Sensor cleaning disaster - UPDATE

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Janice

Janice

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Janice
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]Well, I cleaned my sensor this morning...done it a few times over the last few years... but being a typical Virgo, Im never satisfied till it's PERFECT!

I got less spots, then more spots, then different spots...........eventually I got two scratches. Right in the middle. :eek: :crying: :(

Please be satisfied when you do this to have a FEW spots left round the edges, and dont do what I did.

No way can afford a new sensor/glass or whatever. So Im stuck with it.

I'm my own worst enemy, me.

BEWARE.... and learn from my mistakes.
Follow Robert's tutorial, and dont overdo it....it wont be absolutely perfect.
 
Ouch :( Do they show up on images? Personally I clean it so it looks visibly clean. Anything else can be photoshopped.
 
I guess most iimages will have some darkish subject in the middle.... obviously a lot of sky would show...but that wont happen often.

Maybe I shouldn't panic.... if they dont show most of the time...I guess i can live with it.

I think its the auto levels in photoshop bit that did it to me........I cant live with those spots......but if you just take a photo of the sky at F22 or whatever and if theres nothing to be seen in photoshop with minor levels adjustment...its ok.
 
Are you sure they're scratches? Sometimes I get grease smears that look like scratches - another couple of swipes with the pad and cleaning fluid and they disappear (or more likely, migrate to another part of the sensor...).

Either way...:eek: :shake:
 
Ive run out of all my cleaning stuff now, Rob, after this morning's episode.
I will order some more and try again, but they reallly look like scratches when I look inside at the sensor glass. :(
 
They are still showing in normal photos, without auto levels, at F22, F16 and F11 straight from the camera.
Looks like Im up the creek without a paddle. First wedding in august. :shrug: dont want to have to clone the bride's face in every shot.

Anyone know how much sensor glass is, or can I get it replaced without the actual sensor too.

I have to say guys,,, I scrubbed to get some spots off...and ended up like this.

Dont be worried about cleaning your sensor....its just ME. :crying:
 
A case of deja vu, this happened to me this morning, after the first clean there were more spots and what looked like a scratch, I cleaned it again and the 'scratch' disapeared and some of the extra spots. I am now out of pads and the sensor is marginally more dirty than when I started.:)
 
Stick an example pic up Janice.

I'd be surprised if it's actually a scratch if you just used pec pads.
 
i think it is CT. if I put it on sensor clean, take off the lens, angle the camera so I get some light on the sensor......I can see 2 small scratches in the middle... very thin, fine, crisp lines....just like a scratch on glass.

They're not smudgy or smeary in any way...unfortunately. :(

post some in a moment
 
Nothing is impossible but I doubt you scratched it. Find your used cleaning materials and attack a not too important glass filter with them and see if you can scratch it.
 
CT said:
I'd be surprised if it's actually a scratch if you just used pec pads.
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Unless a nasty bit of grit was caught under the swab and got dragged across the surface?
 
aarrghh dont say that!:eek:

I think it might cost me about £200 is that right????

:eek: :crying:
 
IF it's a scratch Janice then I'd think they'd just need to replace the glass cover - not the filter. I've no idea of cost, but 200 sobs wouldn't surprise me. :shrug:
 
Ah well...I will have to live with it....I dont have that sort of dosh.

Here it is with auto-levels

sensorlevels.jpg


and here without anything done

sensornolevels.jpg


I know it LOOKS like it maybe smears....but looking at the actual sensor shows such a fine, clean, line...not smeary at all.

The curved one looks like it might be a smear/hair....but the straight one looks like a scratch doesnt it?
 
Ive just had a try on a filter, Robert....cant scratch it.....but the sensor did unfortunately.

I'll try with some new pecpads, then if all fails, I will sell my batterygrip and get a new sensor glass.

Can't get to "GRIPS" with the battery grip anyway! ;) :D :LOL:
 
Have you got accidental damage cover on your contents insurance janice?
 
dont think its insured on the house insurance kev and I dont have separate insurance for it.... bit borasic, so havent got any...silly I know.:shrug:
 
:eek: Oh Janice, you poor thing. I have noticed specks in Photoshop with my 5D already as I was warned that 5D's for some reason pick up more sensor dust than my old 20D. Must be something to do with the size of the sensor.

I was considering purchasing the cleaning system used on this forum as I printed out the instructions awhile back. You have now scared the **** out of me, because that is exactly the sort of thing I would do if I couldn't remove all of the specks.

Have a :hug:
 
i have found that the canon repair centre is a few doors away from a firm I deliver to most weeks.

I dont know whether to take it and get the sensor cleaned professionally first,.......... then have to get the glass replaced when they cant remove the scratches, or..

just get it replaced straight off....(saving the cleaning cost).
 
Gilly B said:
You have now scared the **** out of me, because that is exactly the sort of thing I would do if I couldn't remove all of the specks.
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NO dont worry....its fine ... Ive been doing it fine for about 3 years now.

It was just me....Im known for being really heavy handed..... REALLY BAD!

For a normal person, its no problem, honest.
 
It's really difficult to tell Janice, I'd reserve judgement until youve got some more fluid and stuff. The pro clean might be a god idea though.
 
Doesn't look anything like what I'd expect a scratch to look like. Looks like something (pollen?) smudged on it to me. For peace of mind (assuming you have no new pecpads left) I'd turn a used pec pad inside out and re swipe it with a slightly too wet swab. Bet it goes or reduces.
 
that sounds encouraging....but if you looked at the sensor itself... angling the camera to catch the light so you can get a good look at the surface.... those 2 lines are EXACTLY how youd see a scratch on glass. really fine.

wouldnt a smear be smudgy and not have defined edges?

where is the quickest place I can get some pec pads etc from ?
 
smudge a grain of sticky pollen across a glass surface - how wide would that look?
 
a lot wider than this Im afraid, Robert.......Id say its about 0.2 of a mm.

get a pin and lightly drag it across some glass enough to scratch...its that wide. fine white lines that dont look like they are on top of the glass at all.

I reallly hope you are right....keeping my fingers crossed.

i think a professional clean is about £50 but thats better than a new glass.
 
Check your policy just in case Janice. They usually cover all objects in the home upto a certain value. You only need to list things seperatly if they are over the value of the set limit. Don't forget to think body only when looking at the costs if it's areplacement job but the cost of the repair should be well under.
 
How can I get insurance when I did it myself? :shrug: :thinking:
 
If it is damaged then it will need replacing therefore there is nothing to lose by more cleaning attempts yourself.

Are the 'scratches' in the direction of your normal cleaning?
 
*Watches with baited breath for outcome* :popcorn:

Prays for happy ending :)
 
madmitch said:
If you dropped it you would be covered!!
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yeah...but dropping it is an accident.

I opened it and put the pec pads onto the glass myself!



however...i will make sure tomorroow but i doubt its covered...we've never added it to the insurance, so they dont even know I have the camera.
 
RobertP said:
If it is damaged then it will need replacing therefore there is nothing to lose by more cleaning attempts yourself.

Are the 'scratches' in the direction of your normal cleaning?
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one is left to right...one is sort of ...well, you can see on the picture.

I did end up doing it a bit more vigorously than usual to get some spots off.
 
You didn't scratch the sensor deliberately so it's accidental damage:shrug:
 
Ive just turned the pec pad over and done again with more eclipse.
8 times as bad now.

i doubt it we are covvered.......be my luck we're not.
 
Janice said:
How can I get insurance when I did it myself? :shrug: :thinking:
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Accidental damage, mate of mine managed a brand spankers laptop, said it fell down the stairs (lying jammy git) he ended up with 2 top notch laptops grrr.

Sorry to hear about the possible damage, not sure I'll be trying any sensor cleaning.

Would the canon centre you mentioned inspect the sensor befor cleaning or repairing?

Al
 
Janice said:
i doubt it we are covvered.......be my luck we're not.
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I dunno if my parents took out massively excessive cover for their house but my D70 and all my lenses are covered for virtually anything, up to a limit of about 5 grand :shrug:
 
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