Dirty sensor??

[UKBob]

Click on the image to see a full size version of it. Sorry about the file size. In the top left area, there are some blurry smudges, which are appearing on all the photos I take on a white background when the aperture is whacked right up.



Is this dirt on the sensor? Assuming it is, how much dirt does everyone else have on their sensor, and how did it get there?

I use the 24-70L lens, and have only taken it off about 6 times since buying the camera about 5 weeks ago, for a few brief seconds only

The lens is clean.

If it is dirt, how do I get it off? What are the do's and donts, and who is the best/fastest company at cleaning sensors - Id rather not risk damaging the sensor myself.

Note: The dirt is mainly in the top left corner, and is in the exact same position on all photos.

>> Edited by UKBob on Saturday 20th May 19:26

[V6GTO]

I refer my right honourable friend to the follow post...www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=260496&f=109&h=0

Martin.

[UKBob]

Thanks martin!

[V6GTO]

MrMod...

Martin.

[Hankscorpio]

You call that dust...?

[poah]

I've had worse than that. get yourself an artic butterfly from warehouse express bob.

[UKBob]

Hankscorpio said:

You call that dust...?

Looks like some kind of venereal disease replicating itself under an electron microscope. Complete with stray pubes, too.

poah said:

I've had worse than that. get yourself an artic butterfly from warehouse express bob.

Yup Unless you want to buy one for me, in exchange for the £105 voucher I sent you

Thanks for the link and recommendation guys, I'll order one this weekend.

[joust]

Yep, you have dust!

Easiest is to take an image against a blank background (any will do), and then "autocontrast" it in photoshop. It will show up any dust that is there.

I cut out your pens in PS, and then filled in the hole with a similar colour, then auto-contrast.

You can see the dust very clearly then.



Personally I either use these

www.intemos.com/dslrclean.asp

or these

www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MTE&Product_Code=SW1 plus
www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MTE&Product_Code=PSI-1 plus
www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MTE&Product_Code=PSI-3-F

100 cleans at about 15p per clean. It's the same method EOS mag use and many other pros.

More details here
www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/
www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/sensor-cleaning.shtml
www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning
www.copperhillimages.com/index.php?pr=Tutorials
www.eos-magazine.com/Sales%20folder/Sales/sensorcleaning.html

Visible dust brushes, whilst they work, have been getting a bad rap for their claims. See here for a most enlightening article.
www.prime-junta.net/pont/How_to/a_Brush_Your_Sensor/a_Brush_Your_Sensor.html

J

>> Edited by joust on Sunday 21st May 22:45

[UKBob]

Joust, thanks for the reply and all the links. I'll have a good read this week! Much appreciated.

What I cant understand... if my lens has only come off the camera 5 times, for a total of about 1 minute's "offtime" in the last month (inside, in a normal 'not very dusty' room, how did all the dust get there (so fast)?

Again, Im new to all of this... but Im sure I read the comments of others in forums stating they have been using their camera 12 months, and not had any dust problems at all so far.

I gather the 100-400 pushpull canon lenses sometimes suck in excess dust - Anyone have a similar experience with the 24-70?

[poah]

the 100-400 does not suck in dust it will only disturb the dust already in the camera because of teh push pull design.

[poah]

joust said:

Visible dust brushes, whilst they work, have been getting a bad rap for their claims. See here for a most enlightening article. www.prime-junta.net/pont/How_to/a_Brush_Your_Sensor/a_Brush_Your_Sensor.html J >> Edited by joust on Sunday 21st May 22:45

sensor brushes do work and they do not put anything on the filter like the copper hill method. the cleaning fluid for that is just pure methanol. expensive yes but safer.

[marctwo]

There are a number of posts on internet about sensor dust, especially with the 30D. Seems that many shipped from the factory with a large amount of dust already pre-installed courtesy of Canon. Just clean it and you'll be fine.

[joust]

poah said:

sensor brushes do work and they do not put anything on the filter like the copper hill method. the cleaning fluid for that is just pure methanol. expensive yes but safer.

It's not that that's in dispute, it's that CopperHill Images sells the same brushes as Visible Dust for 1/3rd of the price, and you can buy just the same brush from your local artist / makeup shop for about £4 that's the issue.

Also, there is the outside risk that you get dirt trapped in the brush from the external enviornment and then 'drag' that across the sensor. With the "wet" method you use a clinical level clean swap each time and then discard it. Pros and cons over the long term with each.

It's also interesting to note that Kodak, Nikon, Fuji and Leica all use the methanol method to service cameras, and Kodak, Leica and Fuji recommend that consumers use the 'wet' method as well.

Of course this debate can run and run!

J

[_dobbo_]

Brushes are better than swabs
Nikon is better than Canon
PCs are better than Macs
Vinyl is better than Compact Disk

I think that covers it!

[poah]

joust said:

It's not that that's in dispute, it's that CopperHill Images sells the same brushes as Visible Dust for 1/3rd of the price, and you can buy just the same brush from your local artist / makeup shop for about £4 that's the issue. Of course this debate can run and run! J

bit like a skoda Vs a golf then.

the ones I use are the original ones so there was nothing else around at the time. never knew coperhill sold the same brushes. should have read further into the article lol

[ehasler]

It's horses for courses really, but you're going to have to get used to it as getting dust on your sensor is going to be a way of life from now on

I use 3 methods to clean my sensor:

1) Rocket blower air brush (almost every time I use the camera)
2) Sensor brush (when the sensor gets dirty)
3) Pec pads + Eclipse fluid (when 1 and 2 don't shift it)

I've not had to use the fluid/pads since using the brush, and in my experience, the brush is more effective at removing normal dust compared to the pads/fluid.

You may be able to get brushes for £5 at your local make up shop, but when you're dealing with an expensive camera, then I'm happy to pay the extra to make sure I get the right stuff!

>> Edited by ehasler on Monday 22 May 11:26