Sensor Cleaning and planning your DSLR usage; pictorial guide on Post17

[KrishnenduKes]

Now here we have a "sensitive" issue! For people who are using Digital P&S or Bridges this is not an issue at all since they will never need to clean their sensors. But those who are into photography with DSLR where one needs to change lenses, the Sensor does and will get dirty. Even more so in dusty environments like North India, the desert. That does not mean we will stop using and changing lenses. This is part and parcel and the price you have to pay for using DSLR equipment. The sensor is normally robust and has a protective film as you all know and it has an anti-static and self cleaning mechanism. But despite that dust does get lodged onto it and stays put.

There are two ways to go about this.

1. When you start seeing specks large or strong enough on your photographs that can be "retouched" or ignored anymore, send your cam to the Canon/Nikon service centre. Normally they do a reasonably good job.

And if you cannot/don't want to do that there is solution number 2 which is DIY:

2. Buy yourself a sensor cleaning kit which comes with a fluid and a cleaning swab corresponding to the size of your sensor. Look at the link here:
http://www.photosol.com/products.htm
Lock up the mirror and you will be able to see and access the sensor behind. Once the mirror is up, take the swab, and squeeze max 3 drops of the Eclipse sensor cleaning fluid. With one single sweeping motion gently drag the swab from one side of the sensor to the other and then sweep it back to the side where you started from without turning the swab. Once is enough. Put back your lens and start clicking again and notice the difference.

Do this in a dust free sealed room. It is NOT difficult. It is pretty simple actually. I was taught this technique by some close photography acquaintances and I have been doing this ever since.

Remember, the swab is a single use and throw!

Planning: When you are going out to take pictures, planning is extremely important. One normally has an idea of the kind of photography does or wants to do. And this will decide the lens you are going to use. I am saying this in the context of particularly dusty environments. Going to a dry desert, ALL regions of volcanic and windy origins. Do not even think of changing lenses outdoors if you are visiting Mt Etna or Stromboli or Kilimanjaro! Same goes for places with a lot of volcanic activity like Iceland and other dry islands which are very windy. Under such circumstances, it is advisable to equip yourself with Good Extra low Dispersion Zoom lenses which will keep you from often changing lenses.

I hope this was helpful. Further useful and helpful contributions will be appreciated.

[niks_devil666]

Keep a big transparent polybag with your kit/bag. whenever you wish to change lenses put your equipment in it , change the lens and seal the bag after you are done.This will prevent dust from entering your camera for a long time.

Sealable packets are the best as you can keep them sealed when not in use.

The second way to prevent dust from entering would be to keep the sensor facing downwards.This avoids the floating dust mites to setlle on your sensor.

Both the techniques if used together can reduce your number of visits to the service center for sensor cleaning.

[Sarao]

Nice write up bro, its useful for people like me, who dont have access to CSC. Because I m in Patiala, and in punjab there are 3 or 4 serice centres, who DO NOT repair the DSLR and simply pack them up and send to Master Service Centre in Gurgaon. Which takes minimun 15 days for th e camera to come back (even that is not sure). I have just ordered the wet swabs a few days back. Waiting for them.

[KrishnenduKes]

Nice write up bro, its useful for people like me, who dont have access to CSC. Because I m in Patiala, and in punjab there are 3 or 4 serice centres, who DO NOT repair the DSLR and simply pack them up and send to Master Service Centre in Gurgaon. Which takes minimun 15 days for th e camera to come back (even that is not sure). I have just ordered the wet swabs a few days back. Waiting for them.

That is what happens with all Service centres. They all send their cameras in North India to Gurgaon. Even in Delhi, there is a minimum waiting period of 3 working days!

Good thing you ordered the swabs. Once you do it, you will realize how simple and useful they are.

Thanks Niks for the Polybag info.

[nabendubasu]

ken da where can we get those swab and sensor cleaning fluid in india?

[trance_nut]

It would be tough to procure photosol products in India. If someone is coming from Singapore/US, you can ask them to carry it for you. I got mine in a similar manner. That said before trying to clean the sensor using the brush/eclipse solution, try this

Use a simple bulb shaped air blower. Something like this
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1332/1171594516_f6c5c5089f.jpg

It does a pretty good job in dislodging any loose spec of dirt stuck to the sensor. The upside is that u don't have to end up touching the sensor, which doing for the first time is a nerve wracking experience. The downside is that the dislodged specs may settle back onto the sensor. To avoid this , point the camera down, so that any dislodged spec fall out of the mirror box. You might have to repeat the process twice or thrice.

For the stubborn dirt, the brush/solution method works best.

ken da where can we get those swab and sensor cleaning fluid in india?

[Aryan]

@trance: Where can we find this product, here in India (Delhi to be specific)? ;) Looks better than actually going ahead and touching the sensor..!!

[trance_nut]

Aryan,
you can get this at any of the photography stores in palika (alfa/solar etc)

@trance: Where can we find this product, here in India (Delhi to be specific)? ;) Looks better than actually going ahead and touching the sensor..!!

[powerslave]

I use this one:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31tOsF2t9xL._SS500_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Giottos-AA1900-Large-Rocket-Blaster/dp/B00017LSPI

[Aryan]

Aryan,
you can get this at any of the photography stores in palika (alfa/solar etc)
Wow! Thanks for that..I'll get one ASAP. :)

[KrishnenduKes]

Wow! Thanks for that..I'll get one ASAP. :)

So you got specks on your sensor I suppose!

[Aryan]

So you got specks on your sensor I suppose!
Thankfully, uptil now I don't! But, a little future-planning never hurts..;)

[KrishnenduKes]

Thankfully, uptil now I don't! But, a little future-planning never hurts..;)

Good!

For people who are looking to check for sensor dust... one of the ways that I do it is thus:
I focus the cam on a Clean White wall and click a couple of photographs. Look at them on your computer screen and you will notice the specks that can cause you some heartburn if you are shooting landscape with a lot of sky. Either you can correct it on PS or you can get your sensor cleaned if the speck is too loud.

[Aryan]

Good!

For people who are looking to check for sensor dust... one of the ways that I do it is thus:
I focus the cam on a Clean White wall and click a couple of photographs. Look at them on your computer screen and you will notice the specks that can cause you some heartburn if you are shooting landscape with a lot of sky. Either you can correct it on PS or you can get your sensor cleaned if the speck is too loud.
Thanks for sharing that technique! I have one question - Is it better to try and clean the sensor through a DIY (Do It Yourself) kit or is it better to take it to a service station? Isn't there an inherent chance of damaging the sensor if we try and clean it ourselves?

[KrishnenduKes]

Thanks for sharing that technique! I have one question - Is it better to try and clean the sensor through a DIY (Do It Yourself) kit or is it better to take it to a service station? Isn't there an inherent chance of damaging the sensor if we try and clean it ourselves?

Actually the call is personal. If you know that you are good with your fingers, and you think that you have a certain amount of dexterity then I think that it can be very easily done. The whole procedure takes 2 minutes max. As long as you are not putting any pressure on the sensor, it will be fine. I have done it a couple of times in the past 14 months that I own a DSLR. If need be, maybe you or someone can organise an offline meeting in a dust free environment and I can show the DIY method.

[Aryan]

Alrite! just give me a couple of mins, uploading the pics.
Yes, that would really be helpful. Kindly be as detailed as you possibly can. :)

Thanks.

[Sarao]

My Canon 400D got some severe Sensor Dust problems, I wasnt able to take shots at above Aperture F/5.6 due to the Dust problems. The dust was very much visible at F/8.0

But since, in Patiala theres no Canon DSLR service centre and the camera is required to be sent to Canon Master Service Centre in Gurgaon for any small issue, which takes around 15 days before you get camera back in your hands. I thought to try my own hands on Sensor Cleaning. So I ordered CCD PRE-WET SWABS from Hongkong. I got them today and started cleaning my camera sensor. So heres a small DIY tutorial for those who want to clean the sensor at home. Please note that I did it successfully without any loss, but I am not responsible for any damage caused to you :smiley37:

Ok lets start, heres the Pic I took at F/11

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/4323/f11le5.th.jpg (http://img301.imageshack.us/my.php?image=f11le5.jpg)

And heres a pic clicked at F/22

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6387/f22uo0.th.jpg (http://img145.imageshack.us/my.php?image=f22uo0.jpg)

You can see the dust is very much visible at F/11 and freaking OUT at F/22

The procedure pics are with N73 in tube light, apologize for the clarity.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/5184/06012009326wd8.th.jpg (http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06012009326wd8.jpg)

Opened the CCD SWAB Packing, took out a pre-wet swab and put the Camera into Manual Sensor Cleaning

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/8159/06012009330cm4.th.jpg (http://img243.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06012009330cm4.jpg)



http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/6374/06012009331nt0.th.jpg (http://img376.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06012009331nt0.jpg)


http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/8885/06012009332uk2.th.jpg (http://img114.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06012009332uk2.jpg)


Heres the Sensor

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/9752/06012009333yr3.th.jpg (http://img360.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06012009333yr3.jpg)

PRE-WET SWAB

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/5143/06012009334jd4.th.jpg (http://img123.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06012009334jd4.jpg)


Using one side of the Swab, gently wipe out the sensor in one direction, then rotate the swab and wipe out into the same direction using the other side of the swab.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/9683/06012009335jd2.th.jpg (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06012009335jd2.jpg)

After using two swabs, because my sensor was very much contaminated, I successfully cleaned the senor.

Here are the pics after Cleaning the Sensor

At f/11

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/1493/f11cleanednv5.th.jpg (http://img123.imageshack.us/my.php?image=f11cleanednv5.jpg)

At f/22

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/6567/f22cleanedxg9.th.jpg (http://img57.imageshack.us/my.php?image=f22cleanedxg9.jpg)


Precautions:

1. Charge your camera battery fully, so it does not put the shutter down if Camera ran out of battery.

2. Do not Put pressure on the Sensor Bandpass

3. Just get it done to the extent where you shoot usually, as you can see some of the dust is still visible at F/22 after cleaning, but I dont shoot at F/22, so it dont bother me.

4. Use one swab per cleaning sessions i.e. one time with each side. Otherwise, chances are you will put again the dust on the sensor which have been lift off by swab.

5. Do all this in a clean enviornment.

6. Wash your hands before doing anything.

[Sarao]

Any more questions welcome :)

[Aryan]

@Sarao: Brilliant! Thanks a ton for that step by step DIY guide. I am a bit skeptical though..Just a little scared I guess, of damaging the sensor during this process. :o

Thanks again. :)

[Sarao]

Even I was, so what I did, just use it very gently, like without even touching, so I can have an idea of how soft is the Sensor, then I took out the swab, had a look and it looked a bit cleaned, but the dust was there, so I changed the side and then wiped with a bit more pressure, very very softky. Got the swab out, the liquid took some time to dry off.

[Aryan]

Even I was, so what I did, just use it very gently, like without even touching, so I can have an idea of how soft is the Sensor, then I took out the swab, had a look and it looked a bit cleaned, but the dust was there, so I changed the side and then wiped with a bit more pressure, very very softky. Got the swab out, the liquid took some time to dry off.
What about the remaining dust? How do you plan to get rid of that? And why didn't the cleaning kit remove all the dirt? :(

[KrishnenduKes]

Great job there Sarao! Thanks a lot.

[Sarao]

Dont know, why it doesnt cleaned all, but you see, thats only visible very slightly at F/22, I dont think anyone shoots at that small aperture. But I did not want to take any chance, any more may prove fatal.. :D

I am getting the images very well now at F/8 to F/16, so its fine for me.

[Sarao]

Great job there Sarao! Thanks a lot.
Thanx Ken bro, my pleasure :)

[Aryan]

Didnt know, why it doesnt cleaned all, but you see, thats only visible very slightly at F/22, I dont think anyone shoots at that small aperture. But I did not want to take any chance, any more may prove fatal.. :D

I am getting the images very well now at F/8 to F/16, so its fine for me.
While clicking macro, those specs would be visible I guess because macro work regularly uses anything between f16-f22 and beyond!

I guess, one more cleaning session would be able to clean all the dirt. Or may be a trip to the service center would be the better, safer and logical choice.

Anyhow, the difference in the "before" and "after" pictures are clearly visible. :)

[Sarao]

Dont know about Macro, but these arent visible for my style of shooting. I dont have a macro lens yet, so Cant say anything. I think I should buy one 100mm to see if theres any need of more cleaning :D

[Sarao]

But one thing stuck my mind, I think at macro shooting, the DOF is very small, so is there any chance that those dust would be visible ? :confused:

[Aryan]

Dont know about Macro, but these arent visible for my style of cleaning. I dont have a macro lens yet, so Cant say anything. I think I should buy one 100mm to see if theres any need of more cleaning :D
It sure would! That is the part which scares me. I have been shooting macro pictures regularly with the 100mm macro lens, between f20-f22. Need to be as careful as I can be while swapping lenses.

P.S:
These days the 100mm f2.8 USM macro lens is the glass that remains on my 400D one hundred percent! ;) Apart from shooting some god-awesome macro pictures, it also is used as a walk-around short telephoto lens..:D

But one thing stuck my mind, I think at macro shooting, the DOF is very small, so is there any chance that those dust would be visible ? :confused:

That is precisely what is bothering me! It surely WOULD be visible.

EDIT:
I just happened to check your profile and it says you own a Sigma 17-70mm macro lens. Do use it and tell us about the performance of the sensor after this cleaning session. :)

[Vicky]

Great detailed explanations guys. However, I wanted to cover two important things before going for the wet cleaning:

- How to actually check your sensor for dust
- The importance of a Dry Blow cleaning before a wet clean and how to go about it

How To Check Your Sensor For Dust

To make a test image, you can use about any lens you want but a non-wide angle lens works better then a wide angle just because of the normal falloff found in most wide angle lenses. You want as much of an even exposure as possible from corner to center. The second consideration is minimum aperture opening; we suggest a lens that will stop down to f/22 or greater. We have found that a great subject to shoot for the test, is your monitor. Seeing that you already have to use a computer to view your test, there is no need to go elsewhere to make the test. You already have a willing and qualified subject right in front of you, why not use it. Prepare your monitor for shooting the test:

-Create a new image in Photoshop
-Fill it with white (most any solid color will do, but we prefer a lighter one)
-Set the camera to the following:
-Mode - Aperture Priority
-Setting - Aperture to minimum f/22-f/45
-Lens - Manual Focus set to closest focus setting (if shooting the blue sky, then infinity)
-Features - Turn "OFF" all special function like "sharpening"
-Zoom in until it fills your screen
-Take Picture - shoot camera facing your monitor. Depending how bright your monitor is, your exposure may be a couple seconds. During this exposure, move your camera back and fourth being careful to not to point the lens outside of your white box. Moving the camera during the exposure insures that you are not taking a picture of dirt on your monitor. This should be done within a matter of an inch or two from your monitor.

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/resources/dust-test.jpg
-Photoshop - Take the image into Photoshop and do a "<CTRL><SHIFT>L" for "auto level" You can lighten or darken if needed.
http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/resources/photoshop1.jpg
-Inspect Image - You can now see where you do or do not have dust. Remember that what you are looking at is an image that is flipped 180° vertically (top to bottom) from when you're looking straight in on your sensor. What shows on the bottom of the image will be towards the top of the camera and visa versa...

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/resources/CCD_Clean_Before.jpg


http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/resources/CCD_Clean_After.jpg

Important—First blow off the sensor before Wet Cleaning

Some manufacturers say you should restrict your cleaning to blowing off the sensor with a hand blower. Further, Canon, says you should not extend the nozzle of your air blower below the lens mount. Why? If you have the nozzle inside the camera and the mirror for some reason decides to return, you may have damaged the mirror. Cameras are delicate instruments and require delicate care.

Blowing off the sensor is a recommended first step in cleaning. It’s also a safe step that should not cause damage as long as you’re using a proper air blower and technique. You probably won’t completely remove the dust—the air blower may just get the larger, looser chunks. But those larger bits of dirt are what you want to remove. When you later swab the sensor, a large piece of grit dragged along by the swab could scratch the sensor filter. A scratch on the filter has a worse effect than the dust; the scratch may refract the light, causing a light spectrum to appear in the image. This first step of blowing off the sensor should remove any foreign material that could cause damage.


All the above info is sourced from HERE (http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com)

[Sarao]

Great detailed explanations guys. However, I wanted to cover two important things before going for the wet cleaning:



All the above info is sourced from HERE (http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com)
I have read that a long before, but since the blower is not available here locally, so I preferred to buy wet swabs, because I did not want to order the swabs on the second place after buying a blower.

[nelson_sanjoy]

Can you guys help me on how to clean the mirror which is just below the VF and above sensor?

[Sarao]

Same way buddy. Get some cleaning aid. Do not try to clean it with cotton or something, that will scratch the Mirror. I believe that is not dust, if its dust then just blow it off.

[niks_devil666]

Can't we use a vaccum (to suck) or a hair dryer to blow away the dust? or does it need to be handled by a canon service center. what are the usual charges?

[KrishnenduKes]

Can't we use a vaccum (to suck) or a hair dryer to blow away the dust? or does it need to be handled by a canon service center. what are the usual charges?

1. Do NOT use a Hair Dryer!
2. If you use a vacuum, you might suck more than you had bargained for and the dust might still might be there!
3. Follow the pictorials for cleaning. It is pretty effective. I have cleaned the same way. And if you do not want to take that risk then go to point 4.
4. Canon/Nikon service centre. For charges, ask Vitesh, he is sending his camera t'row.

[niks_devil666]

Thanks ... let me fid a cleaning kit somewhere :)

[vitesh]

Canon/Nikon service centre. For charges, ask Vitesh, he is sending his camera t'row.

CANON MASTER SERVICE CENTREIST FLOOR, TOWER A, CYBER GREENS, DLF PHASE III, GURGAON
DELHI--NCR
Pin : 122002
Tel : 0124-4160067-68
Email : priyanka.sharma@canon.co.in , monender.sharma@canon.co.in
Contact Person : Priyanka Sharma/Moninder Sharma
Timing: 9:30AM to 5:30PM
Charges for Service including sensor cleaning is 2000 + taxes.
Charges for Sensor Cleaning only 1000 + taxes

:)

[KrishnenduKes]

CANON MASTER SERVICE CENTREIST FLOOR, TOWER A, CYBER GREENS, DLF PHASE III, GURGAON
DELHI--NCR
Pin : 122002
Tel : 0124-4160067-68
Email : priyanka.sharma@canon.co.in , monender.sharma@canon.co.in
Contact Person : Priyanka Sharma/Moninder Sharma
Timing: 9:30AM to 5:30PM
Charges for Service including sensor cleaning is 2000 + taxes.
Charges for Sensor Cleaning only 1000 + taxes

:)

Thanks for the prompt and precise reply.

[Bibudesh]

1. Do NOT use a Hair Dryer!
.

I used it once :( .. I used it after my camera got wet in drizzle.

But no problem till date. I'll keep this in mind next time on.

[drsureshmohan]

Friends,
i use this stuff http://www.copperhillimages.com/index.php?pr=Copper_Hill_Products
and also dont forget to read thier tutorial.This Pro stuff used by the guys who modify cameras for astro work.
Suresh

[Vicky]

Charges for Sensor Cleaning only 1000 + taxes

:)

Most authorized Canon Service Centres across the world will clean the sensor of your Camera and fungus off your Lenses for FREE! As long as they are within the warranty period:)

[shutterbug]

Revving this thread to ask if anyone has any new info on sensor cleaning solutions/products available here in India? Or on ebay.in? Any brand we can trust?

[dipdawiz]

Revving this thread to ask if anyone has any new info on sensor cleaning solutions/products available here in India? Or on ebay.in? Any brand we can trust?

for non-sticky dust/particles use any blower type cleaner. but for sticky/oily particle you need SWABs... not sure whether they are available off the shelf in India, but you can get from Ebay Global Easy Buy for around 2 - 2.5K INR.

http://orders.ebay.in/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ImportHubViewItem&itemid=250735916448

brand name is ECLIPSE. They are good I suppose (see http://www.photosol.com/ for more details).

[shutterbug]

Dipayan, thanks. I did not think of the GEB option.
Photosol is what Ken da uses I think.

[KrishnenduKes]

Dipayan, thanks. I did not think of the GEB option.
Photosol is what Ken da uses I think.

No! I use Eclipse too I think.

[shutterbug]

Sorry Ken, my bad!

[robin234]

kenda :want to meet to you someday and learn physical sensor cleaning using the fluid .we can do that as soon as I get my d90 back from service center .

[shutterbug]

Robin, what happened do your d90? Sensor cleaning? Any idea how much Nikon charges for service?

[robin234]

Robin, what happened do your d90? Sensor cleaning? Any idea how much Nikon charges for service?

my nikon d90 along with tammy 10-24mm fell from the camera bag during vacation in Kerala .tammy broke into two :(.useless now .

nikon d90 viewfinder lcd went blank.

Well,I was preparing for the morning shoot in munnar .Before I was about to sling the camera bag on the should , I did a usual inspection, whether bag was close or not .it was closed ,but as soon as I was about to sling it, somehow bag got opened and camera flew off and fell on the toilet floor :(.

first thing ,I checked whether D90 was working or not .with whatever luck I had it worked ,but without viewfinder lcd .SO,I recorded the rest of the trip with only three lenses i.e 24-85mm,50mm and 70-300mm vr .

I was about to cry badly ,but controlled myself .my heart was broken :(.I did try to fix the wide angle lens ,but alignment of lens elements was disturbed +AF was badly damaged too :|.Now Lens can't focus on infinity anymore

all in all this was one of my worst trips(Kerala ) in terms of photography .

Nikon gave me an estimate of Rs 9000 for the following things to be replaced bayonet(Rs 3500) + prism + Viewfinder lcd + top cover etc [Price of rest I don't remember right now ].

Total damages in terms of Rupees approx Rs 33,000:(


I'm still waiting for my camera ,then I will decide whether to continue with this hobby i.e to sell all the stuff I acquired.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sensor :Nikon charges Rs 545 approx for sensor cleaning .

[KrishnenduKes]

I was about to cry badly ,but controlled myself .my heart was broken :(.I did try to fix the wide angle lens ,but alignment of lens elements was disturbed +AF was badly damaged too :|.Now Lens can't focus on infinity anymore


I'm still waiting for my camera ,then I will decide whether to continue with this hobby i.e to sell all the stuff I acquired.



That is extremely sad. But that is not really a reason to stop taking photographs. You should continue and in serious earnest since you are very talented in what you do. No matter what happens, you should continue in this field.

[hitanshu]

yeah. cut this crap of whether to continue and all that.

see anyways the CWG helped you to make a similar amount so net net its not bad. think of it like a clean slate!

[Vicky]

my nikon d90 along with tammy 10-24mm fell from the camera bag during vacation in Kerala .tammy broke into two :(

Damn! That hurts... and I should know..

Remember the trip I made to Darjeeling in March this year? I had carried along my 50D + sigma 18-50 2.8 + 70-200 L. It was the second day into the trip.. we were resting at a tea stall and enjoying the cool air along with hot steaming momos after a long hike at some sight seeing location.. it felt great... I had my 50D with sigma 18-50 on my lap... and then suddenly Yashu came running and tripped right in front of me...In a sudden reflex action I jumped and was able to catch him with his head inches from the concrete kerb! And then we heard the noise of something crashing:eek:..

I lowered my head to see that camera lay on the ground... 5ft from were I was originally sitting.. The sigma was broken into two halves... with some ribbon cables keeping the two halves together.... the hood was broken from the mount.. but the glass elements seemed ok.

I gathered all the pieces... took off the lens from the mount and switched on the camera. It worked:) Put on the 70-200 and took a few shots... and every thing was ok... and most surprising.. not even a scratch on the body (Thanks canon for the tough Magnesium Alloy body) The lens must have taken all the impact from the fall... it was in two pieces... but i was not at all sad. In fact I was grateful to God that it was the lens that hit the pavement and not my son's forehead.

With the 70-200 on the body we continued with our sight seeing and I later shot this waterfall hand held with the 70-200:)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4486248409_04157b8312_o.jpg

Being the DIY nut that i am, I had to attempt a salvage action. Later that evening I made my way to the local electronics market and picked up a mobile phone repairing tool kit for Rs. 80, a Rs. 5 tube of Fevikwik and some duct tape. After everyone had dozed off to sleep I sat in my hotel room with the broken lens to assess the damage... first I disassembled the lens completely fixing each broken part along the way before I reassembled it... the toughest part was re-aligning the AF system.. I worked on it till 3am in the morning .

Next morning I had a fully functional 'zoom' lens that was now 'fixed' at 29mm with a fat 'duct tape' bandage across its circumference in the center:cool: The Aperture, AF, etc were all working perfectly... I continued to use this lens in this state for the rest of the trip and clicked over 200 photos with it:)

Here are a few of the shots taken with this super rare Sigma 29mm f/2.8 Prime of mine...

http://www.thephotographer.in/darkroom/attachment.php?attachmentid=2055&stc=1&d=1291882590

http://www.thephotographer.in/darkroom/attachment.php?attachmentid=2056&stc=1&d=1291882590

http://www.thephotographer.in/darkroom/attachment.php?attachmentid=2057&stc=1&d=1291882590

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2742/4486899078_1e1aaf6814_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2760/4486898432_397c188bd6_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4486247625_85a05f3f27_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2772/4486900332_90760664bb_o.jpg


That is extremely sad. But that is not really a reason to stop taking photographs. You should continue and in serious earnest since you are very talented in what you do. No matter what happens, you should continue in this field.

+1

Shit happens, but we must take the set backs in stride and move on in life:)

[robin234]

Well,I will decide on that when I will receive my D90 from nikon .

I guess only difference is here being me a student .Had to save money like crazy to buy lenses .

@Vicky: I did the same too that day .with the help of elfy and jackly screw driver, I was able to put the lens back ,but yes its gone .I will need to buy a new one now .

awesome shots :)

[KrishnenduKes]

My! What stories! Inspiring stuff.

[hitanshu]

Vicky,

like i never tire of saying, you are the real shitnitz! salute!

[shutterbug]

Well,I will decide on that when I will receive my D90 from nikon .

I guess only difference is here being me a student .Had to save money like crazy to buy lenses .

@Vicky: I did the same too that day .with the help of elfy and jackly screw driver, I was able to put the lens back ,but yes its gone .I will need to buy a new one now .

awesome shots :)
Damn, Robin, when I asked you what happened, I never expected something like this. Also sad to know your memory of Munnar would be associated with this unfortunate event.
I hope you are able to arrange the finances for the repair. Good luck mate.
Managing all this as a student is no mean feat, but you can do it, and you should 'cause your pictures are worth it.

[robin234]

@
shutterbug: yep,I'm down ,but not out :D.hehe


today ,I was informed by Nikon service center representative that they don't have bayonet .So they had to order one from japan .She told me it will take at-least 15-20 days :(

We are planning to go to Corbett this December (around 20th ) .can anybody lend his/her nikon for two days .I will Happy with even D40 .I will be grateful if you can do .I have learnt my lesson to check the bag 10 times before picking it up .

[nelson_sanjoy]

@Vicky - really inspired by your story would like to know what and how you did it...

[Vicky]

Vicky,

like i never tire of saying, you are the real shitnitz! salute!

LOL. I actually googled 'shitnitz' to make sure this was a compliment:p



@Vicky: awesome shots :)

Thanks Robin!


@Vicky - really inspired by your story would like to know what and how you did it...

Glad to hear this... I wish i had taken pics of the dismantled lens to explain you better:(

[rajucec75]

Hi friends,

I am seeing a black spot just above the upper AF point. I use 1000D with stock lens. When i checked out the images there is nothing i could spot.I used it during recent Air show here at Bangalore and every image was fine. I am not able to diagnose the reason behind this spot on my viewfinder.

Please provide me leads so that i can proceed my research in correct direction.

Regards,
Rajendra Vittal

[KrishnenduKes]

Hi friends,

I am seeing a black spot just above the upper AF point. I use 1000D with stock lens. When i checked out the images there is nothing i could spot.I used it during recent Air show here at Bangalore and every image was fine. I am not able to diagnose the reason behind this spot on my viewfinder.

Please provide me leads so that i can proceed my research in correct direction.

Regards,
Rajendra Vittal

I think that the spot is on your focusing screen or the prism. Hence it is not affecting the photographs but you can see it in your viewfinder.

[rajucec75]

I think that the spot is on your focusing screen or the prism. Hence it is not affecting the photographs but you can see it in your viewfinder.

How to get around this as i feel its obstructing my view while focusing?

[KrishnenduKes]

How to get around this as i feel its obstructing my view while focusing?

In a dust free environment, remove the lens and carefully sweep it out with a blower brush without blowing as that might cause the speck to go and settle on the sensor.

If you think that you cannot be careful enough, give your camera to the Canon service centre and spend a 1000 INR!

[hensil]

I want to add my 2 paise to this thread.
Stop getting paranoid about the sensor dust. Sensor dust is a way of life for DSLR users even now with the sensor vibrating technology. Just learn how to clean it. Little bit of dust above f/11, 16, 22 is no problem unless you are shooting the white computer screen. They won't show in your normal picture. At those aperture diffraction is more of a problem than dust. Remember it's the AA/infra red blocking filter that is in front of sensor we are dealing with not the sensor directly. In many DSLR's this can be changed if damaged.
I used to deal with lot more dust/scratches on developed films than sensor.
Cheers!
Henry

[hitanshu]

Very interesting and reassuring inputs, Henry.

You've been an epic asset to ThePin off late :)

[Cyclops]

Very interesting and reassuring inputs, Henry.

You've been an epic asset to ThePin off late :)

You've been an epic asset to ThePin off late :) So true a statement!!!

[KrishnenduKes]

Actually, in retrospect it is so true... there is more to deal with with scratches on film than those tiny specs on the sensor!


You've been an epic asset to ThePin off late :)

He has only joined off late! :) Been barely a little over a week I think. :)

[hensil]

Oh Thanks everyone. I am flattered!
Henry