UKC

A friend (not sure which one!)admiring my beautiful new XE-1 at my birthday party took the lens off and got a spot of something on the sensor (Grrrr!). It shows up as a small smudge in uniform pale areas of pictures. Sensor swabs will not remove it (they seem designed for dust rather than fluid spots). Is there a way I should be going about cleaning it or should I get it cleaned professionlly? (in which case, any recommendations - I am based near Edinburgh).

In reply to Robert Durran:

I have to clean sensors on our high speed cameras at uni... and some are worth up to £500,000 and require me to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so need to be done carefully!

I was asked recently by another member of UKC and I'll copy my response.

"You need a lint free tissue specifically for the job (Safetiss are what we use) and some pure ethanol; no vodka won't do! lol. And by pure I mean chemically pure glacial ethanol that you'd buy from a chemical supplier, though I imagine some camera shops would sell it too. But needs to be at least 99.99% pure. Then wet the end of a folded tissue with the ethanol and lightly drag across the surface. DON'T put any pressure on but literally drag it over using the weight of the wet tissue rather than any pressure from fingers. Repeat until clean using new sections of tissue. Obviously it's best done somewhere as clean and as dry as possible to prevent more airborne dust/moisture landing on the sensor."

Not sure if it will get off anything heavily ingrained, but worth a shot.

In reply to Robert Durran:

This worked for me:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/sensor-cleaning-my-copperhill-styl...

In reply to crayefish:


Is that going to be any different to using a purpose made swab with the cleaning fluid provided with it?

In reply to Robert Durran:
Depends whether they use pure alcohol or not. The two I have seen (and tried) did not but perhaps yours does. I often find these lens cleaners to be fairly useless but had no problem with the approach above. We use the same method for coated lenses and filters and it removes a fair bit of dirt, grease, diesel and iso-octane stains.

EDIT: The only things I find is difficult to remove are water stains where mineral deposits from tap water remain on the surface. I have used acid based solutions before which remove them, but this can also damage coatings (depends on the coating) so I wouldn't go down this route.

In reply to Robert Durran:

A long shot but the last time I struggled to get dust off the sensor in my NEX-7 (with a blower-brush) I double checked and the dust was on the back of the lens - doh!


Chris

In reply to Robert Durran:

Cameratiks, up in Morningside Edinburgh . Quite expensive for a cleaning wipe, think it was around 25 quid last time I used them. Can't think of any others locally?

In reply to dek:


Thanks everyone. I think I'll have a nother careful go with the cleaning swabs and fluid I bought, and, if that fails, take it to Cameratiks.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Robert, you probably know this, the trick to finding the dust/spots is to set the aperture to f16 or smaller, and take a pic of an even light tone (grey sky or similar) and have a look at at on screen, before and after you do some 'wiping'.

In reply to dek:


Yes. I actually discovered the spot when I took some photos on the snowy wastes of the Mounth north of Glen Clova! The spot is clearly visible on the sensor.

In reply to Robert Durran:

I would add another vote for the Copperhill method mentioned by kingborris. It's exactly what I do and has never trashed my sensor.

The key points are to use a genuinely non-scratch cloth, like the Pec Pads. Also to only swipe once per cloth, so that you don't rub dust over the sensor. Then you can't go far wrong.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Have you made sure the dust isn't in the lens rather than on the sensor? I had that happen to me on my first outing with a new sigma lens in the infancy of consumer DSLRs. I couldn't get rid of the bloody spot for years and years until long after I'd upgraded. In the end I followed a tip of putting clingfilm on the end of a vacuum and sucking the spot out. It did the trick with no problems for the lens

In reply to Hannes:


Yes. It is visible on the sensor and it is not dust.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Ive not cleaned the sensor on my E-X1 yet Rob (only got one lens)so cannot comment, i do clean my 5D2 sensor myself using eclipse product fluid and sensor swabs...works perfectly.

id be tempted to check out Fuji uk see what the crack is...have a butchers here might help also, i think its the same swabs/fluid i use on the canon.

http://www.fujirumors.com/how-to-clean-the-x-trans-sensor/

shaun

In reply to shaun walby:


Same here, so intended never to take it off, which is why it's annoying someone else did!


Thanks. that is basically an extract from his book "Mastering ther Fuji X-Pro1 and XE-1", which I have (and highly recommend - especially for a newbie such as myself!).

I think my problem is that it is not dust but a bit of dried spit or something.....

In reply to Robert Durran:


This should be punishable by death!

In reply to ChrisJD:


It may still be so.....

In reply to Robert Durran:

This could be useful
http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm

and, by association, this
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/category/technical-discussion/howto

good luck!

In reply to Robert Durran:

Oh, you may be able to get the pure solvent you need from someone that works with optical fibre comms kit.

In reply to Robert Durran:



I was thinking the same - if you a) can see it and b) it won't move - it is unlikely to be dust. Best of luck shifting it.


Chris

In reply to Robert Durran:

Bit more info...

http://www.fujixseries.com/discussion/6307/cleaning-the-xe-1-sensor

In reply to shaun walby:

Swabs definitely not shifting it. I think I'll get it looked at professionally.

In reply to Robert Durran:

In that case, I think I'd be looking for an opportunity to mention it to my "friend".

In reply to Solaris:


But I don't know which "friend" is responsible (it was sort of getting passed around for everyone to admire). I might just have to kill them all to make sure.

In reply to Robert Durran:



A set of these required, to save too much bloodshed...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumbscrew

In reply to Robert Durran:

Rob...if that was just spit id think there was a good chance cleaning fluid/ swab combo would shift it...see one of links i posted one mentions the oils used in manufacture might be this ? of course as it wasn't there prior to your friend removing the lens who knows?

i think at this stage id be heading for pro job as well...good luck with it, id be interested to know the outcome re using the X-E1 myself.

In reply to shaun walby:


I suppose it could be a fault (some sort of delamination?) of the sensor (in which case apologies due to the "friends" I've already accused!) , but it just looks like a round fluidy stain.

In reply to Robert Durran:

further suspicions raised of oils used in manufacture? apparently not that uncommon with X-E1 but sounds like can be sorted without further probs once cleaned correctly.

good luck with it

In reply to Robert Durran:

Any news? Blood on the carpet?

In reply to Solaris:


Not yet. Need to get it seen to professionally.

In reply to Robert Durran:


Aren't you entitled to the first sensor clean 'free' from a Fuji approved techie?

In reply to Robert Durran:

Hi Robert

Anything to do with the sensor on a camera,you are better of biting the bullet and getting it done professionally,I have had sensor probs on two of my DSLRs and have sent them off to cannon to be fixed at least all work is guaranteed .
Hope you get it sorted.
Tez

In reply to Robert Durran:

Hope the results are satisfactory.

In reply to Solaris:


Took it to Cameratiks in Edinburgh (excellent service). Turned out it was a water based spot, so they got it off easily with, well, water. Explains why the expensive alcohol swabs I bought wouldn't shift it. So one of my "friends" must have spat on it. I have the bill for £36 and shall be making further enquiries. Oh well, at least my expensive camera is ok now.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Glad the camera's OK but it's a frustrating story - especially if the explanation of the water based spot is really as you say.

Great camera though!...perhaps your "friend" was just drooling: it'd be understandable!

In reply to Solaris:

Yes. Off to Wadi Rum with it next week on its first trip, so shall hopefully put it to good use (and have splashed out on an RX100 for the technical stuff ). Planning a two day traverse of Jebel Rum at the full moon...... How did you find the Al Thalamiyah route (sounds awesome)?

In reply to Robert Durran:

Sorry - am away and with only intermittent internet access, so I hope this reaches you in time.

I'm deeply envious of you - it's a while since I've been to "the Valley" (!!) but as it happens I'm just beginning to plan a trip for next year - which led me to think about how much dust I got in the lens of my Nikon last time I was there...

Jebel Rum at full moon would be wonderful. Knowing the grade you climb at, you won't find Al Thalimiyyah difficult. It isn't. But it is exposed and without gear in places, long, interesting, and very scenic: probably the best Bedouin route I've done. As I recall, there was only one slightly awkward bit of route-finding...(!) I haven't got the guidebook to hand but we took the usual descent back to Wadi Rum via the Great Siq. Descending onto the west side of the massif (again, can't remember the name of the route - but it's one Tony and Di did with one of their Bedu friends) after a night on the summit would be an interesting change with some potential for awkward route finding after the exposed, bolted traverse back into the canyon.

Have a good trip.

In reply to Solaris:


Off Thursday. Can't wait! Fifth trip - one of those places you just have to keep going back to.....


Yes, I'll be keeping my cameras in waterproof stuff sacks when not in use!


Planning to do the traverse at the end of the trip via one of the westerly routes and down Hammad's route on the day we have to go to the airport (have descended this several times before, so confident of making the flight) - shouldn't get snowed in for two days near the summit at this time of year like last time (a long story.....). Keen on al Thalamiyah earlier in the trip - sounds brilliant.

In reply to Robert Durran:


That'll be one more than me then.


The air was very dusty last time I was there (especially when we went camel racing in the desert), so if it was like that again, I'd keep my camera in my bag... Live and learn. Hope you've got plenty of batteries.


Wow, that must have been pretty grim, and I can't begin to imagine padding down those slabs when they're snowed up! I was woken up by cold feet when bivvying on the summit when it snowed once, but that was nothing by comparison.

Mohammed Musa's route (if I've recalled the name correctly) N of Jebel um Ishrin was excellent value, we thought.

And if you haven't been across the desert to Aqaba, it's well worth the trip, though that'd mess with your plans for getting back to Amman.

In reply to Solaris:


We didn't - that's why we had to wait two days for the snow to melt!


Shall check that out.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Re Al Thalamiyyah - the only section we got the rope out for was the pitch crossing the Great Siq.

Have a great trip.