Something on the sensor?

[PhotoJunkieJen]

I took my camera into the shop for a good sensor cleaning.
Unfortunately, there is something- the store guy is not sure what, maybe a scratch?- on the sensor that he isn't able to get off after trying all his bag of tricks.
Any ideas about what it might be... and what it might entail to remove or repair it?

Ugh, I feel sick because I definitely don't have the money right now for new gear or an expensive repair.

And I really don't want to lose my camera for another month sending it off to Canon (mom bent a pin in my card slot last year... and I lost it for a month. Expennnssivveeeee repair!)

 

[dxqcanada]

I would find a scratch on the sensor an unusual thing.
I don't think you would have been in a situation where a an object got that far into the body.

What does this appear like in an image ?

 

[Big Mike]

Do you know if the 'something' was there before you took it in to be cleaned? I can't imagine that there would be a scratch there unless someone stuck something in there and scratched it.

My guess, not really based on anything, is that it might just be a tough smear of something...maybe grease from the shutter mechanism or something like that.

When you 'clean the sensor'...you are really only cleaning the glass filter that covers the sensor. Cleaning a piece of glass isn't rocket science.

If you can, have a good look at it and try to determine what it is. Maybe pick up something like this Sensor Loupe

If you can't figure it out, it's probably best to have Canon take a look at it. And in future, I'd suggest learning to clean it yourself, rather than taking it to a shop.

 

[PhotoJunkieJen]

It looks like a hair or fuzz or something... I took some shots at the park last week... I'll post some pics a bit later so you can see what I'm talking about. Right now I have to get to the camera store before they close for the holiday.

 

[PhotoJunkieJen]

Oh it was definitely there before I took it in. That's actually the reason I took it in. I kept cleaning everything I personally knew to clean... and it wouldn't come off.

 

[PhotoJunkieJen]

Ok, here are a few shots. It's not always a big deal because I can sometimes edit it out. But, I'm not the world's best editor and not all situations are conducive to doing so (at least for this newb :lmao... I'd ideally just like to get this off my sensor.

 

[Iron Flatline]

That's just dirt. Check out the products from Visible Dust, or search these forums for those words and "sensor clean". I had a number of posts, so put my name in, too.

 

[Prophet]

I know how you feel. Last night I thought I would have a look at my sensor to clean it. I thought the book said it was ok to use a brush (brush I used to remove lint and dust from my lenses) and it left debris on the sensor and I thought I scratched it. One bad turn deserves another, so I used a q-tip gently and then blew it out. Seems ok, I can't find anything on any test images as of yet but I do still see something. I may take it to someone to have it cleaned or send it back to Canon.

-JD-

 

[PhotoJunkieJen]

So, I'm guessing since the photo shop guy said he tried 4 different techniques and couldn't get it off... the best thing to do at this point is send it back to Canon? (He didn't charge me though and the rest of the gunk got cleaned )

 

[PhotoJunkieJen]

That's just dirt. Check out the products from Visible Dust, or search these forums for those words and "sensor clean". I had a number of posts, so put my name in, too.

Awesome, thank you!