Cleaning Digital SLR Camera Sensors - mikemccollister.com...Why do SLR Sensors Get Dirty? •Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras have removable lenses which allow for foreign material

Cleaning Digital SLR Camera Sensors

Mike McCollister

September 23, 2009

Agenda

• Why do SLR Sensors Get Dirty?• Dirty Sensor Examples• Overview of Cleaning Options• Getting Ready to Clean the Sensor• Cleaning with the VisibleDust Arctic Butterfly® • Cleaning with Pec*Pad™ Non-Abrasive Wipes and

Eclipse™• Removing Dust from a Photo Taken with a Dirty

Sensor• Questions

September 23, 2009Mike McCollister1

Disclaimer

• Cleaning your sensor may void the warranty of your camera.

• If you are hesitant at all, do not attempt!

• If you damage your camera sensor while attempting to clean it, Charlottesville Camera Club, the author of this presentation or any other entities are not responsible. You are responsible.


Agenda



Sensor• Questions


Why do SLR Sensors Get Dirty?

• Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras have removable lenses which allow for foreign material to enter the body of the camera.

• If your lens cannot be removed then you can’t clean the sensor.

• Even though the shutter is not open when switching lenses, particles can enter the body and migrate on to the sensor when the shutter opens.


Why do SLR Sensors Get Dirty?

• Oil from the shutter can splatter onto the sensor.– Difficult to clean off.

• Dust in the air and on the back of a lens can migrate into the body.

• Particles, such as sand, in the wind be very harmful.

• If you are extremely dirty, cleanup before changing lenses.


Darn Sand Gets Everywhere!


Cocoa Beach, Florida After Hurricane Frances (September 18, 2004)

Darn Sand Gets Everywhere!


Cocoa Beach, Florida After Hurricane Jeanne (September 28, 2004)

How Bad Can Sensor Damage Get?

• Not only can particles build up…

• They can do serious damage.

• It is best to avoid hazardous situations.


Agenda



Sensor• Questions


Sensor Dust

• Dust on sensors shows up mostly in skies and in non-detailed portions of images.

• The smaller the aperture the more impact sensor dust has on an image.

• Very much like floaters in the eyes.– Floaters and spots typically appear when tiny

pieces of the eye’s gel-like vitreous break loose within the eye’s interior.

– Shadows from these floaters are cast on the retina as light passes through the eye.


Dirty Sensor Examples

Scene Shot at F/4 Scene Shot at F/22








Agenda



Sensor• Questions


Overview of Cleaning Options• Sensor Swipe or HomeMade Swab and

with Pec*Pad™ and Eclipse™• Wet Swab & Dry Swab Sensor Cleaners

• Sensor Cleaning Brush

• Arctic Butterfly®


Overview of Cleaning Options

• Blowing

• Sucking

• Scotch Tape (Ugh!)

• SpeckGRABBER™


Overview of Cleaning Options• Built-in camera sensor cleaning.

– Ultrasonic, vibrating dust cleaning system that keeps the sensor clean.

– Some say that this works great, others say not.

• Professional cleaning.– Not only for the leery but sometimes you need to do it if the

sensor is really dirty.– Pro Camera on Forrest St. and Preston Ave. will clean a sensor for

$45.

• Do not clean your sensor with canned air! This could damage your sensor or shutter.

• See http://CleaningDigitalCameras.com and click on “methods” for a more exhaustive list.


http://cleaningdigitalcameras.com/

Agenda



Sensor• Questions


Showing Dust on the Sensor

• Use computer screen with full screen notepad application

• Make sure cursor is out of view, otherwise it will appear as dust on the sensor

• If you have dead pixels on your screen you might want to find another test target, such as a clear sky.

• Make sure that your lens is clean.



• Camera settings– Auto white balance

– Manual mode

– Smallest aperture (i.e. F/22)

– Shutter speed set to good exposure

– Lowest ISO (i.e. 100)

– Autofocus off

– No tripod is necessary.



• Point camera to white portion of the screen and take picture.

• Transfer image to computer.

• Adjust image in your favorite photo editor to exaggerate sensor dust.– Contrast

– Equalize

– Curves


Blank Notepad


Dirty Sensor (Some Contrast Adjustment)


Dirty Sensor (High Contrast)


Dirty Sensor (Curves Adjusted)


Dirty Sensor (Equalized)


Using High Contrast on Image


Using Curves on Image


Get Ready to Clean

• Be inside.

• Have a clean environment.

• Turn off any fans in the room.

• Have a fully charged battery.

• Learn how to expose your camera’s sensor for cleaning.


Exposing the Sensor for Cleaning


Before We Continue…

• Cleaning your sensor may void the warranty of your camera.

• If you are hesitant at all, do not attempt.

• If you damage your camera sensor while attempting to clean it, Charlottesville Camera Club, the author of this presentation or any other entities are not responsible. You are responsible.


However…

• The sensor is not fully exposed when the shutter is open.– There is an infrared filter over the sensor.

– That can get scratched but is not an exposed CMOS or CCD substrate.

• This is similar to cleaning glasses.– You don’t want to clean glasses with steel wool

or an ice pick.


Agenda



Sensor• Questions


Cleaning: VisibleDust Arctic Butterfly®

• Internal motor used to spinthe brush to build up staticelectricity.– Much like rubbing a balloon on

your hair.

• Spin the brush 3 times for 5 seconds each.• Gently sweep the brush across the sensor from one side

to the other. Brush is not spinning.• You may want to use a flashlight or bright light to

inspect the sensor for dust.• Most people should be comfortable with this method.


Spinning the Arctic Butterfly®


Cleaning: VisibleDust Arctic Butterfly®


Arctic Butterfly® Results

• Removes most of the dust.

• Repeat process if dust is missed.

• If dust does not come off then another technique should be used.

– This can potentially be oil-based.


Arctic Butterfly® Results


Arctic Butterfly® Results (High Contrast)


Review Dirty Sensor (High Contrast)


Agenda



Sensor• Questions


Cleaning: Pec*Pad™ Wipes & Eclipse™

• There are kits at camera stores that have disposable sensor swipes and cleaning solution.– The swipes can only be used one time.

– The swipes can be flimsy.

• A home made swab with Pec*Pad™ and Eclipse™ solution is a good alternative.

• Swab made of small trimmed down rubber spatula.

• Pec*Pad™ wipe is wrapped around the trimmed down rubber spatula.


Small Trimmed Down Rubber Spatula


New Spatula

Trimmed DownSpatula

Pec*Pad™ Wipes & Eclipse™ Solution


Wipe Wrapped Around Spatula



• Edge of wipe doused with Eclipse™ solution.• Do you use alcohol. Use only solution intended for

cleaning sensors.• Gently sweep the doused wipe across the sensor once

from one side to the other.• You may want to use a flashlight or bright light to

inspect the sensor for dust.• Remnant liquid will need to dry.• This requires much patience.• Many people will not be comfortable with this method.


Douse Solution at Edge of Wipe


On This Edge



Wipes & Eclipse™ Result #1


Wipes & Eclipse™ Result #1 (High Contrast)


Wipes & Eclipse™ Result #2 (High Contrast)


Agenda



Sensor• Questions


Removing Dust from a Photo

• Clone Tool• Healing Brush Tool• Spot Healing Brush Tool• Dust removal software is available.

– Nikon and Canon include software with current DSLR cameras that provide this function.

– ImageDuster Pro PhotoTeKNiK(http://www.PhotoTeKNiK.com/imageduster) for $50.

– Search the Internet for more options.


http://www.phototeknik.com/imageduster

Agenda



Sensor• Questions


Questions


References

• http://CleaningDigitalCameras.com/methods.html

• http://VisibleDust.com

• http://PhotoSol.com/padproduct.htm

• http://ProCameraUS.com

• http://www.PhotoTeKNiK.com/imageduster


http://cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

http://cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

http://visibledust.com/

http://photosol.com/padproduct.htm

http://procameraus.com/

http://www.phototeknik.com/imageduster

In Just Over a Month (October 30, 2009)


• Be sure to watch the Monk episode “Mr. Monk and the Dog” on October 30 at 9:00 on USA Network.

• The episode was written by my sister, Beth Armogida!

Documents

Cleaning Digital SLR Camera Sensors - mikemccollister.com...Why do SLR Sensors Get Dirty? •Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras have removable lenses which allow for foreign material