20D mirror and sensor cleaning

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Chris - 22 Feb 2006 00:42 GMT

Sending my 20D to New Jersey to be cleaned. Anyone else have
experience w/this? I tried cleaning the mirror and sensor myself and
got LOTS of dust off but there are still MANY specs that appear on my
images.

I'm just a LITTLE worried about sending my camera away. Just want some
opinions on the safety of this process. Afterall, this IS my baby.

:-) I guess I just want some validation that this is going to be okay.

--
Chris

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Jim Redelfs - 23 Feb 2006 00:18 GMT

> Sending my 20D to New Jersey to be cleaned.

Good lord, man. The camera model itself is barely a year-and-a-half old!
What got so dirty in the camera? My 20D is on frame 3146 and I have a second
lens. I have always been conscious about changing lenses promptly and
properly. Maybe I'm not looking hard enouh for dust.

> I guess I just want some validation that this is going to be okay.

You're baby will be OK. Is it going to CanonUSA itself or an authorized
(3rd-party) vendor?

Good luck! Let us know how long it takes to come back.

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:)
JR

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Ed Velez - 23 Feb 2006 00:48 GMT

I live 10 minutes away from the NJ center. Its full fledged Canon.

I had to take my lens (17-85) there for some white flakes that got stuck to
the glass inside the unit. Amount....$0 since I dropped it off there. Was <1
year old so they were nice about it.

I just recently cleaned my sensor with the ole pec pad and methanol. Took me
2 attempts between blowing out the coarse stuff and wiping the filter. Now
its perfect. Cant find a spec at all on the pictures.

If you change the lens OR you just like to take it off when you pack up your
bag, you will have to sacrifice that practice for dust.

I normally keep the one lens on at all times in attempts to keep the dust
down to a minimum but since the lens itself is not a sealed unit, the
pumping action of the zoom does and will allow dust to get to the sensor.

>> Sending my 20D to New Jersey to be cleaned.
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Good luck! Let us know how long it takes to come back.

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JPS@no.komm - 23 Feb 2006 01:30 GMT

>I normally keep the one lens on at all times in attempts to keep the dust
>down to a minimum but since the lens itself is not a sealed unit, the
>pumping action of the zoom does and will allow dust to get to the sensor.

Are the chambers themselves airtight? If they are, I really don't see
how pumping the zoom could put much dust in there; I'd think that the
air escapes and is drawn in through the opening in the outer part of the
lens. If the chamber is sealed, and the zooms have openings towards the
chamber, you can change the pressure in the chamber a lot, I think,
without actually transferring much air.

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John P Sheehy <JPS@no.komm>

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Ed Velez - 23 Feb 2006 22:21 GMT

FWIW the Canon tech that worked on my lens actually came to the counter and
explained how dust or specks could get into the lens chamber and up onto the
actual glass itself.

Not being the techo geek he was, it does make some sound sense in that when
I zoom, I do it heavily and not that slowly. That can create just enough of
a vacuum to pull something into the lens casing. Then if I continue to do
that I could eventually push it towards the mirror assembly and possibly the
sensor. That last part is something I doubt could really happen. Oddly also,
I was NOT the 1st person that had brought in their lens with some white
specks stuck to the 1st glass just behind the glass you can touch. Looked
like dandruff to me.

Perhaps the clean room where they assemble was not so clean that day...

>>I normally keep the one lens on at all times in attempts to keep the dust
>>down to a minimum but since the lens itself is not a sealed unit, the
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> without actually transferring much air.
> ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>><

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Chris - 23 Feb 2006 18:26 GMT

Jim Redelfs said:
Good lord, man. The camera model itself is barely a year-and-a-half
old!
What got so dirty in the camera? My 20D is on frame 3146 and I have a
second
lens. I have always been conscious about changing lenses promptly and
properly. Maybe I'm not looking hard enouh for dust.

CHRIS REPLIES:

I know I know. I HAVE to be more careful when changinging lenses.
Like I said I DID get SOME specks off the mirror but there are still
TOO many for me to go out and REALLY enjoy taking pictures. And I
figure that now would be the best time to have it cleaned while there
isn't too much opportunity for me to use it

Jim Redelfs said:
You're baby will be OK. Is it going to CanonUSA itself or an
authorized
(3rd-party) vendor?

Good luck! Let us know how long it takes to come back.

CHRIS REPLIES:
Just shipped it today to New Jersey, to the authorized Canon dealer.
I'll let you when when I have safely back in my hands.
Thank you all for alleviating my fears.
--
Chris

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Chris - 11 Mar 2006 12:28 GMT

Received my camera yesterday. Going out today after work to take some
shots.
--
Chris

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Alan Browne - 23 Feb 2006 01:31 GMT

> Sending my 20D to New Jersey to be cleaned. Anyone else have
> experience w/this? I tried cleaning the mirror and sensor myself and
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> --
> Chris

For $25.00 I offer a reassuring and comforting words program.

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