Well It's been a while but I'm back...
I finally got around to cleaning my CCD. Took me ages. Every time I started, I got to the step about the drink, then after the bottle I forgot what it was I was going to do...
So one day last week, just for fun, I decided to clean the CCD for the first time, WITHOUT the stiff drink or bottle of red...
Had one nasty big chunky black spot.
Got my plastic spatula that cost me 95 cents. Got my sharpest implements - a razor blade and a staysharp knife.
The razor blade was hopeless because it kept bending so I never ended up with a perfectly straight edge on the spatula.
So I went with the knife and finally ended up with a perfectly cut down spatula. Got it to Exactly 14mm. And with a lovely arrowhead shape profile on it. I bought 2 spatulas so when I cut down the 2nd one, I will be using a better cutter mechanism.
Went to my pre-decided area of little or no dust.
Started with the blower brush. Opened up the camera and found a couple of the hairs from the brush came off the brush and landed on the sensor. I had sticky tape at hand so thought that would work well to pick up the hairs but I went too deep and the tape stuck to the sensor leaving a bit of sticky residue. So I got my hankie out and gave the sensor a wipe with a bit of eclipse. This left a hankie-skid mark on the sensor so I thought I would be able to get it to dissolve, so I tipped the eclipse in the camera, hoping to land one drop smack bang in the middle of the sensor. Gees that's runny stuff, a great flood of it came out and went into the camera. So out with the hankie again - the clean side, and mopped up the eclipse as best I could. Unfortunately the skid mark from the hankie was still there, so I figure I have to use something else to dissolve it... So I open the laundry cupboard and find windex and metho. Thought better about the spray and wipe though. As the hankie wasn't the best option I thought maybe the pec pad wrapped around my finger with a small squirt of windex might do it. But the pec pad slipped and my finger wiped the sensor. The good news is that the skid mark was gone, the bad news is now there's this oily smear there. So I figure the eclipse again and try a different method for another drop smack bang in the centre of the sensor - success, bulls-eye, and in my excitement I squeezed the bottle and a great flood in the chamber again. So off to get a clean hankie or cloth inside, back to the camera and although some had evaporated it still needed a mop, so as I carefully try to absorb as much of it as I can, the batttery dies and the mirror comes smacking down on my finger, scaring me and getting the cloth caught under it.
This big
green paragraph above is all fiction. Many dedicated and D70 loving people out there may have passed out before reading this far. I think I've covered about as many don'ts here as I can nightmare of (aka dream of). Apart from Birdy's experience with the screw driver (Birdy don't tell me you were serious I don't want to know!!!)
Okay back on track with my real story. (If a
moderator feels it appropriate that from the green bits to here get deleted, that's fine)
I had read the copper hill method and indeed saved the whole site on my computer as a reference. I read it at least 3 times right through. I had a look at the WMV file that's about 20Mb - had to get a mate to download it on his broadband as I'm on dialup.
found a dust free surface to lay the pec pad on, placed the spatula perfectly 1/3, folded over just as planned, sticky taped in place, keeping tight across the spatula. That all worked better than I thought it would - looks just like the photo.
Got my head torch from my bushwalking gear and put that on - heaps of light being able to see what I'm doing.
Got the camera, with a fully charged battery, and loosened the lens, got the menu ready for shutter open, got the eclipse and placed the 2 (never any more) drops along the end of the spatula as the photo indicated.
Opened the shutter, turned the camera over and carefully but quickly went across - down a bit - back.
To my surprise the sensor was wider than 14mm. No big deal.
I am lucky in that my eyesight is excellent. I could see there was a streak left on the sensor.
Shut sensor, turn camera over, wrap a new pecpad and start again.
Realised by my 3rd attempt that I musn't have held the bottom edge of the spatula parallel with the sensor.
The streak still wasn't moving and I had plenty of pecpads, plenty of time, and my nerves were still rock-solid, not even breaking out in a sweat.
So Aftetr the 3rd try and the streak didn't move, I decide to use that pec pad and wipe over the streak in a downward movement gentlty, just over the streak. I know this is a no-no because if there is dust on the end of the pecpad or something, there's the risk of scratching the sensor. I was very confident there was no dust on this pecpad so I ever-so-lightly have a go.
Got it shifted but could see almost like a water mark where it moved to - worked out the eclipse was leaving this. We're only talking about a minor and very small mark here.
Got a fresh pecpad and 2 drops, went again, a bit slower, and with just a little more pressure.
That could also have been the problem the 1st try - not enough pressure so the spatula not contacting right across. They do flex a little so not a big problem.
Swiped normally - that is across, down, back.
All is good with just a bit of dust.
All up I had 8 goes, with go number 3 being a little unconventional to remove the fluid streak.
The last 2 goes were with only 1 drop.
Now I am entirely comfortable with the whole process.
I am still disappointed at how easily dust can get onto the sensor and am really going to be looking for a 28-400 VR f2.8 with macro lens so I can avoid the need to change lenses ever again, particularly in the field.
But for now, while I have to change lenses, at least I can overcome the dust spots that may come along.
Many thanks to all on this site who provided me with the advice to get this far.
Don't be scared
, it can be done!
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 2:47 pm
one day! 
Come to Tassie for a mimi meet - hold at my place and I will supply the wine! (Sorry no Hill of Grace but I can do a Mt Edelstone and an Abbotts Prayer...)
but our air is the cleanest in the world (fact) New idea of glow in the dark D70 so no torch needed