Scratched Sensor or Sensor Dirt?

toadlet

I have wet cleaned my sensor several times now via the copperhill wet cleaning method and have always followed the instructions very carefully and the results in terms of removal of sensor dust have been very good.

Of late I have noticed some strange markings when I have done a sky test. Would I be correct in saying that if there was a scratch that the mark would show up in exactly the same place each time? I have only seen it a handful of times and each time it is somewhere else. I am just hoping that its not a scratched sensor.:dunno

Taken at 50mm, f22, levels adjusted, 100% crop.

kdog

If it moves, it ain't a scratch. It's probably a little hair or fiber of some sort. Have you tried blowing it off? Try shining a light in there and looking at the sensor. You may be able to see it with your naked eye, or you might have to use a magnifier. I use a little lighted magnifier, and it eliminates all the iterations of cleaning, testing, cleaning, etc. I'd be a bit leery of wet-cleaning with that hair in place. Probably best not to be dragging it across the sensor if you can avoid it.

Art Scott

kdog wrote:

If it moves, it ain't a scratch. It's probably a little hair or fiber of some sort. Have you tried blowing it off? Try shining a light in there and looking at the sensor. You may be able to see it with your naked eye, or you might have to use a magnifier. I use a little lighted magnifier, and it eliminates all the iterations of cleaning, testing, cleaning, etc. I'd be a bit leery of wet-cleaning with that hair in place. Probably best not to be dragging it across the sensor if you can avoid it.

I agree...if it moves it ain't a scratch and if it were a scratch....it would not be on the sensor.....but on the sensor filter.......

kdog

Art Scott wrote:

if it were a scratch....it would not be on the sensor.....but on the sensor filter.......

I think most people use the term "sensor" to mean "sensor filter", Art. Try finding an article on cleaning your "sensor filter".

ziggy53

kdog wrote:

I think most people use the term "sensor" to mean "sensor filter", Art. Try finding an article on cleaning your "sensor filter".

A lot of people are not aware that most modern dSLR sensors have an anti-alias/low-pass filter in front of the sensor.

Many people think they might scratch the sensor in cleaning, but it would be the filter that could be scratched, and that is replaceable (but a little pricey.)

kdog

Thanks for the clarification, guys. We certainly wouldn't want to mislead anyone.

Art Scott wrote:

Do you clean your sensor?? ........I clean mine a couple of times a year

Source: http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=865666&postcount=2

ziggy53 wrote:

I prefer to just clean my own sensors as needed

Source: http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=556357&postcount=4

ziggy53

kdog wrote:

Thanks for the clarification, guys. We certainly wouldn't want to mislead anyone.

...

The OP was concerned that they might have scratched their sensor. Art was simply informing the OP that they "might" scratch the filter but not the sensor.

I don't think I was misleading and neither was Art.

Yes, my previous statement, that you quoted, is somewhat misleading but it is a common idiom for the act of "anti-alias filter cleaning".

kdog

ziggy53 wrote:

Yes, my previous statement, that you quoted, is somewhat misleading but it is a common idiom for the act of "anti-alias filter cleaning".

So "sensor" is a common idiom to cleaning, but not to scratching?

The bottom line is the same for the OP. If he scratched it, the camera would have to go in for service and an expensive bill would result. I think we can all agree on that.

PS: I was originally poking fun at Art for being so didactic, but probably should have kept my big yap shut. :flush

-joel

ziggy53

kdog wrote:

... The bottom line is the same for the OP. If he scratched it, the camera would have to go in for service and an expensive bill would result. I think we can all agree on that.

Yes, I think we can all agree on that.