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Author Topic: cleaning ZD sensor???  (Read 6247 times)

stefan marquardt

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« on: January 05, 2007, 11:56:24 am »

hi, a question to all ZD owners.

just inspected my mamiya ZD sensor
- and it´s (straight out of the pack) realy dirty. needs a good clean. have you ever cleaned your zd sensor? if you follow the instructions, the shutter opens and you get to te sensor. but isn´t the inserted IR-filter still in front of the sensor?
I suspect the dirt is directly on the sensor and not on the filter. so how do you get to the sensor? do you have to/can you take the filter out first ?

thanks
stefan marquardt
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Jonathan Wienke

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2007, 12:00:12 pm »

The IR filter is permanently attached to the sensor, and the dirt is on top of it, so there is no reason to remove it. Doing so would ruin the sensor assembly.
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stefan marquardt

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2007, 12:27:13 pm »

Quote
The IR filter is permanently attached to the sensor, and the dirt is on top of it, so there is no reason to remove it. Doing so would ruin the sensor assembly.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=93888\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


not on the mamiya zd. you can take it out (and insert an AA filter instead).
i just did take the filter out - blow-cleaned the sensor - but the dirt is - of course - still there. I suppose i have to take a brush.
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Pantoned

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2007, 03:24:42 pm »

I use a sensor brush on the IR, you can take it out of the "filter holder" with some tweaking, to be cleaned outside the camera. Some months ago I had some anoying spots I couldn't remove and ended up buying the Visible dust Smearaway with green pads, it did clean the spots but it leaves some liquid traces behind so I personally won't recomend it to anybody. With time is easy to see if the dust is in the sensor or the IR by how much sharp the spots appear on the photo. I usually avoid at all costs to clean the sensor but sometimes there is no other option.

A recomendation: Once I had spots on my pictures I couldn't remove anyway, it was until I discovered the dust was on the rear side of the IR sensor. Maybe this is what is happening to you.

Just a question, did you buy the AA filter? I would like to know how well it works in this camera.


Regards.

Arnau.



Quote
not on the mamiya zd. you can take it out (and insert an AA filter instead).
i just did take the filter out - blow-cleaned the sensor - but the dirt is - of course - still there. I suppose i have to take a brush.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=93895\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
« Last Edit: January 05, 2007, 03:26:30 pm by Pantoned »
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stefan marquardt

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2007, 03:52:54 pm »

Quote
Just a question, did you buy the AA filter? I would like to know how well it works in this camera.
Regards.

Arnau.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=93927\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

hi arnau, thanks for your answer. i suspected something like that. some of the realy sharp looking dirt disapeared with my brush treatment (I just use a regular brush!) but all of the "softer" spots stayed. so maybe they are on the filter?

how did you get the filter out of its box to clean it???

No - i didn´t buy an aa-filter. actualy I find all of my old mamiya lenses (and even scheider-lenses on the mamiya) - which looked very sharp on the 5D - quite soft now on the ZD. they work a bit like an built in aa-filter.


stefan
« Last Edit: January 05, 2007, 04:34:48 pm by stefan marquardt »
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Pantoned

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2007, 04:53:06 pm »

Quote
how did you get the filter out of its box to clean it???
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=93932\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Stefan, have in mind that taking the filter out of the cartridge is not a supposed to be doe by the user (at least is not in the camera manual), which means that I don't know until which point it can disable warranty in case of bad use, so do it ONLY at your own risk. That said i've done it a hundred times without a single problem, I usually clean only the front part of the IR but sometimes some particle goes back. You know how brushes are, sometimes you end up putting more dust than there was, I usually put the filter near or against a light to see perfectly all kind of dust.

That said the steps are simple, I post a photo as a reference:

1: Move the knob to the move position
2: Hold the two small metal pieces on top while pushing the plastic knob to take the filter out. Don't push too far away, just enough to clean it without taking it all out of the cartridge. The filter itself musn't be touched. You should 1st do some tests in how far u can take it out of the cartidge before u start with its cleaning.
3: Clean and push down again, it's possible that you'll have to push the metal parts again to close the cartridge.

You won't see the filter in my photos becasue my camera is on service because of bad firewire connection.


My camera was also more dirty the day I recieved it than now. Don't ask me why.

Arnau.
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stefan marquardt

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2007, 05:06:41 pm »

Arnau - thanks so much!
that was a cool instruction-pictorial. i am going to try that tomorrow (big job comming up on sunday - and then all that dust on the sensor/filter   )

would you mind telling me, which mamiya lenses you find sharp?
(I only have old manual lenses - I hope, some of the  new af lenses are sharper. and I put big hopes on the comming 28mm)

thanks again   stefan
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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2007, 06:05:31 pm »

My preferred one is the standard 80mm, I have the 45, 80, 150, 210, 55-110 in AF and a manual 35mm. I made some tests with the 80 and it performs best between 11 and 14 fstop. I got  really angry with the autofocus in the 5-110 zoom, it has backfocus problems with the ZD, after having tested three of them our dealer and distributor contacted Mamiya and they just said it was within the range of error. Puff....no words. A part of the outofocus problem the zoom has almost equal quality to fixed focal lenses. I cannot find diffferences between the zoom and the 80mm for example. I've read the 120mm is the winner in sharpness, have been looking in ebay for a while but this one is a littel difficult to get. I've paid less than 2500€ for all my lenses and extension rings together in perfect condition (shipping and handling included). For this price I can hardly buy a single hassel lens, I think if Mamiya lenses have a German brand on it, they would cost triple. They are a great deal IMHO.

I'm also eager to see the performance of the 28mm, it would be a nice addintion, even that with the 35mm I can cover a lot of view with the only 1,16 cropping factor.

Arnau.


Quote
Arnau - thanks so much!
that was a cool instruction-pictorial. i am going to try that tomorrow (big job comming up on sunday - and then all that dust on the sensor/filter   )

would you mind telling me, which mamiya lenses you find sharp?
(I only have old manual lenses - I hope, some of the  new af lenses are sharper. and I put big hopes on the comming 28mm)

thanks again   stefan
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=93953\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
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stefan marquardt

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2007, 03:20:29 am »

just a feedback on the sensorcleaning:
thanks to arnau, i got the ZD  quite clean. seems most of the dust was actually on the filter. sharp looking objects seem to be on the sensor - diffused spots on the filter. taking the filter out and giving it a good scrub on both sides was realy easy.


yes, the 80mm is very sharp. i have the manual version. cost me less the 80 euros - the cheapest lens I have - and also my sharpest (and I also have german glass!).

lets hope, the 28mm doesn´t suffer from distortion to much. the 35mm distorts a lot - but at least its so symetrical and therefore easy to correct.

by the way: the old 110mm 2.8 is a nice lens to and so is the 1.9 version of the 80mm (haven´t tested them on the ZD yet).

stefan
« Last Edit: January 06, 2007, 04:25:51 am by stefan marquardt »
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ivan muller

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cleaning ZD sensor???
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2007, 04:57:26 am »

hi

To expose the ir filter once removed from the camera into the casette, I just reverse the action i.e as if i am re-insering it back into the body. Obviously the casette is the not attached to the body.

I found though, after extensively cleaning the filter with Visible Dust products, that there was still dust on the images. Before re-insering the IR filter I used the visible dust 36mm sensor brush on the actual sensor itself. This removed most of the dust on the first wipe!

When going on longer trips I now carry the zd ir filter cartridge with me all the time, plus all my visible dust goodies for cleaning. Incidentally the guys at visible dust were very help full!

As far as lenses go I find my 80mm and 150 to be very sharp all over. The manual 50m shift is also very versatile and my favourite lens with the camera on a tripod.

Regards Ivan
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