto-on for all bodies that have the feature. I have noticed that the time between wet cleanings has greatly increased. I use to wet clean about every 2 or 3 months but now it's more like twice a year.

GeoKras1989 wrote in post #17525086
Wet cleaning scares me. I'd just send mine in to Canon for service.

Wet cleaning is very easy and it is difficult to do any harm, just remember not to use too much cleaning fluid and that you cleaning pads shouldn't be made of wire wool.
It is certainly easier than loading some film cameras!