Sensor cleaning

[arith]

I have a few dust marks that are difficult to budge using lenspen sensorklear. Is it just a matter of perseverance or could this be a dried up splatter of moisture, possibly pollen?

How would you get it off?



After some thought I think the sensor got sprayed with something. But I don't know if it is a good idea to continue to rub away with sensorklear or use a swab. A canon technician said never use anything wet on the sensor but you just can't get explosive chemicals here; I had to get a substitute to clean my cpu.



It looks sprayed.

[Steve S]

I use eclipse sensor swabs on my canon 40D. Make shure you get the right one's for you're camera sensor, there are a couple different kinds. The lens pen won't get stuff that is stuck on from moisture. Its kind of like a water spot that you cant scrub off without a solvent. After the sensor swabs, you may get some residue which you can use the lens pen to get rid of. It took 4 sensor swabs to clean mine last time, and it needs it again.

To check your camera, pull up your editing program and fill the screen with sky blue. set your lens to f/22 or higher and take a pic of the screen . You don't have to focus. Hold the camera about 2 inches from screen with auto focus off and take a pic. Upload your photo and you will see the spots. The spots are inverted so they will be opposite on the sensor.(top of screen will be bottom of sensor).

There are a couple tutorials on utube that show you step by step. If you don't feel comfortable, send it out to get cleaned.

[arith]

Cheers, I had visions of rubbing off some sort of coating but still had four goes at it and eventually I think it probably would work but only after fifty goes or so. Don't know how it managed to get sprayed but the mirror on my 10D doesn't go all the way down and I suppose it could be off some very long grass I changed my lens in. cheers

ps I have to do it myself because I hardly ever use zooms and can't afford the £60+vat I was quoted by my local rip off camera repair shops in darkest Burton.

[arith]

I've just seen the price of the swabs; made in a clean room don't make me laugh. Cor I think I might buy a machine and make them. Cheers I think a little more research is needed before I go ahead.

[Colin Southern]

I got a call from a collegue about to leave for an overseas shoot - same camera as me (1Ds3), that had some stubborn crud on the sensor. Not sure what it was - but I had to go over the same spots with the sensor pen pressing "uncomfortably firmly" for probably a minute or longer before I finally got all of them. No idea what they were, but it does go to show that they do get in there.

It's been suggested that a good technique to adopt is to give the outside of the camera a wipe down first - then the lens mount (with a cotton bud) - then the mirror box - and then finally the sensor; hopefully removing some of the dirt before it gets to the sensor.

Last time I cleaned mine I ended up with the cleaning swab leaving a smear - in the end I cut a small piece of microfibre cloth - wrapped it around something (can't remember what - might have been an icecream stick) - gave it a touch of "L-breath" - followed immediately by a "polish". So despite breaking every rule in the book (again!) - it actually worked just fine.

[usual disclaimers apply!]

[arith]

Cheers Colin

[Colin Southern]

Cheers Colin

[Spoken in the tone of Dirty Harry ...]

Tell me one thing, photographer, ...

... do you feel lucky today? Well do ya?

[arith]

Well actually I do but I'm not doing it until I've recharged my battery. cheers.