Cleaning Digital camera's

[BBJ]

Hi All, well was looking and doing some reading and came across this site about cleaning the sensor and well for a dummy like me looks good with pics to go with it, i know i have some others but yeh i think the explanation on this one is good.
Might be a good read for some.
http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/index.html

Cheers
John
BBJ

[phillipb]

Good link John,
I sometimes wonder if it would be possible to engineer the camera with a high quality glass between the mirror and the lens mount so that you would only ever need to clean that glass rather then the sensor. Much cheaper to replace in case you scratch it.

[nodabs]

well unless it's changed since i heard there isn't a Digi slr that you actually clean the sensor of it's an antialiasing filter still more expensive than a simple piece of glass, but with some poeples reaction to uv filters i don't think it's going to happen also if dust did get in you'd be screwed because you couldn't access it i think a little windscreen wiper would be cool

[birddog114]

Cleaning CCD is the award and privileges to DSLR owner, we have to honor it!

[Onyx]

Yep, with DSLRs you control every aspect of the picture taking - including whether you want the presence of dust bunnies in your photos or not.

Except Olympus E-system users - they have their cameras perform that ultrasonic wizardry to clean the anti-aliasing filter everytime they power on the cam.

[birddog114]

Except Olympus E-system users - they have their cameras perform that ultrasonic wizardry to clean the anti-aliasing filter everytime they power on the cam.

OK, does the Olympus has a "dust bag" built into the cam so you can empty it every now and then? I wonder after a few months where the Olympus keep the dust built up in the camera?

[nodabs]

it gets shoffled down onto a replaceable piece of double sided tape in the bottom of the mirror box i still think that eventually the oly would need an eclipse an pec clean

[BBJ]

Ok Got me some plastic spatulars today i am going to try make a sensor swab out of 1 of them. I do have dust bunnies on there so yeh might pluck up the courage to maybe try it.
I read that someone locks the mirror up and takes the battery out not sure if this is a good thing or not?
Or i will just charge the battery up then have it all ready and well just do it.
If anyone has a sensor swab can they give me the dimensions on the width side and does it do the whole sensor so i can cut mine to size???

Thanks
John

[MattC]

Gidday John,

14mm is the width that you need.

Cheers

Matt

[BBJ]

Thanks Matt, will try cut that out of 1 of these and if i get the courage later to try it it maybe.
Thanks
John

[pippin88]

Do you all just use kitchen spatulas cut down or is something like the Copperhill SensorSwipe available in Australia?

[MattC]

John,
Is this the first time you are going into the camera?

Pippin88,
I use the copperfield tool. I cannot recommend them highly enough. The price is reasonable.

I also have a homemade version. The problem with cutting up kitchen spatulas is that it is very difficult to get edges dead straight and free of dags, lumps... which will impair the performance of the swipe.

Cheers

Matt

[MattC]

 PS I ordered mine from here.

http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/ccd_cleaning

[BBJ]

It will be yeh so i nervous sort off but yeh willing to try it it lol.
Yeh dont know anyone eles around here that does it so yeh looks like i am on my own.

[MattC]

John,

Probably worth getting over to the copperhill pages and following his instructions very carefully.
Also, try to get the swipe edge of your tool as close to perfect as possible. It really helps.

Last thing, once you get the hang of it you will probably be wondering what all of the fuss is about.

Have fun.

Cheers

Matt

[BBJ]

Ok Matt yeh i am reading that as i go, have put the pec pad on the spatular i made up so i guess there is only one thing to do is do it maybe.
Matt do u lock the mirror up then do it? I did read someone locked the mirror up and pulled the battery out so it is not charged etc.. have u tried this??

[MattC]

John,

The freshly charged battery needs to be in, and camera turned on to lock the mirror/shutter in the up position. Turn the camera off at the end to release the mirror.

Matt

[MattC]

John,

To answer your question more directly, The answer is no. That would probably involve using tape across the mirror and shutter. Not something that I am willing to do as this would put a tape residue on the mirror for muck to stick to.

Cheers

Matt

Edit. Hmmm... Just tried dropping the battery while the mirror is locked. Mirror stayed up. Interesting. Learn something new everyday. All the same, I will continue to follow the instructions as described. Question: Is the sensor charged with MLU? Considering that MLU is for maintenance, I would imagine that the answer is no, but you never know.

[Matt. K]

OK, Use a fresh battery. Go into the menu and set mirror lock-up. Take your lens off and turn the camera face down and give a couple of puffs of air to blow off any loose dust. You need a turkey baster with a rubber bulb or buy a rocket from a camera store. place the camera face down on a clean surface so the dust does'nt get back in. Prepare your pre cut rubber spatula...(cut it down with a pair of scissors or a sharp blade and then sand the edges with fine wet and dry to knock off any sharp edges. Make the blade about 12mm. Better smaller than too large. Wash it in soapy water before first use. Wrap your pec-pad around the spatula in the manner shown on the downloadable pictorial instructions and place a small rubber band around it to keep it in place. Leave the rubber band on the handle for next time. Lock the mirror up and place the camera face down again. Let 2 drops of Eclipse fall naturally from the bottle onto the cleaning edge, (if you squeese the bottle too much comes out. Place the tool onto the filter holding at a slight angle and draw it across to the other end...slip the blade down so it now touches the other edge...change the angle and wipe it back to the start point. Lift it off cleanly and fire the shutter on the camera. Whole process of cleaning takes about 6 seconds. Press as hard as you would using a ballpoint pen.
Go take a test photo at f/16 and expect to see more bunnies! This is normal. Clean again with a new pec-pad and repeat until spotless and pristine. Might take 6 goes the first time. After doing this 3 or 4 times you will get it down to 2 goes everytime!

[BBJ]

Well done, Mind you it was all rather fast and well i got most off i have 3 little spots in the left hand bottom where i must have lifted off the sensor.
Not as bad as i thought and didnt leave or see any streaks on it i just locked the mirror up put 2 drops on the swab. Gave the bottle to lisa and then took cap off and wipeed from left to right, lifted a bit moved down then right to left. Took swab out put cap on and let mirror go and took a couple of pics and yeh have found 3 insread of about 15 so not to bad for first try.

Did in smooth fast action sort off, had camera setup on tripod.
WOW as i wipe the sweat from my brow" LOL
Cheers and thanks
John

[MattC]

Good one. You can blame the sweat on the weather

Cheers

Matt

[christiand]

Hi dudettes and dudes,

FYI I have used Eclipse cleaning fluid in combination with PecPad for very efficiantly cleaning filters and lenses. (the crap was gone !!!)

Cheers
CD

[nodabs]

taking the battery out is a trick that i picked up from the Fredmiranda baords and alot of people use it there i don't thing the mirror has ever come back when this is applied i'm more happy using this metho d than a freshly chrged battery because it is locked whereas is the battery is for some strange reason knocked etc you mirror will come back

[lukeo]

Interesting read, after trying the "search" functionality here I cannot find where to buy Eclipse Fluid and Pec Pads. The Pbase website will ships the pads but not the fluid? Or am I missing something?

Does he have a local supplier? a.k.a Can birddog ship me some if I contact him? Or is their someone else to contact?

Thanks people.

[Glen]

Birddog

[Alex]

Use the copper hill method. It's great. I ordered his kit and used it to clean a couple of times.

Alex

[birddog114]

Use the copper hill method. It's great. I ordered his kit and used it to clean a couple of times.

Alex

Copperhill won't send you the Eclipse fluid and you had to buy it from Nulabs, and Nulabs is in Melbourne. Yraen69 is in WA, not closed as you're.

[Hlop]

Copperhill won't send you the Eclipse fluid and you had to buy it from Nulabs, and Nulabs is in Melbourne. Yraen69 is in WA, not closed as you're.

Before I found Nulab I used chemically clean methanol 98% (AFAIK, eclipse is based on it) but I suppose it's even harder to find thing unless you've got someone who works in chemistry

[Alex]

Yep, it sure is methanol. Lucily, I can get 99.99 % from the lab where I work as a chemist.

Cheers
Alex

[kipper]

Ok this is my latest attempt at low pass filter cleaning. I'm fairly happy now. Just have to get rid of that last spec. Not sure if I want to touch the low pass again as I might add more dust back into it


<img src="http://www.morganpost.com/Dust.jpg">

[birddog114]

Ok this is my latest attempt at low pass filter cleaning. I'm fairly happy now. Just have to get rid of that last spec. Not sure if I want to touch the low pass again as I might add more dust back into it


<img src="http://www.morganpost.com/dust.jpg">

Kipper,
How many cleans (time) have you done?
Don't treat the CCD to harsh! it hs its life!

[kipper]

Take a look again birddy