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Author Topic: Sensor cleaning warning - Visible Dust  (Read 5750 times)

Tim Gray

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Sensor cleaning warning - Visible Dust
« on: December 19, 2007, 09:04:54 pm »

I've had my 1d3 for about 6 months and never needed to clean the sensor.

I've had my 1ds3 for about 3 weeks, and it needs a cleaning (actually it came with a fair amount of crap on the sensor, and I decided it was about time to get rid of it).  I had used visible dust brushes with excellent success on my 1d and 1d2.  But the problem is that with the anti dust feature, they added "sticky stuff" to the sensor chamber to catch the dust shaken off by the sensor vibrations.  If you use a visible dust brush, and accidentally touch the side you'll transfer the gunk to the sensor, and I'm not aware of any way to get it off the brush.  

I then tried the (pre visible dust method) - Copperhill with Eclipse and a pec pad on a small trimmed spatula.  That was successful in getting the gunk off the sensor, but isn't doing a great job with the dust.  I suppose I should use Eclipse 2, but given that visible dust isn't an option any more, what's the best practice?  Sensor Swabs?
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DarkPenguin

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Sensor cleaning warning - Visible Dust
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2007, 10:18:01 pm »

How about a Sensor Klear cleaning pen?
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Roy

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Sensor cleaning warning - Visible Dust
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2007, 10:49:45 pm »

Quote
  I suppose I should use Eclipse 2, but given that visible dust isn't an option any more, what's the best practice?  Sensor Swabs?
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Tom Hogan just updated the sensor cleaning advice on his website:
[a href=\"http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm]http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm[/url]
He's a Nikon guy, but that shouldn't make any difference.

My local pro shop (Beau Photo in Vancouver) recommends Eclipse fluid (classic or E2 as appropriate) and the orange handle swabs from Visible Dust. The Visible Dust swabs seem to be a bit better than Sensor Swabs. I've had good luck with that combination. Visible Dust also makes orange handle corner cleaning swabs that are useful if there is a lot of dust to remove.

If Eclipse fluid cleaned the gunk off your sensor, you can probably clean it off the brush with a few washes in pure alcohol. You can then try it on a non-critical glass surface (e.g. a drinking glass) to determine if it leaves any residue.

Good luck.
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Roy

stever

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Sensor cleaning warning - Visible Dust
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2007, 11:43:43 pm »

my experience is that all new Canons (and probably everybody else) come with extra oil (or something) which gunks up the senor for the first couple thousand images - i also have had no luck taking this off with the brush

i've had good success with Vdust smear-away followed by sensor clean or Eclipse

i've had trouble figuring out whether to use orange or green swabs, but the green seem to be the most general purpose
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