ccd cleaning?

[mooks85]

Hi,
Heard there is a tread on CCD cleaning, but I couldnt find it...
I realised dust built up pretty fast even you have it clean but the pro...So, hopefully, someone can provide me with assistance on the cleaning the ccd ourselves.
1) blower, dunno why, seems like blower doesnt really work on the ccd... dust thens to attract to the ccd when I use the blower.
Perhaps I m doing it the wrong way... any suggestions?
2) using canned air, which brand to use? and the procedure of cleaning using canned air.
3) Using sensor swabs and eclipse, is there substitute for these two items, i reckon the swabs is fine, but I dont think I can find eclipse lotion. Read the sites on ccd cleaning using metahnol, anyone tried that before? brand and where I can get them?
4) is it true that using "push pull" type of lens attract significantly more dust?

cheers

 

[mylau]

Originally posted by mooks85
Hi,
Heard there is a tread on CCD cleaning, but I couldnt find it...
I realised dust built up pretty fast even you have it clean but the pro...So, hopefully, someone can provide me with assistance on the cleaning the ccd ourselves.
1) blower, dunno why, seems like blower doesnt really work on the ccd... dust thens to attract to the ccd when I use the blower.
Perhaps I m doing it the wrong way... any suggestions?
2) using canned air, which brand to use? and the procedure of cleaning using canned air.
3) Using sensor swabs and eclipse, is there substitute for these two items, i reckon the swabs is fine, but I dont think I can find eclipse lotion. Read the sites on ccd cleaning using metahnol, anyone tried that before? brand and where I can get them?
4) is it true that using "push pull" type of lens attract significantly more dust?

cheers

1) blowers doesn't work well. Only to some extent. Best to send it to service centres rather than destroying the CCD in an attempt to clean it.

4) push pull type of lens attracts dust easily. my canon 100-400L IS has lots of dust. However, the 16-35L, which was used extensively, is still rather dust free.

 

[tomshen]

Is it free of charge for cleaning sensor in the first year?

 

[Darren]

Here is my $0.05 worth of advice and personal experience with CCD and dust (which by the way, I also wrote the other thread on CDD/Dust, but can't seem to locate it now).

Your options, ranked in order of ease/safety :-

1) Blower works reasonably well for dislodging loose particles of dirt or dust on the CCD. Will not work for particles which are "stuck" fast.

2) Canned/compressed air would be able to dislodge particles when an ordinary hand-blower can't do the trick. Best type of canned/compressed air is the Dust-Off II with additional flexible hose attachment (last seen at Alley Photo, not sure if still available in Singapore). Next best is ordinary canned/compressed air with the fixed trigger-type release. Be careful not to shake the canister or to tilt it when firing at the CCD as this will cause some residue to spurt out. When this happens, go to Option 3.

3) The Sensor Swab way is the best method of cleaning the CCD but obviously the riskiest and most nerve-wracking. Sensor Swabs and Eclipse solutions are available from Cathay Photo, but the Swabs are very expensive. A home-made alternative is available by cutting a credit card to size and then wrapping/taping some lens cleaning tissue (the Pec-Pads that come free with a bottle of Eclipse is ideal) to one end. For example, the D1x CCD is 23.7mm wide by 15.6mm tall - I cut the credit card to 16mm width. Then follow the procedure shown here - Sensor Swab Flash Demo - to effectively clean the CCD. Using cotton buds to clean the CCD is a nightmare as it leaves streaks everywhere - the two-pass method by Photosol is the most efficient.

For Option 1, you can just set the shutter on Bulb mode and then squeeze that hand blower to death.

For Option 2 & 3, I [/b]strongly[/b] recommend using an AC adapter and putting the camera into its CCD Cleaning mode. In fact, its critical for Option 3 as the last thing you want is the shutter and mirror to close when your swab is inside the mirror box. In fact, using an AC adapter may also be a good idea for Option 1 as the CCD is not charged as when it is in Bulb mode, so it does not attract dust as much. Also, I normally mount the camera on a tripod so that I have both hands free.

Cleaning the CCD is nerve-wracking but its like losing your virginity - after the first time, you wonder what the big deal is all about ....

As for push-pull zooms, yes, its probably (I say probably cos I dont have a push-pull type zoom to compare against) more dust-prone when compared to internal zoom & internal focus lenses as the volume of air being sucked in or blown out is much greater being that the lenses are not hermetically sealed.

There! That was my $0.05 worth, hope you enjoyed it

 

[mooks85]

Originally posted by Darren
Here is my $0.05 worth of advice and personal experience with CCD and dust (which by the way, I also wrote the other thread on CDD/Dust, but can't seem to locate it now).

Hi Darren,
thanks for the advise!.. been a greaet help. no more blower for me.... 4-5 spots became million stars on the CCD.. once bitten twice shy.... perhaps will try the other methods if I m able to locate the stuffs required.
thanks again!
cheers

 

[erwinx]

Originally posted by mooks85


Hi Darren,
thanks for the advise!.. been a greaet help. no more blower for me.... 4-5 spots became million stars on the CCD.. once bitten twice shy.... perhaps will try the other methods if I m able to locate the stuffs required.
thanks again!
cheers

You are using the blower in a room with windows closed, low air movement, and ideally with an air-con with good filters? Otherwise you might simply be blowing in dust.

 

[mooks85]

Originally posted by erwinx


You are using the blower in a room with windows closed, low air movement, and ideally with an air-con with good filters? Otherwise you might simply be blowing in dust.

yeah.. reckon my room its full of dust... facing the main road...reckon will need a clean room for that.. :cry:

 

[erwinx]

Well after 3 months and a rather nasty speck of dirt, i decided to buy the sensor swab package from CP to clean the CCD.

The good news is that I successfully removed the visible dust spot.

However, doing an auto-level comparison of before and after, I noticed that quite a lot of the 'invisible' dust spots remain, including quite a few in one corner. Having said that, the fact that I removed some of them is pretty good.

I suppose I have to improve my technique to ensure that the corners are cleaned as well.

Now one question - there are quite a few dust spots on the top right on the image. Does this translate to bottom left of the CCD?
I'm guessing that because i use the swab left to right moistened side (then right to left with the dry side), i'm didn't apply enough pressure when starting out....

 

[Scriabinesque]

what CCD are you talking about? the autofocus CCD on the SLR or the CCD in digital cameras? for digital camera CCDs like that of the one shot back/LightPhase from PhaseOne we normally use EZ wipes, it's a lint free wipe impregnated with pure methanol. each surface can only be used once. 1 x EZ wipes is sufficient for two strokes across the CCD.

 

[ckiang]

Originally posted by erwinx
Well after 3 months and a rather nasty speck of dirt, i decided to buy the sensor swab package from CP to clean the CCD.

The good news is that I successfully removed the visible dust spot.

However, doing an auto-level comparison of before and after, I noticed that quite a lot of the 'invisible' dust spots remain, including quite a few in one corner. Having said that, the fact that I removed some of them is pretty good.

I suppose I have to improve my technique to ensure that the corners are cleaned as well.

Now one question - there are quite a few dust spots on the top right on the image. Does this translate to bottom left of the CCD?
I'm guessing that because i use the swab left to right moistened side (then right to left with the dry side), i'm didn't apply enough pressure when starting out....

I think that's correct. Coz the image formed on the CCD is inverted and laterally reversed.

Regards
CK