Help...sensor clean

Forbiddenbiker

Forbiddenbiker

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Adam
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Well that didn't go well, I now have smudges across my sensor....:eek:

I used.
1. Jessops lens tissue.
2. Jessops isopropyl alcohol
3. Some plastic glue spreaders that fit just right.....nearly.

All very carefully attached, no contact with the papered edge etc....about six layers of tissue folded over the end of the spreader.

Two drops of alcohol...

It nearly worked the first time...just a couple of fluid left on the edge...so I tried again....just seeming to get worse from then on in...:eek:

After much pondering on why, I think the problem comes from my glue spreaders not being absolutely square at the end...just a very slight curve to then if you look very carefully....doh. I know... :(

So could someone reassure me that when I get a flat spreader tomorrow and re-do it... all will be well again...

..Or should I worry that the streaks may remain....

Help please.
 
You should have used methanol, (what eclipse fluid is made from) which is highly refined for purity.

The commonly available isopropyl alcohol is not pure enough and will leave streaks.

I would suggest getting a bottle of eclipse, which comes with pecpads in the box.
Clean with fluid, and then wipe any residue away with a dry pecpad
 
Well I think I may have bu**erd the filter on my sensor...I got some 100% pure methanol just now from the opticians....carefully tried again... defiantly much better...BUT...I still have some very small streaks on one area of the filter

Tried again ...no improvement. :(

So, im gonna have a cup of tea and ponder on taking it back to jessops ( a different branch) to send back to Nikon for a new filter....shiser....I have no idea how long that will take..?? Or cost..?

I'm going to ring the Canary Wharf Jessops branch now (Where I got the isopropyl advice)...whilst recording the conversation...to see if they'll give me the same advice again..., and then tell them what has happened. :naughty:


:(
 
I'm going to ring the Canary Wharf Jessops branch now (Where I got the isopropyl advice)...whilst recording the conversation...to see if they'll give me the same advice again..., and then tell them what has happened.
Click to expand...
Secretly recording a conversation is illegal and you wouldn't be able to use it in evidence anywhere, really.

Ask them for advice, then when they tell you the same method again you can produce your knackered camera and say "I did that like you told me to the other day, and look what happened". Receipts of the products you were sold to do the job with may help also.

At that point you should be speaking to a manager.
 
Aye that’s the idea.

Recording conversation secretly is inadmissible as evidence against them, But I believe it is admissible as defence of my word, should I be accused of lying, I may find it very useful.

I don't think secretly recording people is illegal, just like taking pictures of people isn't illegal, frowned upon may be...and unusable in any way, but not illegal I don't think.

I don’t know really; please correct me if you know for sure. :)
 
Secretly recording people isn't illegal. The question of whether or not it would be admissable in evidence would be a decision for the magistrates or a trial judge. Secretly recorded tapes can and do get admitted into evidence all the time. Phone tapping is another matter entirely and can only be authorised by the Home Sec... personally. That's criminal matters though, and this is strictly a civil one. Again... it's admissablity would be for a civil court to decide, if it ever got that far. :)

I hope you get it sorted FB. My understanding is that the first line of protection for the sensor is just a glass sheet, which is the bit you're actually cleaning? If your last efforts improved things somewhat, is it possible you might be able to shift the marks with further applications?
 
Yes, what you're actually cleaning is the anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor, which is glass. The smears should be removable, but you may need to use rather more methanol than normal to dissolve any residue, and also because it evaporates quickly in these temperatures.

I'm just a wee bit concerned about the methanol you bought from the opticians. I didn't realise that they used methanol, but presumably it says what it is on the bottle or whatever.

Anyhow, stick with it and good luck! ;)
 
Thanks for the validation CT, thought as much. ...as you say if it ever got that far...And you know the answer to that already... probably not. :D

To be honest I think I'm mostly angry at myself, I know not to take jessops advice to seriously and after reading Matts thread last week (I think its was matts) I should have re-read it to check I did have the right fluid, before diving in their and messing up my beloved camera.

I'm such a blinking rash fool sometimes.... I will try again in a bit, drink some alcohol, was my hands with very hot water etc. ...fingers crossed for me chaps.

And yes your right about the glass sheet over the sensor, I believe this also doubles as an infra-red filter....or something. :shrug:

Some good news for me and my mistake though. (y)

After a lengthy chat with a manager at Jessops, no liability taken by him just an apology for poor advice and a clever get out of it sentence with the word like ‘we where just trying to help with your request for a suitable lens cleaning fluid sir, our employee didn’t realise you wanted to clean your sensor with it, if he had known he wouldn’t have suggested this route……hmmm, I just knew they where gonna say that.

Anyhow, my good news is. Nikon has a main office in Kingston, West London...and they'll probably be able to sort me out within 24 hours (From Monday...if I can get there. )...possibly even allow some allowance because I’m still under guarantee....which is very nice of them eh.

:)
 
silkstone said:
I'm just a wee bit concerned about the methanol you bought from the opticians. I didn't realise that they used methanol, but presumably it says what it is on the bottle or whatever.

Anyhow, stick with it and good luck! ;)
Click to expand...


Thanks mate, Your raising my hopes.. (y)

The bottle from the opticians, a typical chemist type label, said, 100% pure methanol, according to he optician it is the genuine article, and the only fluid which doesn't leave a residue.
 
Yep, sounds fine. ;) Most people use Eclipse fluid which is guaranteed 100% pure methanol, but if you can get the same thing locally there's no problem.

Once you've got it nice and shiny, it may be worth trying the nylon brush method in future unless there's some sticky dirt on it. For some reason my 30D sensor attracts more dust than the old 10D, and I have to clean it every two or three weeks. So far the brush has done the trick. It's quicker and easier than the spatula/PecPad/methanol method, and there's no risk of smearing. Don't pay silly money for the brush though! :)
 
Sounds like you'll get a result then FB. It must be a bit worrying!

I'm probably taliking out of my butt, because I haven't cleaned the sensor on either of my cameras yet (although I need to do it real soon) But my appoach will be that before I start messing in there, the dust on the sensor is just that, dry dust, which for the most part is easily removed. The two things that can turn that dust into sludge, are condensation (unlikely unless you've been in extremely cold situations) or applying the cleaning fluid, then not getting all of it with the pads, when it's likely to start to thicken up and become stubborn, which is possibly what's happened in your case.

When I do mine I have a tiny photographic vacuum cleaner, which I've had for yonks - runs off one AA battery, and I'll use that to get the loose dust off the sensor first. I wont be using any blower devices, which just blow the stuff all over the place, then the eclipse fluid and pec pads.

It does sound to me like just stubborn sludge in your case, and I'm sure you'll get a happy outcome one way or the other. Do these marks show up on your pics?
 
CT - If it is just dry dust, I really would give the nylon brush a chance.
 
silkstone said:
CT - If it is just dry dust, I really would give the nylon brush a chance.
Click to expand...

Is this one of those static charged things that the dust sticks to? If so, then I agree, probably very effective Silky.
 
Aye, but I paid a few pounds for two of them, instead of the humungous price that some are advertised at. As far as I can see, they're all just fine-haired nylon brushes which may or may not have a static charge, like nylon does.

I bought from this eBay seller in the US, but I think you could find something similar in a good art shop. :)
 
Have you tried Brillo? :p
 
:clap: (y)

Look on the bright side - you're now a fully qualified and experienced sensor cleaner. :D
 
Yeah, I've defiantly been putting that off for ages...wish I still had this morning. Lol.

Empowered I am, which was part of the point for me personally, it needed cleaning and I knew I was going to try.


CT.
In answer to your question, 'can I see the smudges on a photo’?
Well just, is the answer, only really noticeable on a blank white sheet if you look for them...otherwise not noticeable at all....which is kind of surprising I think, when there so blinking obvious on the sensor glass. :shrug:

(y) :D
 
silkstone said:
:clap: (y)

Look on the bright side - you're now a fully qualified and experienced sensor cleaner. :D
Click to expand...


sensor-cleaning.jpg
...:D
 
Nah - camera is the wrong way round and the lens is still on. That person is only a qualified LCD cleaner.
 
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