Dirty Sensor

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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
Vixen said:
Sooooooo.............new sensor cleaner did not work. Made it worse in fact. Think I'll try alcohol next although it may be some time until I can get some
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This is about the point where I would probably be smart to take the body in for professional cleaning, but then I would be insistent that I can fix it myself and continue one.

Sorry to hear it hasn't gotten better with the recent attempt at cleaning.
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
RocketCowboy said:
This is about the point where I would probably be smart to take the body in for professional cleaning, but then I would be insistent that I can fix it myself and continue one.

Sorry to hear it hasn't gotten better with the recent attempt at cleaning.
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OMG..that is just so me too :D Sadly, professional camera people are like hens teeth in Australia. I'll probably give it another go myself and then throw in the towel
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
spb_stan said:
When you say it made it worse, in what way? Did it smear or grow in the direction of your swab movement? Or did it grow in all directions? If it streaked in the direction of swab movement, that is a pretty good sign it is just stubborn viscous contamination but it just expanded in size without showing signs of smearing, it could be surface damage.
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The mark got wider and longer in the direction of swab movement (I think).
 
S

spb_stan

Senior Member
If that is the case, it appears to be stubborn dirt and may require repeated more aggressive cleaning with a different solvent. Organic substances are often cleaned best with distilled water. Did any residue appear on the swab? If not, and it just moved the substance around, it appears not to be soluble in alcohol so try water next, then alcohol to absorb the water with the substance in suspension. If it is waxy, water will not have any impact but mineral spirits can be effective.
If organic fats, toluene or heptane are effective solvents. If it happened in the spring, being organic is the most likely contaminate. Luckily the sensor is pretty tough and chemically inert so if applied only to the sensor surface and none of he plastic it is pretty safe from chemicals.
 
B

Blade Canyon

Senior Member
I noticed some small spots on my D800 recently, so bought a stick specially designed to clean the sensor. Rocket blower, then the pen. It made it worse, too. Much worse. I tried several times, and each time it was dirtier.

So, before deciding whether to send it in, I bought a can of compressed air used to clean keyboards and electronics. This is not recommended at all for DSLR sensors because if any of the propellant comes out it can make it much worse. Figuring I had little to lose before shipping it to Nikon, I sprayed the compressed air horizontally through the straw onto the sensor. It worked great! Like a miracle.
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
So today I tried once again (numerous times) to clean my sensor and it just looks way worse, so it is off to the big smoke this week to get it looked at and professionally cleaned.
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
Blade Canyon said:
I noticed some small spots on my D800 recently, so bought a stick specially designed to clean the sensor. Rocket blower, then the pen. It made it worse, too. Much worse. I tried several times, and each time it was dirtier.

So, before deciding whether to send it in, I bought a can of compressed air used to clean keyboards and electronics. This is not recommended at all for DSLR sensors because if any of the propellant comes out it can make it much worse. Figuring I had little to lose before shipping it to Nikon, I sprayed the compressed air horizontally through the straw onto the sensor. It worked great! Like a miracle.
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Hmmm....maybe I should give this a try also although I think that whatever is on my sensor is more than loose material
 
T

tcd511

Senior Member
Hate to say it but if this hasn't already been fixed you are looking at the need for a professional cleaning. I just went through something similar with a black line showing up in my photo's as well as what looked like oil spots reminiscent of the D600 problems. I also cleaned and cleaned but just couldn't get rid of the problem. Finally gave in and sent the camera to Nikon. Happy to report she is as good as new.
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
Had my sensor professionally cleaned. There are 3 spots they couldn't remove but that big black smudge and all the numerous other spots are well and truly gone. I was feeling so sick the day I picked it up I didn't ask what they thought the contamination actually was....haven't even used it I've been feeling so crappy. Tomorrow. I did fire off a shot at the sky before I left tho and I can see no spots. Now I go back to quietly dying...... anyone want bad cold?
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
Ironwood said:
Hope it all comes clean for you Vixen, but sounds like a pro clean might be in order this time.
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I ended up taking it to Andersons in Capalaba Brad. They seem OK. It's a pain having to drive 2 hrs each way tho. Still closer than for you of course
 
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spb_stan

Senior Member
Congratulations on getting the camera smudgeless. The spots if tiny might be dead pixels or if full white, stuck on pixels, can be mapped out so they are not visible.
From the smudging getting worse I concluded it was probably just a dirt that your solvent did not work on but would respond to another chemical class. The sensor is actually pretty tough material, just harder than window glass, which mid point on the hardness chart, about 5.5Moh so there are not that many things that scratch it but silicate dust can, found wind blown on trips to the beach or in a dust storm.
Hope you feel better and can make up for lost time with the camera
 
Patrick M

Patrick M

Senior Member
Used a rocket blower. Raise the mirror and hold the camera with the opening facing the ground. Any dust should fall out that way. Took me quite a few blasts to remove the speck I had. I didn’t need to use any cleaner thankfully


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