This 10D sensor is driving me crazy

[Jiiri]

Thanks Roy....but I still have a problem in that I'm in Italy, and have no idea where I could find some methyl alcohol locally. I'll give it my best shot, though. Thanks for the advice guys.

Mark

[Paul Sumi]

I just bought my first DSLR and need initiation into the sensor cleaning world.

Found this link on DPReview, which suggests using Pec Pads with a small spatula-like cleaning swab and Eclipse fluid.

http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning

I already knew about Eclipse fluid from this site, but are Pec Pads acceptable swabs?

Thanks,

Paul

[Marshal]

"Dirt and dust behind the lens will be much less of a problem if you change lenses as infrequently as possible."  

What really helps in that regard of course is two things:
Preferably a 2nd camera body so that you can have 2 bodies with 2 different focal length lenses that you can keep on said cameras without removing them.

Zoom lenses with a wide enough focal length range to reduce or eliminate the necessity to change lenses.

If you combine the two above, you'll be in much beter shape in the war against dust.  

Back before Nikon's 1.5X DSLR bodies complicated things, I kept a 24-120mm lens on one N90s and a 70-300 on the other. Voila'! Two lenses on 2 different bodies giving me a range from 24-300. Occasionally, though rarely, I had to put on a 20mm in place of the other when traveling.

To have 2 full-frame DSLRs with similar lenses would be reeeeeeaaaaally nice Nikon!!

But I suppose I could get close to that focal length range with DSLRs if I got the upcoming 17-55mm(25.5-82.5) ED-IF lens to use alongside my 70-200(105-300)ED-IF-VR.

[Paul Sumi]

Jabberwocky, to be strictly accurate, it is an anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor that is cleaned.  But the effect on one's nerves is the same.

The only DSLR at the moment addressing this issue is the Olympus E-1, which has a "Supersonic Wave Filter" which cleans CCD at each camera start-up.  The dust is shaken from CCD.  No idea how effective this is.

[Jiiri]

Help! My sensor is seriously dirty. It drives me nuts. I shoot on a Canon 10D in RAW, and the dirt shows up in everything. I usually just clone it out, but it adds an annoying step in my workflow. I read Michael's article on cleaning, and tried to buy the Pec pads and Eclipse stuff....but I'm stationed in Italy and none of that stuff can be shipped, apparently. I took it to a local Camera store, and tried my best to convey the problem (I dont speak very good Italian). The guy just looked through the viewfinder and told me "Lens, camera ok." sigh.
Anyone know what I can do? I have a bulb blower and I use it every night, but the dust just keeps getting worse. I'm scared to change lenses when I'm out shooting also. I have no idea what the solution is. Thanks for your help!

Mark Horn

[Roy]

Eclipse fluid is very pure methanol (methyl alcohol). You should be able to buy pure methanol at a chemical supply house. You must keep it tightly capped when not in use otherwise it will absorb moisture from the air. A small dropper bottle to apply the alcohol to the pad keeps the fluid in the bottle from coming into contact with anything and allows you to control how much fluid you put on the cleaning pad. Eclipse fluid is packaged in a small plastic dropper bottle.

Rubbing alcohol might not be a good idea. Rubbing alcohol is meant to put on the skin and may contain chemicals to give it a pleasant smell or condition the skin. Not something you want left behind on your anti-aliasing filter.

Only use pure alcohol.

[francois]

Mark,
It looks like there is a dealer of Eclipse fluid in Italy.

Shades International srl
Via Dei Gracchi, 26
20146 Milan, Italy

Tel 39 02 439 0371
Fax 39 02 48194539
Email:
Web: www.shadesdirect.com

Francois

[Matt Waehner]

Use a can of air before you let anything touch the sensor!  A simple puff from a can of air will clean most dust spots.  

I have had a D60 for over a year, I need to blow it with air every two or three weeks, but I've never used PEC wipes.

* make sure you don't spray any liquid from the can of gas onto the sensor.  Compressed CO2 sounds good, since there is no liquid, but there is a tiny bit of lubricating oil left over from where the lid is joined to the cartridge.  That would be very difficult to clean!

[Nicholas]

Paul,

If you visit the manufacturer's site, you'll see they don't actually guarantee anything against damage, even their own Sensors Swabs. As I explain in my tutorial, the Pecpads are slightly more abrasive when viewed under a microscope, but the AA filter found in all D-SLRs at present is not as delicate as some would have you believe.

There's also the fact that Kodak supported and approved the "clean-room" assembly of the swabs, but no company has done any research into the use of PecPads and a very stringent regimen as the method shown on my web-site. Perusing my tutorial, you'll certainly see  that I stress to the max an extremely controlled environment when swabbing, with hardly any room for error. You have to remember too that the major digital camera companies don't like to address this issue of dust in any great detail because it probably appears as a "weakness" in D-SLR design, from  the cheapest to the most expensive units, inclusive.

Using Pecpads is a choice thousands of D-SLR users have made over the last few years, and you would be hard pressed to find ONE example of damage done to a sensor with them. You are doing the wise thing by researching this topic before you make a decision to swab your sensor. If using the pre-made Sensor Swabs will give you peace-of-mind, or using Michael's conservative but effective method, then, by all means, that's the way to go.

Good luck,
Nicholas
http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning

[Paul Sumi]

Nicholas,

Thanks for your reply.  Your tutorial makes a great deal of sense, but I always like to get independent feedback when possible.  However, based on the nature of the Net, if there was any major problem with PecPads, I suspect it would be all over the forums (e.g., like the 10D focus "measurebators" on DPReview).

Several people I know have never swabbed their sensors (10D, 1D and D60; 6 months to 2 years), relying on careful lens changing technique, bulb blower, and Photoshop cloning when necessary.

Naturally YMMV, but my sense at this time is to go this same conservative route and reserve sensor swabbing for those times when it is absolutely necessary.  I just want to have the right tools when that time comes.

Regards,

Paul

[Paul Sumi]

Sam,

I definitely agree, your lens changing philosophy is the one I intend to follow whenever possible.

Best,

Paul

[boku]

Yesterday my 10D underwent its first "open heart surgery." I did the eclipse/pecpad/copper_hill_paddle routine.

I did it as instructed twice. It was nerve-racking. I still have one piece of dust in the corner and I believe that is due to my novice technique of holding the paddle poorly.

I wish there were a better solution to this issue. I will try it again after another major "dust bunny" appears.

I now think the idea of carrying 2 bodies in the field is very credible. Sensor dust is the only drawback I know of against DSLRs.

[jabberwocky]

I'm soon to make the switch to digital - possibly with the 1D Mark II. Is there any reason the camera manufacturers can't put a small removeable piece of glass in front of the sensor that could be cleaned easily? It seems to me that with all the amazing technology that goes into one of these computerized wonders a little more attention to protecting the sensor from dust would be worth while. Might even help to keep blood pressures down too!

[jabberwocky]

Thanks PaulS. I guess my question about why 'they' can't make it easier still stands. I reminds me a bit of cars: even super-luxury cars like the new Maybach (about $500,000 USD) still use a piece of rubber on an arm to wipe rain off the windshield. I've read the complaint and the anxiety about sensor cleaning on several sites. Canon, if you read this site, how about fixing this problem?  :p

[Jonathan Wienke]

There are no shipping restrictions on PEC pads, just the Eclipse fluid (it is highly flammable). Get the PEC pads (or sensor swabs) and get the purest alcohol you can find. Normal rubbing alcohol can work well, but it may leave streaks or spots if you allow large droplets of it to air-dry. If you use 2 pads, one moistened and one dry and use the dry one to wipe the alcohol off the sensor after wiping with the wet pad, you should be able to get rid of the worst stuff.

[Jiiri]

Thanks a ton francois. I got in touch with them, and although their offices are closed until the 12th, they can get me the Eclipse fluid then. Thanks again.

[Sam NI]

Hello Paul

Before I got into DSLRs I was in the habit of changing lenses quite frequently - I only really used one zoom and 2 primes.

Partly with sensor cleanliness in mind I now use zooms all the time, giving me a very useful focal length range. This raises the issue of primes over zooms, but mid-aperture exposures coupled with digital sharpening techniques mean image quality is more than good enough, even for 18x12 prints. I can’t afford L glass (the EF 17-40mm f/4L USM would suit me best if it wasn’t so slow), but with careful technique image quality is rarely a serious problem.

Dirt and dust behind the lens will be much less of a problem if you change lenses as infrequently as possible.

Sam

[Paul Sumi]

Bob, congratulations, although from the sound of it, it must feel like YOU had "open heart surgery" rather than your camera.  Based on this, I think I'll try to put off the inevitable as long as possible.

Carrying two bodies is an option, but was easier on the checkbook with film cameras than it is digitally.  At this moment, I'm using two zooms which cover the range in which I normally shoot.