Cleaning the CCD woes

"..without touching it with a brush."

but you can touch it with a sensor swab can you? this is how i clean mine and there is nothing you cant remove from the sensor with some methanol and a swab:)

I had exactly the same problem...Thought I would have to send the camera in for cleaning but the thought of being without the 5D for a week was just too much. Started looking at the swabs made for the job...Pricey and noone around here had them in stock. I ended up making my own...Lens Tissue Paper, methanol and a cotton tip applicator...I know it's pretty risky and if you mess up you could damage the camera so it's at your own risk!!!!!!! That said, it worked a treat!! The sensor is clean as a whistle and shooting at f/22 does not mean hours of photoshopping any more...

Note: I take no responsibility in case you decide to try this on your own and end up breaking your camera!

one thing i know is, screwing up your sensor is much harder than it is speculated. I tried some DIY methods on my sensor too, and it still works fine. as long as you don't shave it with a razor, its fine!

remember what you are dealing with is the AA filter on top of the sensor, the sensor chip is not exposed to the outside world. Deal with the AA filter as you deal with other filters. be a little more gentle to be sure:)

btw, the real problem with sensor cleaning is knowing that you actually got rid of the dust. It takes me several tries and test shots before i can get my sensor perfectly clean. the regular dust that shows up in the pictures are actually too small to be seen by naked eye, you can't just look at the sensor and say its clean!

Edited by Turerkan - 24 November 2007 at 22:24

My sensor looked just like yours and I tried blowing things off to no avail and then thought that it might have been grease or something on the sensor from and old lens.

I purchased the Artic Butterfly one day when I was at B&H and cleaned my sensor in seconds. Apparently, it was only dust because everything came off without issue.

I would try a brush first and if that does not work then resort to the liquid cleaners. But only use the cleaners if the spots are still in the same place after using the brush; if they moved, then one could surmise that it is still dust and you will have to try the brush again.


Edited by camelriders - 24 November 2007 at 23:09

I also use the air blower and arctic butterfly with outstanding results.

Hi try not to get to obsessed with every little speak on your sensor.
Having said that I have used the copper hill method of cleaning on my A100 with great results.I was very nervous the first time I did it but it really is very easy. I would never send my camera in for cleaning when I know that all they will do is what I can do.
Pat

You are right this is my first choice give it blow with my rocket blower.
But I had got a couple of spots on my A100 that the blower would not get off.
The wet clean get them off pretty much first go.