need a new CCD

Stonesoul · Jul 9, 2011

does anyone know a website or a place you can get a new ccd for DSLRs or any point and shoot?

Garbz · Jul 10, 2011

Some manufacturers will sell replacement parts direct. There's no stores that I know of that stock camera parts like this. They are not off the shelf components.

penfolderoldo · Jul 10, 2011

Interestingly enough I mentioned this to Canon a couple of months ago, as I needed a new battery door for my BG-E7 grip, and they told me they will happily sell what they term 'external' components to joe public, but 'internal' ones can only be bought by authorised repair centres. Personally, I wouldn't even attempt to go fiddling around with ccd's (or flash tubes, in another post) or anything internal.

bugeyed · Jul 10, 2011

Replacing a CCD sensor would involve some very detailed alignment (physical & electrical) work that requires specialized test equipment & software. Every sensor is different enough that they are not drop in parts. The test equipment would probably cost a couple grand $ at least.

Big Mike · Jul 11, 2011

I'd guess that even at a repair facility, they don't replace just a sensor...as the labor, equipment & expertise would be cost prohibitive.

Instead, I'd guess that they just replace a factory assembled sensor module...or maybe the whole board etc. Heck, at that point, it's just cheaper to take a new camera off the shelf.

Garbz · Jul 13, 2011

bugeyed said:
Replacing a CCD sensor would involve some very detailed alignment (physical & electrical) work that requires specialized test equipment & software. Every sensor is different enough that they are not drop in parts. The test equipment would probably cost a couple grand $ at least.

All CCDs come on pre-assembled sensor boards. It is actually quite trivial to remove and replace the CCD without any alignment issues. They are drop in parts. Stripping the camera down to the point where you have access to the CCD is another manner entirely with a lot of scope for breakage on the way.

Stonesoul · Jul 13, 2011

The reason i was wondering because im going to try and convert a few of my cameras to Full spectrum camera's and i need to remove the hot mirror from the CCD and replace it with a piece of glass or somehow remove the hot mirror coating from the CCD. I would like to do this to the CCD then see if i can replace the existing one.

I would also love to hear if anyone has and suggestions on how to make a full spectrum camera

Josh66 · Jul 14, 2011

Stonesoul said:
I would also love to hear if anyone has and suggestions on how to make a full spectrum camera

Not sure what camera you have, but there are a few tutorials here:
LifePixel Digital Camera Infrared IR Conversion Services. DIY IR Tutorials | LifePixel Digital Infrared Photography IR Conversion, Modification & Scratched Sensor Repair

For 'full spectrum', instead of installing the IR filter (last step they show on the one I looked at), you would just install clear glass (not just any old glass though) instead.

Stonesoul · Jul 15, 2011

Yeah most say to install new glass and replace the hot mirror. Some however say that its a film on the glass (depends on the CCD type) that can be cleaned off. So i took apart an old busted point and shoot that i had to see how hard this was. The hot mirror was very well secured to the CCD and i ended up damaging the CCD in my attempts to remove the hot mirror (remember this camera was already broken and it was my first time trying this) so i was thinking if i could try this on a CCD that i and bought separately before pulling apart a working camera. Thanks for the links BTW very appreciated

Josh66 · Jul 15, 2011

I'm not sure if it needs the glass so that the thickness is right (for focusing or something), or if it's just there for protection...

I have heard of people leaving the sensor 'bare' - but I have not seen if and how that affects the pictures.

...I'm pretty sure that Garbz (see a few posts up) has done this, or similar before. He would probably know more than me about it...

Garbz · Jul 16, 2011

Depends on the sensor and camera design. On point and shoots you'll typically find a thick glass on the sensor and the back element of the lens so close to the sensor that light gets distorted through the CCD at all sorts of weird angles.

On an SLR this is less of an issue. The hot mirror is thinner, the distance between the sensor and the lens elements is longer meaning light enters more parallel (especially true for 4/3rds systems which are designed specifically for this) and many lenses over focus past infinity anyway so if the focus is lost slightly it's still possibly in range if you remove the hotmirror.

IR filters are I think always coatings on the glass. I have never seen an IR cut filter that didn't also affect the visible spectrum which was some kind of special glass, and this goes beyond just cameras too. All of our laser goggles in our lab were either green or used IR coatings, and all of the light modifiers on the optical table also used coatings. Doesn't mean there's not something else out there, but I've yet to see it.

I've scraped the coating off using car polish. If you go to a car detailing shop and get the finest autopolish you can lay your hands on, preferably Aluminium Oxide based, and then use that (for a long time) to polish the coating off the glass. It takes AGES.
I did a writeup about a modification here: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/beyond-basics/225746-how-ir-modify-old-camera.html I've yet to try this on a DSLR.