DMR spots HELP!

[roguewave]

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Got some spots with the DMR & used a light brush on the sensor, but some small spots remain in new images. I can't see any dirt or abrasion on the sensor. I thougt dirt could have accumulated on the front lense, behind the mirror & flushed that with puffs of air. Things improved, but still a few spots remain. Please advise if you can! Am on vacation and I might have to resort to extreme discomfort of spending more time with friends and not shooting if I can't find a cure. Please help! Thanks, Ben

[psquared]

Ben,

 

The most likely culprit is dirt on the sensor. Depending on what you have available (I don't know where you're vacationing) more forceful puffs of air might do the trick. I actually use canned air ( ). Just make sure you do it in short bursts so that you don't get any liquid stuff on the sensor. If that doesn't work wet cleaning should do the trick. I think a SMALL drop of rubbing alcohol on a microfiber glass-cleaning cloth should do the trick. You should be able to get these from a local electronics or drug store, respectively. You can always use post processing to get rid of dust bunnies. Also, if you can get away with using large apertures, then that's another solution.

 

GL,

Peter

[andybarton]

Sometimes a wet clean is the only way forward.

 

I wet clean my DMR about once a quarter. Very, very easy with a DMR and very effective.

[roguewave]

Peter & Andy, thanks. Let me ge this straight; it's ok to lightly wipe the sensor with a damp microfiber cloth ( like I use to wipe off my lenses)? I used a fine brush I bought at Adorama that they suggested I purchase for this task. I can't see any spots of dust on the sensor. so maybe it's blending in. I also thought this might be caused by dirt on the front "lenses" of the sensor. Thanks for the help. Ben

[psquared]

Yes, wet cleaning is OK and sometimes necessary. Make sure the cleaning solution evaporates very quickly, otherwise you'll have streaks on your sensor. I use Eclipse, which is methanol based. Since you may not have access to a good photo store where you're vacationing, that's why I suggested rubbing alcohol. I also use disposable lens cloths (Pec-Pad) for this purpose.

[robsteve]

You should be able to get 90% Isoproponol at a drug store. It is the same as rubbing alcohol, but 90% instead of 70%.

 

The microfibre cloths are fine as long as it is clean. The cover on the sensor is coated similar to a lens, so if you treat it as kindly as you would cleaning your lens, you will be ok. It may not be possible to get every spec of dust, but the wet cleaning will get off anything that may be stuck there and not come off with the brush or blower bulb.

 

Just to be clear, open the back to clean the sensor, don't try to do it with the shutter open. I would wet clean it a couple of times with a pass straight accross the sensor. From there just try the blower bulb to get off any last bits of fresh dust before closing the DMR back.

 

I use the pec pads as Peter suggests. When I looked up sensor cleaning on Kodak's site, they were suggesting Isoproponol and just the good old Kodak lens tissue.

 

Here is a good page on cleaning sensors.

 

Cleaning Digital Cameras - The Methods

 

I use the rubber spatula (sensor wand) wrapped in a pec pad for cleaning the DMR and M8. Leica is supposed to use a tongue depressor wrapped in a cleaning cloth of some type. You can see the the wooden tongue depressor cut to a 90degree edges in the photo below, as well as the rubber sensor wand I use. The middle items in the photo are a regular kitchen spatula (which you would cut to shape) and a plastic knife, which you also cut to shape. The picture below is from the above linked site.

 

 

 

Robert

[mjh]

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Let me ge this straight; it's ok to lightly wipe the sensor with a damp microfiber cloth ( like I use to wipe off my lenses)?

I’ve once seen Gero Furchheim using his tie … Of course, whatever you use should be clean to begin with or it would defeat the purpose, but the coating on the sensor does take some beating.

[roguewave]

Thanks all. Robert, I got the 90% & all seems well. Thanks again folks. Ben