Camera Cleaning

What do you do to clean your camera's?

I have noticed on the sensor inside my camera there are two tiny little specks. They are driving me crazy (not showing up on the pictures) but I don't know what to do about them.

Thoughts?

If they're not showing on the pictures, what's the problem? I have some spots that have resisted the blower and sensor brush. Some of them were put there when I had Canon clean it so I'm a bit reluctant to send it in again. Luckily, they're only really visible at f/11 or smaller and Lightroom 2 makes it pretty easy to remove them. I know there's wet cleaning methods available but I'm afraid of them.

I guess they aren't causing a problem, just driving me crazy!

I know how you feel. A photographer here said don't worry about it but I do!LOL, the worst part is I live on Guam and there's no local place that is a certified cleaner!

How much do the professionals charge to clean a camera?

LowSpark420 wrote in post #9180689
What do you do to clean your camera's?

I have noticed on the sensor inside my camera there are two tiny little specks. They are driving me crazy (not showing up on the pictures) but I don't know what to do about them.

First of all, you need to figure out where the debris is. You say that you noticed the little specks "on the sensor". Did you actually see the specks on the sensor or do you see them through the viewfinder?

No debris that you can see in focus through the viewfinder is on the sensor and it won't show up in any images.

No debris on the sensor can be seen in the viewfinder, but it will affect images - particularly when using small apertures (large f-stop numbers).

Once we can determine what you are actually referring to, then we can help you solve the problem.

LowSpark420 wrote in post #9180737
I guess they aren't causing a problem, just driving me crazy!

Ah, the focus screen then, you need a rocket blower to get rid of any specks on it

I just purchased a Copper Hill method sensor cleaning kit. It's so easy to do yourself and my results were good. I refuse to pay someone to do what I can do myself. Plus I hate being w/o my camera.

There are two tiny specks on the sensor that I can see when I change a lens. It is not showing up in the viewfinder or in pictures that I have noticed thus far...

LowSpark420 wrote in post #9183172
There are two tiny specks on the sensor that I can see when I change a lens. It is not showing up in the viewfinder or in pictures that I have noticed thus far...

Uh, unless you put the camera in sensor cleaning mode before you change the lens, you can't even see the sensor since it's behind both the mirror and the shutter.

LowSpark420 wrote in post #9183172
There are two tiny specks on the sensor that I can see when I change a lens. It is not showing up in the viewfinder or in pictures that I have noticed thus far...

I suspect you are looking at the mirror that directs the image to the viewfinder (above the mirror) until you press the shutter release.

As mentioned above, the shutter is behind the mirror and the sensor is behind the shutter. The only way to see the sensor is to activate the sensor cleaning routine that lifts the mirror and opens the shutter until you power the camera down.

If it's the mirror that you are referring to, a squeeze-bulb blower is the ONLY recommended way to get dust off of it.

DO NOT TOUCH the mirror. Its reflective surface is on the front of the mirror, not behind glass like in ordinary mirrors. The front-surfaced mirror surface is extremely easy to damage when attempting to clean it. The mechanical mounting of the mirror cannot take any force, either.

I never leave any caps off any longer than the time it takes to attach the lens and I somehow get dust on the focusing screen. It bothered me at first. Now I don't even worry about it.

Patrick wrote in post #9184696
I never leave any caps off any longer than the time it takes to attach the lens and I somehow get dust on the focusing screen. It bothered me at first. Now I don't even worry about it.

I would hope that you leave your most-used lens on the camera. That would mean fewer times that you'd be opening the mirror box to outside dust/debris. I almost never remove the last lens I used when putting the camera away in the bag, as the camera is always stored with a lens mounted.

SkipD wrote in post #9185426
I would hope that you leave your most-used lens on the camera. That would mean fewer times that you'd be opening the mirror box to outside dust/debris. I almost never remove the last lens I used when putting the camera away in the bag, as the camera is always stored with a lens mounted.

Sadly, I don't. I have the Canon shoulder strap bags and have limited bag space which requires taking everything apart. I'm in the market for a new bag that will hold 2 bodies with lens, flash, accessories, etc. I just haven't decided which one I want. There are so many to choose from.

The spots are on the mirror then, my bad...I was saying sensor and meant mirror. I will try air blowing it off I guess.

I also am very cautious about when I change a lens so it isn't for a lack of trying to keep particles out of my camera body and lenses.