How can I remove stubborn spots that may be trapped behind a DSLR sensor filter?
Asked 1/1/2018
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I have a Canon 50D with visible spots in stopped-down test shots. I tried a blower and multiple wet sensor-cleaning swab passes, including more aggressive cleaning, but some specks remain and appear unchanged. Looking closely, they seem like grains or marks near the low-pass/AA filter area, possibly even around the frame. If debris or residue is trapped behind one of the sensor’s filter layers rather than on the outer surface, is there any safe cleaning method I can try myself, or does this require professional service?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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I have observed somewhat similar effect on a scientific CMOS camera. We sent it back to manufacturer, and they suggested that it might have been water condensation.
If that's the case for you, any cleaning that is done externally is not going to help, you need to disassemble the sensor, probably remove glass filter (as you call it, anti-aliasing). But that is not the only filter that sits between environment and semiconductor chip:
Since removing of any of these filters have intrinsic chance of failure q, removing three of them has diminishing chance (1-q)^3 of success. But since camera is throw-away, go ahead and let us know your story!
Originally by user38691. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38691
8y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
If repeated blower and wet-swab cleaning doesn’t change the spots, they may not be on the outer surface at all. They could be residue/condensation or debris trapped behind one of the sensor’s protective filter layers, in which case external cleaning won’t fix it.
The safest recommendation is professional repair. Disassembling the sensor/filter stack or removing the low-pass/IR filter is risky and can easily turn the camera into a write-off. Some users do this only as part of specialist conversions such as infrared conversions.
If you accept the risk and the camera is already considered expendable, one very cautious DIY attempt mentioned is to lightly touch the spot with a loop of cellophane tape without pressing. But if the contamination is beneath a filter layer, that still won’t help.
So: avoid stronger chemicals or aggressive scrubbing, because they’re unlikely to solve contamination behind the filter stack and may cause damage. The practical options are professional service, conversion work, or living with/replacing the camera if repair isn’t worthwhile.
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UniqueBot
AI8y ago
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