Comments on 1DS and question

[Nicholas]

Hi Joseph,
My limited understanding of your 1Ds is that Canon moved the AA filter closer to the CMOS. I'm not sure it attracts more dust being closer to the charged sensor, but what does happen is that the dust specks are much more visable, even using moderate stops. I have heard this from many 1Ds users, so you're not alone by any means.
I've posted a link to my web-site (as seen in a prior thread) which details my sensor cleaning. There are experts out there, far more learned then me, including Michael R, who have written extensively about this "dust angst club". Veteran swabbers will tell you it's not the end of the world, and it really is quite easy and fast once you do it. That's all we can do at the present until someone cracks the code and does away with the sensor's ability to attract dust.
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CCD/CMOS Cleaning

Good luck,
Nicholas

[smackie]

I bought the American Recorder CO2 blower and it seems to work well.  I'll be trying to blow-clean the sensor before each shoot.

I've got the CO2 kit too but I'll add a word of warning. I managed to get residue of some kind on my sensor during a field cleaning. I think I *may* have caused this by stirring the CO2 canister up during a rough ride on a dirt road. I'd just shot some blue sky scenes and noticed quite a few large dust spots. Basically, the moment I parked the car, I put the D60 on the DC supply (from a 12V inverter), put it in cleaning mode, fired a few test blows to check pressure and then aimed it at the sensor (keeping the blower upright).

The end result was residue of some kind on 1/3 of the sensor that took 30 minutes with Eclipse and some swabs to clean off. Not fun as I had to shoot film and wait til I got home to really clean it.

Scott...

[michael de kooter]

I bought the American Recorder CO2 blower and it seems to work well.  I'll be trying to blow-clean the sensor before each shoot.

I've got the CO2 kit too but I'll add a word of warning. I managed to get residue of some kind on my sensor during a field cleaning. I think I *may* have caused this by stirring the CO2 canister up during a rough ride on a dirt road. I'd just shot some blue sky scenes and noticed quite a few large dust spots. Basically, the moment I parked the car, I put the D60 on the DC supply (from a 12V inverter), put it in cleaning mode, fired a few test blows to check pressure and then aimed it at the sensor (keeping the blower upright).

The end result was residue of some kind on 1/3 of the sensor that took 30 minutes with Eclipse and some swabs to clean off. Not fun as I had to shoot film and wait til I got home to really clean it.

Scott...

I can confirm this...I have used a CO2 blower for a couple of times, and the second or third time I tried it , even holding it upright and firing some testshots first, it sprayed moisture all over my CCD.

Panic struck me ;) Could have been some chemical residu...it smelled nasty.

Removed it finally with a fresh cloth like one you clean lenses with - ultrafine, non-static, without hairs of any kind..and had to wipe my sensor that way. (with a finger, mind you). All that, with my brand new S2 (while back now ;-) . I wasn't very happy, but satisfied when test-shooting later on and the ccd being one hundred percent clear (I later discovered the residu from the CO2 can is an excellent "emergency" leans-cleaner..it removes fat and other dirt from glass and other flat surfaces really well :)
You can take a look of how your CCD looks after having it sprayed upon with residu out of a CO2 cannister :

The spray that brought havoc to my stomach for a short moment of time :



A picture taken with the "infected" ccd :


For your information, you are looking at a cloudy gray sky ;)

[Nicholas]

Bill,
There's definite moisture in there and at times can really be a job to remove.

I've been swabbing my CCD for over a year now and the only blower I would use would be a standard size bulb, and that would just be for in-field use.

There's a growing consensus that canned or compressed air will actually make the stuck dust specks even more stuck. If there is internal condensation clinging to the dust and settling on the AA filter, this MAY be part of the cause of the dust problem ( this is just conjecture at present). This is probably a poor analogy, but if you live in humid climates and get "bug-splat" on your windshield, it only gets tougher to remove the longer it sits there.

The other hazard of forced air is the remote but entirely possible chance that dust could be forced between the CMOS and the filter. Take your best guess as to how much it would cost to rectify.

 I've been involved with this issue long enough to tell you of these observations:
1) All blowers and vacuums may remove a portion of the dust, but are totally USELESS against the stuck specks. When you start talking about using powerful tools, you are only increasing the risk of damage to the sensor.
2)All other forms of wiping the sensor with anything but a 100% lint-free PecPad (or similar) and Eclipse are going to fail by leaving tiny but very visable motes behind, and, without the methanol, will not even pick up the loose ones. There is also the chance of scratching the filter itself (very big no-no).
There is only one PROVEN way to clean the CCD or CMOS safely and with 100% success, and that's with methanol, PecPads and a swabbing tool.

If you have found another method that works great, you don't have to change a thing.
Good luck,
NicholasCCD/CMOS Cleaning

[Comment on Spec Grabber]

Think about it, to use spec grabber, you need to see the dust.
I have never been able to view dust on a sensor, its almost microscopic, and you need major magnification to see it.

The spec tool would work on a visable piece of dust but that would also most likley blow off.

I have never seen the point to the spec grabber.  

Paul

[JosephP]

I just got my 1DS in last week. Having wide angle again sure is a treat. This camera is a real beauty!


My only complaint is dust dust dust ...too much of it and enough to be a big annoyance...already I am noticing major dust specks on the sensor after only a few days of use. Is this normal? I tried the swab cleaning method and still cannot get all the dust off. It just seems to move around from one place to the next. I do not want to send it in being so new. I had problems with dust and the 1D but not this bad. I am surprised that somehow Canon could not put in a dust filter over the sensors or something. Either it is the static charge or something else but something is different than the 1D in this regard.

Other than that I have nothing but positives for this awesome camera. It is all it is cracked up to be.

[jeffreybehr]

Michael Reichmann has an article about this here http://luminous-landscape.com/essays/sensor-cleaning.shtml .  I bought the American Recorder CO2 blower and it seems to work well.  I'll be trying to blow-clean the sensor before each shoot.  IOW, eahc time the tripod goes up and camera gets clamped on, I'll try to remember to blow the cavity clean.

[Marshal]

Not a good idea to try and clean the sensor "out in the field" so to speak, wherever it may be. I would do it at home or motel room between the shoots where there's less dust, sand or whatever else blowing around. It's a more controlled environment than out in the wilderness or any outdoor location.

I wouldn't want to attempt, delicate, critical sensor cleaning outside on the fly.  Bring your CO2 kit with you, but leave it in the room.

I feel sorry for the press photogs in Kuwait right now, many of whom have D-SLRs, even if they're of the rugged, all-weather variety like the Canon 1D and Ds. They're eating, breathing, drinking and sh####ng sand and you know that's tough on the equipment. All the equipment. I also worry about our troops, who shouldn't still be waiting out there inhaling sand with little visibility during the sandstorms. One chopper has already crashed because of that. But I digress.

[Bill Koenig]

How could this be? CO2 is a colorless odorless gas, and its my understanding that the American Recorder system is very refined CO2, and leaves no residue. It sounds to me that you a product like Dust-off which has a nasty odor ( and is extremely flammable) and will leave residue if you don't hold the can upright.

[Marshal]

Have any of you tried that Speck Grabber tool?

[Comment on Spec Grabber]

Think about it, to use spec grabber, you need to see the dust.
I have never been able to view dust on a sensor, its almost microscopic, and you need major magnification to see it.

The spec tool would work on a visable piece of dust but that would also most likley blow off.

I have never seen the point to the spec grabber.  

Paul

[Nicholas]

Paul,
You are absolutely correct, the dust particles you see in your images CANNOT be seen with the naked eye. And those that you can see are big enough to use a bulb blower on.
It is just an observation, but there are a huge number of digital photographers reporting a residue or smearing left on the sensor after using the grabber. The company's president e-mailed me at my web-site saying that most people tend to touch the tip with their bare hands, and that's the cause of the smearing. I e-mailed him back suggesting to make the directions for use clearer and more prominent. If I was going to use something like the grabber, I would just as soon (and easily) use a swab and Eclipse.
Nicholas
CCD/CMOS Cleaning