Sensor Cleaning - Show us your dirtiest sensor

Scott_Quier

OK, it's been suggest a thread be started show just how dirty it can get. I'll show you mine if you show me yours :wink

Skippy

Mine had gel on it ... this is the before shot .... Skippy

Skippy

Skippy wrote:

Mine had gel on it ... this is the before shot .... Skippy

This is the AFTER Shot

gus

Scott_Quier

Looks like Gus and I are running neck-and-neck for the "ugly sensor gunk" award!

Glory2Jesus4Photography

Scott_Quier wrote:

Looks like Gus and I are running neck-and-neck for the "ugly sensor gunk" award!

How many times can you tell people to stop changing lenses in the middle of a sand storm
Those are some pretty dirty sensors I think the winner will deserve a cleaning kit and a tutorial on how to use it

evoryware

Scott should win a 40D that cleans itself!

gus

Scott_Quier wrote:

Looks like Gus and I are running neck-and-neck for the "ugly sensor gunk" award!

:nono rock for rock you are running a distant second mate

Richard

Quality, not quantity:

gus

Richard wrote:

Quality, not quantity:

[IMG][/img]

yep....

WilliamClark77

Finally! A photo contest I can enter!





Love the Smugdust, Gus!

Scott_Quier

Glory2Jesus4Photography wrote:

How many times can you tell people to stop changing lenses in the middle of a sand storm
Those are some pretty dirty sensors I think the winner will deserve a cleaning kit and a tutorial on how to use it

I should note this was my first dSLR (a 20D) and it was the first cleaning it had experienced. Every new camera I have bought has had a bunch of Factory OEM Junk and Gunk on the sensor - so it's not all my fault!!

SavedByZero

WilliamClark77 wrote:

Finally! A photo contest I can enter!





Love the Smugdust, Gus!

Was that taken with the Hubble telescope or what?? Cause I swear I see Pluto in there.

Milan

Skippy wrote:

Mine had gel on it ... this is the before shot .... Skippy

Gel? How come?

Scott_Quier

Milan wrote:

Gel? How come?

I second the question - inquiring minds want to know!

aktse

Bunnies love me!

(on my 20D)

Skippy

Milan wrote:

Gel? How come?

Very easily........ you have to be careful using a sensor brush.
If you manage to touch anywhere but the sensor you run the risk of picking up a clear gel (lubricant) that is on the shutter.

You wont see it, that's why I didn't know I'd even touched it.

While using the Sensor Brush I wiped it across the sensor,
not realizing till I saw it show up on my images.

Too late, that clear gel is on my sensor brush and unknowingly,
I thought it was some more dust, so I wipe the brush across the sensor once more and this time I spread it further and more visibly across the sensor.

So not only did I have get myself a COPPER HILL kit,
I also had to clean the Sensor brush as well.

When I took the camera into the store they told me not to worry,
and many before me have done the same thing.

So be careful what you touch..... and it may already be on the rim and you wont see it till you try to clean your sensor.

It comes off easily enough with the COPPER HILL fluid using it exactly as the Tutorial Instructions say.

Do not attempt to clean your sensor without clearly reading how to do it before you start trying to do it.

...... Skippy
.

Scott_Quier

Now I, with my two brain cells that almost work, finally understand. It was the "gel" thing - I think something got lost in the translation.

Milan

Thanks for explanation, Skippy.

coldclimb

Alright I'll bump this after just checking my sensor...

Toshido

Curious, what are you guys doing to get those pictures? Just shooting a plain wall?

Richard

Toshido wrote:

Curious, what are you guys doing to get those pictures? Just shooting a plain wall?

A plain wall will work as will a blue sky. Shoot at f/22 or higher. Then run autolevels in PS to make it look really ugly.

Scott_Quier

Toshido wrote:

Curious, what are you guys doing to get those pictures? Just shooting a plain wall?

I open up an instance of Notepad on a Windows computer. Point the camera at that, focus set to infinity, aperture at the minimum available on the lens, turn off AF, set to Av mode, ISO 100, large/fine JPG and fire. Because I'm not interested in a photo, the fact that the exposure time will be quite long (on the order of a second or two) doesn't bother me at all. Import into PS, use Auto-Levels and there you have it. I used to shoot the sky, but I got tired of running in and out of the house every time I wanted to test whether I was successful in removing all the dustbunnies from the sensor. The computer screen does just as good a job.

Richard

One other thing I thought I would share: I don't change lenses outside very often, so I only have to clean the sensor a couple of times a year. But it always requires several passes. It finally occurred to me to give it two passes (changing Pec Pads each time) between test shots. It speeds up the process.

FWIW.

Toshido

So Scott, this is mostly directed to you since I know you use 50Ds, and is only a little hijack.

In your opinion how effective is the 50D's sensor cleaning?

Scott_Quier

Toshido wrote:

So Scott, this is mostly directed to you since I know you use 50Ds, and is only a little hijack.

In your opinion how effective is the 50D's sensor cleaning?

I purchased my 50D cameras on 12 Oct 2008. I had to clean the sensors of each of these immediately upon receipt - they were pretty dirty. I've had to clean them three times since then.

The most recent cleaning was after my recent trip to Alaska (and conditions were pretty dusty at times ... and lots of wind). Even then, it wasn't too bad but I was loaning the camera to a friend and I didn't know at what aperture she would be using it. It was OK at f/8 or less, but ....

I'm not real careful about swapping lenses - I just usually don't have time to be pretty about it.

Given all that - it is a benefit over the 30D (which I was cleaning about once a month) but it's not a miracle worker either. It's definitely not a reason to purchase.

Toshido

Already have the 50D as an update from the Rebel XT so just curious.

I mostly shoot pretty wide open anyways but now, just like with your micro focus adjust thread, I am wondering...

DoyleB

Do I detect the SmugMug image

gus wrote: »

yep....

Looks like SmugMug made it onto your sensor