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Sensor cleaning

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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 8, 2005
    I got the standard brush kit. I think I'll buy the larger brush. It's closer to the size of my sensor, and will make cleaning a snap - fewer swipes.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,907 moderator
    edited February 8, 2005
    fish wrote:
    Glad to hear that, since I've got a $90 brush on its way to me umph.gif


    Waxy, can you show us yer dust? Obviously it's dark outside, but you should be able to get the same effect by shooting something of consistent light color, like a wall at f22, then autolevels, and let's see it (just out of curiosity, of course...and no cheating with the clone brush :lynn)
    Waxy, make him show his first :D

    ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 8, 2005
    wxwax wrote:
    2 things. One, I'm at work and will be for another two hours. Long day. 2/ It's been over a month since I cleaned the sensor, so whatever shot I made wouldn't be a fair representation of the cleaning. I'd have to clean it first, then show you.
    And obviously working hard too! lol3.gif I know, a sherpa's work is never done.

    How about shooting a before and after? That should really show how effective the sensor brush is, right? ear.gif
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 8, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    Waxy, make him show his first :D

    ian

    I already showed mine earlier in the thread, you troublemaker. :lynn
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 8, 2005
    fish wrote:
    And obviously working hard too! lol3.gif I know, a sherpa's work is never done.

    How about shooting a before and after? That should really show how effective the sensor brush is, right? ear.gif
    We'll see.

    I'm wasting time waiting for my talent to get done with his show, so we can finish recording a track for a doc. A complete waste of two hours when I could be at home doing the same thing. lol3.gif Bummer is, I oughter be in bed by 11pm for tomorrow morning's workout. Be lucky to be home by midnight.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,907 moderator
    edited February 9, 2005
    fish wrote:
    I already showed mine earlier in the thread, you troublemaker. :lynn
    That was so two days ago...rolleyes1.gif
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
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    luckyrweluckyrwe Registered Users Posts: 952 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    That was so two days ago...rolleyes1.gif
    Yea, technology changes!!!
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2005
    Sensor Brush(es) showed up!
    So my cute, but expensive, Sensor Brushes showed up yesterday. There are two brushes...a thick "sensor brush" and a thin "SBF fan brush." The website does not seem to indicate which brush should be used for what. The qtime movies show both brushes being used on sensors.

    I just sent off a WTF email to visibledust. Those of you well-versed in SensorBrush technology care to give this n00b a clue?

    tia
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2005
    fish wrote:
    So my cute, but expensive, Sensor Brushes showed up yesterday. There are two brushes...a thick "sensor brush" and a thin "SBF fan brush." The website does not seem to indicate which brush should be used for what. The qtime movies show both brushes being used on sensors.

    I just sent off a WTF email to visibledust. Those of you well-versed in SensorBrush technology care to give this n00b a clue?

    tia
    Just got the following info from visibledust.com:
    The fan shape is used where
    A) there is only one or two spots on the sensor, kind of touch up brush
    B) when you are out of canned air or can not take canned air, so you recharge it with bulb blower
    C) to clean the mirror and focusing optics in order for the sensor to stay clean longer due to less filaments and thinner handle fan shape sensor brush is ideal.
    If you have anymore questions please let me know.
    Thanks
    Lisa


    I've got to run off to a meeting, but I'll try it this afternoon and post the results.
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,907 moderator
    edited February 15, 2005
    fish wrote:
    Just got the following info from visibledust.com:
    The fan shape is used where
    A) there is only one or two spots on the sensor, kind of touch up brush
    B) when you are out of canned air or can not take canned air, so you recharge it with bulb blower
    C) to clean the mirror and focusing optics in order for the sensor to stay clean longer due to less filaments and thinner handle fan shape sensor brush is ideal.
    If you have anymore questions please let me know.
    Thanks
    Lisa


    I've got to run off to a meeting, but I'll try it this afternoon and post the results.
    On your way home, don't forget the canned air.

    Mine came yesterday as well. You'd think they'd enclose some directions
    with the brush set. But you need to visit the site and grab the pdf file.

    What's not so obvious is that you need to have canned air and you use it
    for each swath of the sensor: 1) Spray the brush. Step 2) brush the sensor.
    Step 3) repeat as required to clean the sensor.

    I need to go to Fry's for something else so I guess I'll get the canned air
    at the same time.

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    On your way home, don't forget the canned air.

    Mine came yesterday as well. You'd think they'd enclose some directions
    with the brush set. But you need to visit the site and grab the pdf file.

    What's not so obvious is that you need to have canned air and you use it
    for each swath of the sensor: 1) Spray the brush. Step 2) brush the sensor.
    Step 3) repeat as required to clean the sensor.

    I need to go to Fry's for something else so I guess I'll get the canned air
    at the same time.

    Ian

    I've got several cans. Want one? :)

    I haven't had a chance to work on it yet...I'll try tonight if the kids stop bugging me about making them some shells and cheese. rolleyes1.gif
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,907 moderator
    edited February 15, 2005
    fish wrote:
    I've got several cans. Want one? :)

    I haven't had a chance to work on it yet...I'll try tonight if the kids stop bugging me about making them some shells and cheese. rolleyes1.gif
    I'm good. Got a couple at Fry's eek7.gif

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    On your way home, don't forget the canned air.

    Mine came yesterday as well. You'd think they'd enclose some directions
    with the brush set. But you need to visit the site and grab the pdf file.

    What's not so obvious is that you need to have canned air and you use it
    for each swath of the sensor: 1) Spray the brush. Step 2) brush the sensor.
    Step 3) repeat as required to clean the sensor.

    I need to go to Fry's for something else so I guess I'll get the canned air
    at the same time.

    Ian
    The first and only time I did it, I used an entire can of air! I ordered too-small brushes, had to make many swipes. And I was paranoid, so I blasted the heck out of the brush with the canned air. I ordered a larger brush lat week, should be able to clean the sensor in one or two passes. That would be dandy and quick.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    Here's the before shot:

    15332026-L.jpg


    after:

    15994546-L.jpg


    :bash

    I just tried it again with similar results. Did I just flush $90? :bluduh
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    philspacephilspace Registered Users Posts: 59 Big grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    Thank ewe. I'm now much more comfortable with my decision to go the other way. My kit from Copper Hill showed up last week.
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    John MuellerJohn Mueller Registered Users Posts: 2,555 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    Fish,how many passes did you do? If this is the 1st time you have cleaned the sensor,it may take several tries.Also if its not doing the job,you may have to do the wet method.Then use the brush on a regular schedule.
    I had a set of brushes before I got my new cam and used them 2 weeks after use.
    I have 3 specks that they wont pick up and do not see them until I use auto level @ f22
    I dont use auto levels on my images @ f22 so I live with the 3 spots.
    BTW,I do see improvement on the images.
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    MHJS wrote:
    Fish,how many passes did you do? If this is the 1st time you have cleaned the sensor,it may take several tries.Also if its not doing the job,you may have to do the wet method.Then use the brush on a regular schedule.
    I had a set of brushes before I got my new cam and used them 2 weeks after use.
    I have 3 specks that they wont pick up and do not see them until I use auto level @ f22
    I dont use auto levels on my images @ f22 so I live with the 3 spots.
    BTW,I do see improvement on the images.

    That sounds reasonable. The first cleaning could be the most challenging, if there are imbedded motes. Once past that problem, regular cleaning with a brush might be the simplest solution. I didn't save my last before/after images. I will this time. Should be interesting.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    MHJS wrote:
    Fish,how many passes did you do?
    Lots.
    If this is the 1st time you have cleaned the sensor,it may take several tries.Also if its not doing the job,you may have to do the wet method.Then use the brush on a regular schedule.
    That's what I was thinking...dang, I shouldn't have sneezed into the camera. :thwak

    I sent an email off to Lisa, the friendly tech support person at visibledust.com and here's her response:
    HI David

    The images look like you have liquid spots on your sensor that the brushes canot remove by themselves. You will need to do a wet cleaning so I would recommend that you order the Sensor Clean and Chamber Clean. Here are the links for you to take a look at as to what they can do.
    http://www.visibledust.com/sensorclean.htm
    http://www.visibledust.com/chamberclean.htm

    If you have any more questions please let me know.

    Thanks
    Lisa


    Well, I don't have the patience to wait another week for their wet stuff to show up, so I bought a box of Sensor Swabs and Eclipse fluid at K&S (along with a Domke bag...geez...I just can't stop!). Here's the sensor after going through three swabs. Pretty damn good at this point, and I think I'll just live with this. I'll use the brush regularly (boy, it sure works great on the mirror), and do the wet thing once in awhile. I'm satisfied at this point.

    16008522-L.jpg
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    Just to prevent the n00bies from getting their knickers in a twist over this, here's the after shot prior to autolevels (remember...this is at f22):

    16009191-L.jpg
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    John MuellerJohn Mueller Registered Users Posts: 2,555 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    Great.thumb.gif I have their swabs and sensor clean also and I wouldnt recommend that.Swab with eclipse is the best.
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    MHJS wrote:
    Great.thumb.gif I have their swabs and sensor clean also and I wouldnt recommend that.Swab with eclipse is the best.
    Thanks MHJS. I guess it's just an unavoidable consequence of swapping lenses, and I didn't buy a dSLR to just leave one lens on it.
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    philspacephilspace Registered Users Posts: 59 Big grins
    edited February 17, 2005
    Home with a bum tendon so I figured I would take the time to clean the 20D up a little. This is what it looked like after I tried just blowing it off with a rocket bulb.

    16045721-L.jpg

    Did realize how funky it was. It took a while to get used to the sensorswipe, but it worked out OK - still getting used to the swipe and the white knuckled experience of messing around with the sensor, but after the first try, not bad.

    16045718-L.jpg

    There is only one little spot that I can still detect, but for now, this is as good as it gets - heck, I've been shooting with it dirty all along and didn't even realize it until I stopped it down and took a test shot.
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 17, 2005
    Phil, sorry to see you damaged your sensor on the first cleaning.

    16045718-S.jpg





























    blbl.gif
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    philspacephilspace Registered Users Posts: 59 Big grins
    edited February 17, 2005
    wxwax wrote:
    Phil, sorry to see you damaged your sensor on the first cleaning.




    blbl.gif
    Cute, my heart started beating hard when I got the email notification..... I would have expected that from the finned one, but not you - good one thumb.gif
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 17, 2005
    philspace wrote:
    Cute, my heart started beating hard when I got the email notification..... I would have expected that from the finned one, but not you - good one thumb.gif
    Don't get too happy, phil. Open your original sky shot (assuming you shot it at minimum aperture) in photoshop and do an autolevels adjustment on it. I think you'll find dark spots all over it. Go check and post the results. :):
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 17, 2005
    philspace wrote:
    Cute, my heart started beating hard when I got the email notification..... I would have expected that from the finned one, but not you - good one thumb.gif
    rolleyes1.gifrolleyes1.gifrolleyes1.gif
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    John MuellerJohn Mueller Registered Users Posts: 2,555 Major grins
    edited February 17, 2005
    Good one Sid rolleyes1.gifrofl

    I stay away from the blower! In the past, it has put dust on the view screen and that is not so easy to remove.
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    philspacephilspace Registered Users Posts: 59 Big grins
    edited February 17, 2005
    MHJS wrote:
    Good one Sid rolleyes1.gifrofl

    I stay away from the blower! In the past, it has put dust on the view screen and that is not so easy to remove.
    I also found that out the hard way - last time I ever listen to anyone at Penn Camera :bluduh

    And yes, ain't that Sid is an evil bastige :smooch
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    fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 18, 2005
    philspace wrote:

    And yes, ain't that Sid is an evil bastige :smooch

    Yes, he is. So ya got that auto-level shot ready to post yet? ear.gif
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
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    ChrisJChrisJ Registered Users Posts: 2,164 Major grins
    edited March 10, 2005
    Sensor Cleaning
    I found this thread very enlightening. It was a complication with my new dSLR that I did not expect. Film constantly cycles, the sensor obviously does not!

    I purchased the Visibledust Econo Kit and some canned air and followed the easy instructions from the web site. I checked every 2 swipes and there was definite improvement each time. It took about 6 swipes total for me to be satisfied. But the gunk that was on the camera from picture #1 (and all the rest) is now gone! clap.gif

    Chris
    Chris
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