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An exercise in sensor cleaning
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Dec 29, 2019 17:29:54   #
Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY
 
DirtFarmer wrote:
I have what I think is a better way to take sensor dust shots.

First of all, set your aperture as small as possible. Set autofocus off. Set the lens to focus at infinity.

Bring up a blank page on your computer. A word processor or text editor with nothing on it. White is nice but not essential. Just sit in front of the computer, put your lens right up near the white page and shoot. It doesn't matter what the shutter speed is. Even if the camera moves during the exposure, you're not going to be looking at any structure in the image. It's out of focus. The dust image will not be blurred because it moves with the camera.

The advantage to this is that you are staying right there in front of your computer at your desk. You don't have to move to where a featureless wall is. True, there is structure in your monitor in the form of RGB triplets, but since the lens is set to infinity and right up close to the screen they will be way out of focus.

I set my camera to jpg since there's no point in using raw for a temporary image.
I have what I think is a better way to take sensor... (show quote)


DirtFarmer, using the computer screen for a light source behind the paper sounds good, but most people's screens are dirty.

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Dec 29, 2019 18:37:53   #
DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA
 
Charles 46277 wrote:
DirtFarmer, using the computer screen for a light source behind the paper sounds good, but most people's screens are dirty.


Doesn't matter. Your lens is set to infinity and the screen is inches from your lens. Any dirt will be out of focus.

Unless it's so dirty that it obscures significant portions of the screen. But if you can live with that, you probably won't notice sensor dust.

And you don't need a piece of paper in there. That just cuts down the light.

And of course this is not the only way to do it. If you have a method that works for you, continue doing it.

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Dec 29, 2019 19:03:10   #
Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA
 
Now that its winter there is another thing to be careful of.
If you are shooting in the cold, do not change lenses in a warm house or car until the temp equalizes. Condensation can form on the sensor and leave spots or attract dirt.

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Dec 29, 2019 19:21:03   #
Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY
 
DirtFarmer wrote:
Doesn't matter. Your lens is set to infinity and the screen is inches from your lens. Any dirt will be out of focus.

Unless it's so dirty that it obscures significant portions of the screen. But if you can live with that, you probably won't notice sensor dust.

And you don't need a piece of paper in there. That just cuts down the light.

And of course this is not the only way to do it. If you have a method that works for you, continue doing it.


Ah, yes--of course.

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Feb 10, 2020 12:13:04   #
greg14
 
I have the Nikon Z6 Mirrorless prior I had the D750.
I am not a pro and I got it to go lighter in weight as I am 76 years old.
When I first got it I soon noticed spots at a higher level.
I do not change lenses when I take pictures, when I leave the house what is on the camera is it.

I was frustrated at first to the point I was ready to take it back.
I have come to the following conclusion and reality:
Try not to shoot higher then F9, F10 to F16 is where the spots are visible in the blue skies type shots.
Otherwise, the reality is that Lightroom becomes the go to to remove them.
For me, LR is not a major issue to use, I am retired and have the time.

As to cleaning, I use the Rocket blower and the built it sensor cleaner.
I do not know how effective they are.
I have been using the same camera store for 25 years and I will stop in on occasion and ask them to do a cleaning.
They do not charge so I guess I am lucky in that regards.
I hesitate to do a full sensor cleaning as I feel I might cause additional problems.

The other reality is that the Z6 takes great low light pictures and again it helps where I can avoid a flash.
I even downsized the flash from a SB 910 to a SB 500 for weigh, although I do have a GoDox V860II for a rare need.

Just my experience and how I have come to terms with a mirrorless camera that satisfied my needs and deal with the situation.

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Dec 24, 2020 15:40:20   #
gener202002
 
amfoto1 wrote:
Ya think so? I'm guessing you've never shot with film... or have forgotten some of it's trials and tribulations. Dust was just as bad with it. Maybe even worse. A grain of dust on a pressure plate can all too easily scratch the entire length of a roll of film, gouging a mark across every image you make.... multiple rolls if you don't notice and remove it when reloading the camera, which you had to do every 36 shots (unless you used a long roll back, with 100 foot rolls that were expensive to process). Specks would also get embedded in the soft emulsion of the film during development. And it was always a concern in the darkroom when making enlargements. Plus it was a real bugger to retouch from a finished print.... it's far, far easier to retouch digital images!

One of the advantages of film was that we didn't or couldn't look at it ridiculously magnified.... like digital images being viewed "at 100%" on a computer screen. As a result we often didn't sweat the "little stuff" that was never going to show up in the finished print of the image anyway. Today people look at their digital images so overly critically it's almost laughable.
Ya think so? I'm guessing you've never shot with f... (show quote)


Speaking of self cleaning sensors, I wonder if I have that in my camera and don't know it. I have a Canon rebel t7, dslr. I am wondering at what level of camera and how recently did cameras manufacturers add self cleaning sensors?

Also, I have had a Canon rebel t3i for years, and there has never been dirt on the sensor, I don't use it anymore, except when sensor problems exist, but overall have used it much more than the t7. That is why it really puzzles me that two weeks after a cleaning I would have the same problem as before.

Thanks,

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Dec 24, 2020 15:44:22   #
gener202002
 
greg14 wrote:
I have the Nikon Z6 Mirrorless prior I had the D750.
I am not a pro and I got it to go lighter in weight as I am 76 years old.
When I first got it I soon noticed spots at a higher level.
I do not change lenses when I take pictures, when I leave the house what is on the camera is it.

I was frustrated at first to the point I was ready to take it back.
I have come to the following conclusion and reality:
Try not to shoot higher then F9, F10 to F16 is where the spots are visible in the blue skies type shots.
Otherwise, the reality is that Lightroom becomes the go to to remove them.
For me, LR is not a major issue to use, I am retired and have the time.

As to cleaning, I use the Rocket blower and the built it sensor cleaner.
I do not know how effective they are.
I have been using the same camera store for 25 years and I will stop in on occasion and ask them to do a cleaning.
They do not charge so I guess I am lucky in that regards.
I hesitate to do a full sensor cleaning as I feel I might cause additional problems.

The other reality is that the Z6 takes great low light pictures and again it helps where I can avoid a flash.
I even downsized the flash from a SB 910 to a SB 500 for weigh, although I do have a GoDox V860II for a rare need.

Just my experience and how I have come to terms with a mirrorless camera that satisfied my needs and deal with the situation.
I have the Nikon Z6 Mirrorless prior I had the D75... (show quote)


I find this really interesting. I recently started shooting high f stops because I was having so much trouble getting focus on everything in nature pictures, and that does seem to be when the trouble started. Hmmm.

Thanks so much for this information.

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Dec 25, 2020 23:30:05   #
sscnxy
 
Linda From Maine wrote:
Someone yesterday suggested dslr's have it worse because of metal shavings and all that up/down jarring from the mirror tossing oil and dust around. I'm sure "someone" will be along to discuss further

Congrats on your successful operation!


It's the other way around. Mirrorless camera sensors are the dust mops. It's one of those tradeoffs if you go mirrorless.

NY

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Dec 25, 2020 23:42:38   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
sscnxy wrote:
It's the other way around. Mirrorless camera sensors are the dust mops. It's one of those tradeoffs if you go mirrorless.

NY


The new EOS R5 (and R6) include a shutter cover, not leaving the digital sensor left open and exposed to the elements when the lens is removed.

As said regularly and with seriousness: The EOS R5 will change how we think about mirrorless, how we think about photography, how we think about life.

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Jan 12, 2021 21:26:47   #
scooter1 Loc: Yacolt, Wa.
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
LOL Linda. There's no satisfaction in trying to police every dopey statement made on UHH ....


So True

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Mar 12, 2021 07:08:02   #
traderjohn Loc: New York City
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
LOL Linda. There's no satisfaction in trying to police every dopey statement made on UHH ....


You forget it's not up to you to police anyone. Why would you think it is???

Reply
 
 
Apr 3, 2021 07:21:59   #
warzone
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
If I was a betting man, I'd lay my money on mirrorless cameras being more susceptible to sensor dust ... The sensor is just there, waiting for whatever wants to jump / fall into the body when the lens is off. I struggled with an afternoon of cleaning spots yesterday in images from a Sony a7II. For whatever reason, Sony makes the shake process a manual action rather than auto when the camera is turned off or on, where I'd prefer auto for both.

I feared I'd have to get to a wet clean where I don't have full-sized wipes. I started with a sensor in this situation:



For the long pieces rather than circular spots, I could see these on the sensor with good light and a magnifying glass.

My first tool was a Giotto Rocket-Air and running the camera's sensor clean a few times.



The strips are gone. Maybe hair? I don't know what they are. The next tool is a Sensor Brush. It would seem this could add more than it removes. I blew the brush vigorously with the Rocket-Air, both to remove any dust in the brush as well as to build a static charge before touching the sensor.

Much improved, lots of spots gone, some new stuff arrived.



Another round of brushing and blowing and cleaning cycle and the final result after 20-minutes effort:



Good enough to get out and shoot and better, it seems, than the entire time I've had this body since purchasing used. Most of the images were f/16 at the nearest wall to my computer so I could click the SD card out quickly back n forth between the camera and computer / monitor.
If I was a betting man, I'd lay my money on mirror... (show quote)



Any advice on cleaning a Canon mirrorless?

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Apr 3, 2021 09:38:28   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
warzone wrote:
Any advice on cleaning a Canon mirrorless?


The Giotto tool should be great for all digital cameras as well as any self-cleaning cycles the camera model provides. If it can be run automatically at shut-down, start-up, or both, this feature should be enabled for automated execution as much as possible.

I have VisibleDust swabs too, but try to avoid letting the sensor get so bad it needs a wet cleaning.

Reply
Apr 3, 2021 13:07:04   #
lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA
 
amfoto1 wrote:
Ya think so? I'm guessing you've never shot with film... or have forgotten some of it's trials and tribulations. Dust was just as bad with it. Maybe even worse. A grain of dust on a pressure plate can all too easily scratch the entire length of a roll of film, gouging a mark across every image you make.... multiple rolls if you don't notice and remove it when reloading the camera, which you had to do every 36 shots (unless you used a long roll back, with 100 foot rolls that were expensive to process). Specks would also get embedded in the soft emulsion of the film during development. And it was always a concern in the darkroom when making enlargements. Plus it was a real bugger to retouch from a finished print.... it's far, far easier to retouch digital images!

One of the advantages of film was that we didn't or couldn't look at it ridiculously magnified.... like digital images being viewed "at 100%" on a computer screen. As a result we often didn't sweat the "little stuff" that was never going to show up in the finished print of the image anyway. Today people look at their digital images so overly critically it's almost laughable.
Ya think so? I'm guessing you've never shot with f... (show quote)



Reply
Mar 29, 2022 11:41:52   #
DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA
 
jerryc41 wrote:
I heard they're going to start putting powerful magnets inside DSLRs to catch all those metal shavings. Better still, they're working on a magnet that will attract the aluminum and titanium shavings.


A magnet for Al and Ti - seems highly unlikely

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