Maintenance
In digital photography, there is one problem that will probably come up from time-to-time: a dirty digital sensor.
If you change your lenses or pack your camera away with removing the lens you won't be able to keep dust and dirt out of your camera.
Here is a short instructional to check if your sensor is dirty or not. Be aware: there is NO 100% clean CMOS. If a few points show up on your test image, don't be worried, but if you have several of these that would require great patience in post-production, get your camera cleaned. (Cleaning procedures are described below.
To check your DSLR's sensor if it's dirty:
1. Put your camera to Manual mode!
2. Put your lens to Manual Focus and focus to infinity.
3. Pull your Aperture all the way to the largest (f/36 or something). (Zoom in if you have to!)
4. Find something white and big and point the camera to it.
5. Set your Exposure so it will over-expose just a bit (+2/3 or +1 stop)
6. Make sure you have quite a long exposure time (at least ~2secos).
7. Shoot a picture while shaking the camera a bit. Make sure you shake it just a bit so the only thing the camera can see is the white area. (White blank monitor screen is quite good for this purpose.)
8. Check the shot: if you have bubbles and smudges or dust points.. you need to get your sensor cleaned.
TIP: Sensor dust usually begins to show up with an aperture of f/8 or smaller, when the Depth of Field is deep enough. Also, it is barely visible on busy images, and it shows much more on smooth areas such as a blue blank sky.
If you change your lenses or pack your camera away with removing the lens you won't be able to keep dust and dirt out of your camera.
Here is a short instructional to check if your sensor is dirty or not. Be aware: there is NO 100% clean CMOS. If a few points show up on your test image, don't be worried, but if you have several of these that would require great patience in post-production, get your camera cleaned. (Cleaning procedures are described below.
To check your DSLR's sensor if it's dirty:
1. Put your camera to Manual mode!
2. Put your lens to Manual Focus and focus to infinity.
3. Pull your Aperture all the way to the largest (f/36 or something). (Zoom in if you have to!)
4. Find something white and big and point the camera to it.
5. Set your Exposure so it will over-expose just a bit (+2/3 or +1 stop)
6. Make sure you have quite a long exposure time (at least ~2secos).
7. Shoot a picture while shaking the camera a bit. Make sure you shake it just a bit so the only thing the camera can see is the white area. (White blank monitor screen is quite good for this purpose.)
8. Check the shot: if you have bubbles and smudges or dust points.. you need to get your sensor cleaned.
TIP: Sensor dust usually begins to show up with an aperture of f/8 or smaller, when the Depth of Field is deep enough. Also, it is barely visible on busy images, and it shows much more on smooth areas such as a blue blank sky.
TO CLEAN THE CMOS/CCD:
I will NOT encourage you to clean the sensor of your digital yourself. You might feel brave enough but I do advise you to take it to a Photo lab and get it cleaned professionally for a fee. However here are a few DON'Ts for you to consider if you do decide to clean the CMOS yourself afterall.
- NEVER EVER use a pre-pressurized air-tank to clean the sensor. They contain some fluids that drive the pressurized air off the tank and those will be sprayed onto the sensor - which we really don't want. Use a hand-pump instead, but make sure that there is absolutely nothing in it that you could accidentally spray onto the sensor when using it.
- DON'T touch the sensor with your hands (bare or not) to remove a tiny piece of dust. You will never know what it is and you might scratch the CMOS across with it if you are not pinpoint precise. The CMOS will need to be replaced if such thing happens.
- DON'T blow into the CMOS compartment with your mouth - it will get covered by the moisture from your mouth. The CMOS will need to be cleaned in a lab if this happens.
- DON'T use any kind of brushes to clean the CMOS. They can scratch the surface or leave hairs behind that you won't be able to get out afterwards.
And finally a few definite DOs if you are a self-cleaner and also for those who decide to bring their cameras into a Photo-lab for cleaning:
If you clean it yourself...
- DO wear protective gloves, maybe even glasses. You won't need eyelashes falling into the CMOS compartment while cleaning and also won't need smudgy fingerprints anywhere.
- Use only supplies that the camera manufacturer approves for their cameras. E.g.: Eclipse cleaning fluid and sensor swab.
If you bring it to a lab...
- Charge your batteries! If the battery goes hungry when keeping the mirror locked up, the camera will shut down and the mirror will return to its place. You really don't want that when the lab technician is dredging in your camera.
- Bring along your camera's kit lens (or something "default") and also your camera and lens covers.
- DO make a test-shot (described above: "How to check if your sensor is dirty?") right after the cleaning is completed to evaulate their work. If you are not satisfied, tell them to re-do it!
I will NOT encourage you to clean the sensor of your digital yourself. You might feel brave enough but I do advise you to take it to a Photo lab and get it cleaned professionally for a fee. However here are a few DON'Ts for you to consider if you do decide to clean the CMOS yourself afterall.
- NEVER EVER use a pre-pressurized air-tank to clean the sensor. They contain some fluids that drive the pressurized air off the tank and those will be sprayed onto the sensor - which we really don't want. Use a hand-pump instead, but make sure that there is absolutely nothing in it that you could accidentally spray onto the sensor when using it.
- DON'T touch the sensor with your hands (bare or not) to remove a tiny piece of dust. You will never know what it is and you might scratch the CMOS across with it if you are not pinpoint precise. The CMOS will need to be replaced if such thing happens.
- DON'T blow into the CMOS compartment with your mouth - it will get covered by the moisture from your mouth. The CMOS will need to be cleaned in a lab if this happens.
- DON'T use any kind of brushes to clean the CMOS. They can scratch the surface or leave hairs behind that you won't be able to get out afterwards.
And finally a few definite DOs if you are a self-cleaner and also for those who decide to bring their cameras into a Photo-lab for cleaning:
If you clean it yourself...
- DO wear protective gloves, maybe even glasses. You won't need eyelashes falling into the CMOS compartment while cleaning and also won't need smudgy fingerprints anywhere.
- Use only supplies that the camera manufacturer approves for their cameras. E.g.: Eclipse cleaning fluid and sensor swab.
If you bring it to a lab...
- Charge your batteries! If the battery goes hungry when keeping the mirror locked up, the camera will shut down and the mirror will return to its place. You really don't want that when the lab technician is dredging in your camera.
- Bring along your camera's kit lens (or something "default") and also your camera and lens covers.
- DO make a test-shot (described above: "How to check if your sensor is dirty?") right after the cleaning is completed to evaulate their work. If you are not satisfied, tell them to re-do it!
