WHERE is the sensor on my 300D???

Corry · Apr 11, 2005

IT NEEDS CLEANED BADLY!!!! Tips on how to do so would be greatly appreciated.

voodoocat · Apr 11, 2005

It's behind the mirror.
You should have an option for locking it up so you can clean the sensor.

triggerhappy · Apr 11, 2005

Dead easy

All you need is a [ame="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00017LSPI/102-7007144-6727366?v=glance"]rocket blower[/ame]. I have a d70, but the procedure is much the same. Do a mirror lockup (or cleaning lockup - something like that) and take your lense off. If you look into the back of your camera, you'll see a shiny rectangle - your sensor. Simply face the camera downwards and give it a couple of squirts of air. Job done

There are more serious cleaning options
1. take it to canon
2. clean it yourself with specially made cleaning pads.

However, try the rocket blower first as it always works for me and the other options are more expensive or risky respectively.

One more point. I wouldn't try using a pipet or anything home-made to clean the sensor. I've known a couple of people to do that and it turned out that there was a fine layer of dust on the inside of the pipet. That ended up making the sensor 100 times worse and had to be sent to canon for cleaning. The rocket blower is great and has a filter to stop it 'breathing' in dust.

Big Mike · Apr 11, 2005

There are a few "how to clean the sensor" sites around. Try a google.

pursuer · Apr 11, 2005

The sensor is behind the mirror, to get to it you have have to go to the last options tab in the menu and select sensor clean. This will lock the mirror up until you turn your camera off. I have cleaned mine a couple of times simply by using the blower brush that came in my lens cleaning kit to gently blow off any dust. If your sensor is very dirty it might require somthing more aggressive. Just don't use canned air like the stuff used to blow the dust off of PCs.

EDIT: Ha, all you guys posted while I was typing, oh well. Wow, I so have to get a rocket blower.

rangefinder · Apr 11, 2005

Check out this site. He has a tutorial on how to clean the sensor and the PRECAUTIONS you need to take.

http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/markII/mainpage.html#

BadRotation · Apr 11, 2005

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

Air didnt work for me at all, in fact, it made it worse.

My 20D is a magnet for dust on the sensor and I need to clean it almost every month.

I use the technique in the link above, and it works great.

Sharkbait · Apr 11, 2005

I always make sure to turn the camera off before changing lenses. The CCD is an electrical device, and if it suddenly gets a whiff of fresh air while on, it'll suck the dust straight to it.

LizM · Apr 11, 2005

I have a 300D and just used the Eclipse liquid and the Sensor Clean system (type 2 for 300D). It worked fine and the mfg guarantees against damage if you follow their directions. It cost $55 for everything but I have enough to clean the sensor another 10 times or so. Do NOT use PEC pads (that is straight from the mfg of the PEC pads) - they are of a different material than the Sensor Clean.

Corry · Apr 12, 2005

Thanks everyone! Unfortunately, most of my St. Louis pics from this weekend are bad because of MASSIVE amounts of dust...I post some examples in a bit, if I rememeber!

Sharkbait · Apr 12, 2005

What the heck do you guys do with your cameras that the sensors get so dusty?? I've shot my 300d for almost two years and my 20d for six months (as a professional--I put 1000+ frames a day through them sometimes) and have never had to clean the sensor. :shock::shock:

BadRotation · Apr 12, 2005

WSP said:
What the heck do you guys do with your cameras that the sensors get so dusty?? I've shot my 300d for almost two years and my 20d for six months (as a professional--I put 1000+ frames a day through them sometimes) and have never had to clean the sensor. :shock::shock:

I do alot of photography is dusty areas (along old abandoned railroad grades, etc) and even with keeping the lens on the camera 100% of the time, dust still seems to find its way into the 20d

voodoocat · Apr 12, 2005

Do NOT use PEC pads (that is straight from the mfg of the PEC pads) - they are of a different material than the Sensor Clean

That's BS to get you to buy those overpriced sensor swabs. Many people use them without any problems. The lowpass filter is a 6 on the hardness scale... very hard to scratch.

BadRotation · Apr 12, 2005

voodoocat said:
That's BS to get you to buy those overpriced sensor swabs. Many people use them without any problems. The lowpass filter is a 6 on the hardness scale... very hard to scratch.

Exactly

I am even guilty of using q-tips. I was out shooting, and got some dust on the sensor. the only thing I had besides a turkey baster was some q-tips in the truck.

SO I blew out as much as I could first, then used the q-tip to get the last two specks.

I DO NOT RECCOMEND USING Q-TIPS THOUGH!!!! All I am saying is that they are harder to scratch than people make it out to be.

But pec-pads are perfectly fine for cleaning the sensor. I have used them MANY times, and i dont have ANY scratches on the sensor of my 20D.

Like I said, I was desperate for something to clean it with, and was over 2 hours from home, and I had the perfect sunset shot set up.

voodoocat · Apr 12, 2005

Like I said, I was desperate for something to clean it with, and was over 2 hours from home, and I had the perfect sunset shot set up.

In that case, I would just shoot the sunset. Dry q-tips is not a good idea at all. It takes like 2 seconds to use the healing brush in PS to get rid of the dust. I've done paid photoshoots with all sorts of dust on the sensor and just removed it in PS.