Is there just a quicky and easy way to get some dust off my CCD?

Pyrex · Aug 23, 2007

My D70 has a little piece of dust that settled on the CCD, and I wanted to know if there was any easy way to get it off. The CCD is for the most part, clean, except for a single piece of dust.. I dont want to have to invest 100 bucks for a cleaning kit just to get a piece of dust off. anyone have some insight?

D-50 · Aug 23, 2007

There is no quick way to do this unfortunately unless you consider cloning the spot out of your photos a solution. If you try to clean it yourself without having a clean room or done it before I can almost gaurantee you will get more dust on your sensor.

Big Mike · Aug 23, 2007

There most certainly is a quick & easy way. Do you know those bulb blowers? Take one of those and use it to blow the dust off of the sensor. I always turn the camera so that the front is facing down, so that the dust falls out.

There is always the chance that you may stir up more dust, which may settle on the sensor...but it's an cheap and easy way.

Also, there are several sensor cleaning products that are not that expensive.

D-50 · Aug 23, 2007

Thats true Mike,but I was assuming Pyrex would not want to get more dust on the sensor. If you get used to cleaning a sensor you can do it quickly and effectivly but for a first timer I give a 2% chance of not getting more dust on the sensor, I guess we all need to learn somehow.

Big Mike · Aug 23, 2007

I use that method for the majority of my sensor cleaning...and I have yet to end up with more dust than when I started. And it is 'quick and easy'.

Your suggestion of just cloning it out, may be the quickest and easiest...especially if it's only one spec of dust.

Another method that I've been meaning to try...is a 'home made' sensor brush...to act like the Arctic Butterfly sensor brushes. It's just a flat artist's brush and you use something to give it an electrostatic charge (clean compressed air).

Pyrex · Aug 23, 2007

Damn this hobby. If you so much as look at your camera the wrong way it costs you $100 bucks. I was going to use the bulb cleaner, but theres always some naysayer out there recommending you don't. Someone give me odds destroying my CCD by modifying a plastic knife to hold a lense cleaning sheet and using a drop of cleaner. I've seen quite a few people use this method. (this is assuming that I do know how to make a clean edge for the tool). Worse comes to worse I'll end up with a new D200.

Don Simon · Aug 23, 2007

OK... even if you heed D-50's warning, what's the worst that could happen with a bulb blower? You get a bit more dust on the sensor. Not exactly the end of the world. I'd suggest giving it a try, certainly before you even think (which I would never, ever do) of putting something that was once a plastic knife near the sensor.

Anyway I'm with Mike on this... I use the bulb blower regularly. I find the least dusty room in the house, hold the camera upside down and blow (after first squeezing the blower another way a couple of times to clear any dust that has settled in the nozzle). If I have ever put more dust on the sensor than I've taken off, it certainly hasn't shown up in my images.

Pyrex · Aug 23, 2007

ZaphodB said:
OK... even if you heed D-50's warning, what's the worst that could happen with a bulb blower? You get a bit more dust on the sensor. Not exactly the end of the world. I'd suggest giving it a try, certainly before you even think (which I would never, ever do) of putting something that was once a plastic knife near the sensor.

Anyway I'm with Mike on this... I use the bulb blower regularly. I find the least dusty room in the house, hold the camera upside down and blow (after first squeezing the blower another way a couple of times to clear any dust that has settled in the nozzle). If I have ever put more dust on the sensor than I've taken off, it certainly hasn't shown up in my images.

hah, okay, I'll give it a shot. If that doesn't work I'll use a shop vac :mrgreen:

chrisk121 · Aug 24, 2007

Pyrex said:
hah, okay, I'll give it a shot. If that doesn't work I'll use a shop vac :mrgreen:

That really makes me think. Maybe if someone would come out with a device that uses the lens mount of the camera and sucks out the dust like a vacuum, sensor cleaning would be as easy as mounting a lens!

If I made that, maybe I could afford a 1ds mk 3

Big Mike · Aug 24, 2007

That really makes me think. Maybe if someone would come out with a device that uses the lens mount of the camera and sucks out the dust like a vacuum, sensor cleaning would be as easy as mounting a lens!

That's a good idea...except that all the air that you suck out...has to be replaced with air rushing in. Although, a very small & soft tip on the end of a vacuum hose, would probably work well.

D-50 · Aug 24, 2007

Or if you create a good enough seal around the opening you'll actually be able to rip the glass right off the front of your sensor and clean it outside the camera.

chrisk121 · Aug 24, 2007

D-50 said:
Or if you create a good enough seal around the opening you'll actually be able to rip the glass right off the front of your sensor and clean it outside the camera.

People are scared of cleaning that piece of glass,how do you think they'd feel about ripping it off and exposing the sensor

neea · Aug 25, 2007

:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

Too funny!

Could imagine the look on someones poor face... aww.

I find those 'cleaning' kids so useless. I baught a Canon one and it really did put more crud.
I haven't... and never will.. attempt to clean my digital camera. I'll leave that to the professionals.

Big Mike · Aug 25, 2007

I find those 'cleaning' kids so useless. I baught a Canon one and it really did put more crud.
I haven't... and never will.. attempt to clean my digital camera. I'll leave that to the professionals.

What cleaning it did you buy? I wasn't aware that Canon had any sensor cleaning kits.

Cleaning the sensor is actually really easy, I wouldn't want to spend $100, or what ever it costs, to have it professionally cleaned.

firemedic0135 · Aug 25, 2007

Yeah seems like a bunch of pansies trying to make something outa nothing.
I am with Big Mike Here
Get a bulb blower from the camera store,they are like 10-12 bucks.
Turn your camera to Manual mode,set the shutter for 30 seconds,remove the lens,release the shutter and start squeezing the bulp and expell the dust from your sensor.
Yes there should be a function in your menu for ccd cleaning and feel free to use it if you like.I just use my method cause it is quick and easy and has yet to fail me.
I have never ended up with any dust on my sensor after cleaning ,much less having more on there.