I'm on a trip in California right now and have found my sensor is very dirtly...10-12 spots. I have always been able to get dust out with a blower, but not this time.

I picked up a Dust Wand kit at a camera store in Santa Rosa and have tried a couple of passes on the sensor. Still, lots of specs. mostly on the sides of the sensor now. Almost as if I had pushed it to the sides. Tried blowing it out and no change.

I have not done this before, and worry about damaging the sensor. Not sure if I didn't apply enough pressure or what. Then, as I searched the forums and found that some wet cleaning of a 5D sensor is a problem.

Please...any help you can provide would be appreciated. I'm in Santa Cruz now and could find a local shop here to clean it if anyone has a recommendation.

Thanks in advance for your help!

I could write some suggestions about how to clean the sensor, but there are some issues to be concerned with if this is your first cleaning - such as the possibility that you could transfer some lubricant (at least that is what it purportedly is) from inside the chamber to the sensor glass, necessitating a wet cleaning.

If you need the camera to work NOW and you have not ever cleaned the sensor glass or had it cleaned, you might want to simply pay a shop to do it for you. (By the way, this is NOT my usual advice - more below.) I'm not sure who would do that in the Santa Cruz area, but you could contact Keeble and Schuchat in Palo Alto (just over the hill plus a bit) or San Jose Camera (located, oddly enough, it Campbell.).

With my 5D, the next step if the blower along doesn't do the trick is to use a sensor brush or equivalent to gently pick up the dust.

Dan

A few things you can try:

1. If there is a vacuum nearby, remove the attachment to the hose... remove your lens, face camera down, and attach the hose to the lens opening... try to suck the dust out.

2. Use a blower (you've tried already but doesn't work).

3. Buy a dry cleaning kit such as Dust-Aid Platinum... it's like a sticker. Theoretically you can also use scotch tape, but it may leave residue behind, and if it's too sticky may remove the coating on the sensor (so don't use scotch tape).

4. Use a soft brush... be careful not to scratch.

5. Wet clean.

Too bad I didn't read this earlier. I live in Santa Rosa and could have cleaned it for you. Well it looks like a wet cleaning but if you don't know how to do it. . . There is a nice camera store in Montery that Leica equipment. I thought they were kind of jerks but maybe they can help you.

The advice from danmitchell about the 'lubricant' should be taken to heart. I didn't know about this stuff when cleaning my 5D for the first time, having had no problems with earlier Canon cameras, and managed to get some on the brush and contaminated the sensor. I just couldn't get the stuff off and eventually sent it to Canon for cleaning. £60 ($120). I still don't know where inside this gunk is.

I would advise not to put a vacuum cleaner anywhere near the sensor, especially attaching the hose to the lens mount sucking the life and inners out of your camera..

Edited by Cliftonyte on Jun 24, 2008 at 10:38 PM GMT

I got lubricant on one of my sensors as well. What a lesson that was. When you are in remote areas (a remote area in China) and no way but to clean it yourself it is a lesson learned and not forgotten. Well wet cleaning worked well and thank the god of images that I had the right cleaner. There were times I had to clean everyday there and I was there for 1.5 years. No mishaps though.

Stunnaz wrote:
1. If there is a vacuum nearby, remove the attachment to the hose... remove your lens, face camera down, and attach the hose to the lens opening... try to suck the dust out.

This is dangerous advice, personally I wouldn't put a home vacuum anywhere near the mirror box on my camera.

OP, sounds like you're due for a wet cleaning. I have had good luck using the Copper HIll kit.

I wouldn't use a vacuum cleaner to suck dust out of my sensor chambers!

I would start with a rocket blower, progress to a brush like an Arctic Butterfly then if that doesn't fix the problem I would do a wet clean using the Visible Dust Sensor Clean/Chamber clean with swabs. If the dirt still remains, do a 2nd wet clean, if that doesn't work then I would send it back to Canon for a professional clean. The sensor is just too expensive to replace if you damage it.

Just send it in to Canon for cleaning, I just did.

You don't want to damage your camera.

At a certain point you're better off, and just make sure to not change lenses in a windy or dusty place.

Just a quick note, on some of the earlier 5D's the AA filter / protector thingy was put in backwards, wet cleaning my take the coating off.

I would wet clean it, I always bring swabs in a baggie, then buy some alcohol at a local drug store. You could use Q-tips or equivalent along with lens tissue.

Gerry

I've never used alcohol on a sensor, but from other experience I do believe it will leave some residue on your sensor and you really don't want that. I also wouldn't go near the sensor with a Q-tip, but maybe I'm just too cautious.

Google the Copper Hill cleaning method, buy some Eclipes fluid and where this is your first time you should splurge on some sensor swabs. Sensor swabs are horribly expensive but they will work very well and after using these for the first few cleanings you should have the confidence to try the much less expensive pec-pads. Use good light and do it in a non-dusty area and you should be fine.

Good luck!

I use the wet (and dry) cleaning products from Visible Dust. They work great. Even my local store carries them in stock!

Gerry Szarek wrote:
.....then buy some alcohol at a local drug store. You could use Q-tips.....
Gerry

Well, I wouldn’t use the alcohol from a local drug store, because it may not be pure enough and most likely it will leave some residue on the sensor, same goes for Q-tips, it will leave some lint……What you need is Eclipse:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/476977-REG/Photographic_Solutions_E2DCS_Eclipse_E2_Cleaning_Fluid.html

and lint-free pec-pad wipes:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/71154-REG/Photographic_Solutions_PAD44DCS_Pec_Pad_Photo_Wipes_.html

If you don't have Pec Pads or optics cleaning pads for lasers (what I use) the next best thing is Q-Tips wrapped in lens tissue. The key to using any wet method is wipe in ONE direction and use the pad/whatever only ONCE. The ideal cleaning fluid is 180 proof alcohol however without a federal license you might have trouble getting it.

Gerry Szarek wrote:
If you don't have Pec Pads or optics cleaning pads for lasers (what I use) the next best thing is Q-Tips wrapped in lens tissue. The key to using any wet method is wipe in ONE direction and use the pad/whatever only ONCE.

Well if you have some gunk stuck to your sensor wiping it once won't get rid of it
I just removed a nasty piece of dirt from my 5D sensor. Second time in 2 years I had to wet clean it.

Buy an Arctic butterfly, it works great on the 5D




http://www.visibledust.com/products.php

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/480240-REG/Visible_Dust_2863182_1_Arctic_Butterfly_724_with.html

What's wrong with the Copperhill method? Works great on my 10D, 20D, 40D. Any reason not to use it on the 5D?

marko1953 wrote:
What's wrong with the Copperhill method? Works great on my 10D, 20D, 40D. Any reason not to use it on the 5D?

I tried it and it ( dry method) and it didn't seem to do much.

I had better results with my XT.


I wont risk affecting my AA coating.

Gerry Szarek wrote:
Just a quick note, on some of the earlier 5D's the AA filter / protector thingy was put in backwards, wet cleaning my take the coating off.
Gerry

Gerry,

I knew about the coating problem on some 5D's, and that it was most likely the early ones. However, this is the first I've heard that the LPF was put it backwards, though that could certainly be. Is this verifiable?

What I read was that Canon used a different material for the coating. Therefore, certain cleaning solutions cause the coating to come off, blur, etc, ruining the LPF. I've also read that some "standard" cleaning solutions can ruin the LPF on even later 5D's, which certainly implies that there's still some kind of coating on the outside.

Either way, is there any documentation as to what serial numbers are in question? My 5D is second generation, I believe, ser # 2221 200093. I am petrified of swabbing it, even with Eclipse, until I know for sure.

Edited by Cableaddict on Jun 26, 2008 at 02:50 PM GMT

Cableaddict wrote:


Either way, is there any documentation as to what serial numbers are in question? My 5D is second generation, I believe, ser # 2221 200093. I am petrified of swabbing it, even with Eclipse, until I know for sure.
I'd like to know this also. My serial number is a few hundred after the one quoted. Photosol on their website said to use Eclipse on the 5D . . . turn around twice and they now say to use E2. To further complicate this they say if you had no problems, continue using whichever one of these you used in the past with success. I've used neither and have a 50:50 shot at possibly ruining my sensor. Geez . . pick one will ya guys !

jamato8 wrote:
Too bad I didn't read this earlier. I live in Santa Rosa and could have cleaned it for you. Well it looks like a wet cleaning but if you don't know how to do it. . . There is a nice camera store in Montery that Leica equipment. I thought they were kind of jerks but maybe they can help you.

Boy, you are nice! I am just over the hill from Santa Cruz in Silicon Valley and I thought about volunteering to do it - and I might have except that today was just too busy to do free sensor cleaning.

Tim, did you ever get it cleaned? Are you still in Santa Cruz?

Dan

Spider wrote:
Gerry Szarek wrote:
.....then buy some alcohol at a local drug store. You could use Q-tips.....
Gerry

Well, I wouldn’t use the alcohol from a local drug store, because it may not be pure enough and most likely it will leave some residue on the sensor, same goes for Q-tips, it will leave some lint……What you need is Eclipse:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/476977-REG/Photographic_Solutions_E2DCS_Eclipse_E2_Cleaning_Fluid.html

and lint-free pec-pad wipes:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/71154-REG/Photographic_Solutions_PAD44DCS_Pec_Pad_Photo_Wipes_.html



Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is so pure enough for cleaning a sensor. Mix it with 50% water and use a Q-tip slightly dampened with the solution (not soaking wet). After doing a wet swab of the sensor, buff the sensor with dry Q-tips. Use a blower to get rid of any lint.

You may have to repeat several times, but it is a lot cheaper and works just as well as all the gimmicky, over-priced commercial products. Has worked fine for me on 1D, 10D, 20D, 1DMk2.

Come on folks, it is not rocket science, just similar to cleaning windows.

Hey all, thanks for all of the advice. I'm back home in Minnesota now. I got the sensor cleaner with another two passes of the Dust Wand Kit. Still a fair amount of crud on there even with using the blower as well.

I think the safest next step may be to send it into Canon. For those that have sent it in, what is the cost? I also need the focus screen cleaned...that has a lot of dust as well. An overall interior clean is probably in order.

Had a great time in the Sonoma Valley and then the Santa Cruz area. A bit smokey with all of the fires.

FWIW, I live in a smaller town in NC and found the local camera repair shop would clean the entire camera, viewfinder, etc for $50. It had gone beyond the stuff I could blow off the sensor. I could have had it same day, but I wasn't in a hurry. The cleaning supplies would have cost me a good portion of that, and all it would have cleaned is the sensor. I'm sure you can find a similar shop in CA. The security was worth a few $ for me.