Friday, January 14, 2011

My poor camera, back home.

It left me for 6 days for hospitalization and this afternoon it came back home. Got some unremovable dust. Camera is very delicate. To share with you what Canon told me:
1. Never use a brush to clean the internal flip-up mirror. *I got to learn how DSLR works and also the shutter and cmos sensor. There is a flip-up mirror to reflect the image view to the view finder. There is a metering scale on that flip-up mirror for you to judge the focus, metering spots. After everything is set and your shutter set, as you press the button, that flip-up mirror will flip up. Behind it is a shutter. The shutter then opens in your desired exposure time, i.e. 1/16 second, then it'll be opened up for 1/16 second. Behind the shutter, it's the cmos sensor to record what the lens transmit the images.
2. Never try to open the shutter for a long time if it's exposed to air.
3. Avoid moisture environment. Water marks would be there from moisture condensation/evaporation.
4. Moisture can be attached on dust which can be very hard to be removed and will become moulding if it's with some germ. *Canon provides free services for dust cleaning but will charge in the case of tough situation like mine which some human damage is found.
5. Use air bump only to remove the dust. Avoid using brush, especially on the cmos censor. Even a feather would harm the censor.

5 comments:

Mickey Mouse said...

now good reason to being tempted for a 5D? hehe

in the sea said...

Haha... Mickey, you got it right. I have been communicating with Pixmation on the long-awaited 5D MK3. I made a joke with Pixmation that this 550D plus the 17-40mm lens will be my "snap shot" camera then. 550D is still a very good camera but my Hokkaido trip has put it to the its death edge. I felt so bad in damaging the flip up mirror, like I clean my kitchen.. The only thing is that I didn't use an "abalone" brush to clean it.. haha :)

pixmation said...

Is the dust on the sensor or the mirror? I dont know how bad the dust is. Did the Canon person show you how to record a dust removal image? It's a last resort attempt to counter the dust on the sensor. I think there is a section in the manual to teach you how to do that.

pixmation said...

Therr is sensor cleaning kits for sale here and it uses some kind special wipes. But i rather pay someone else to clean it for me.

in the sea said...

First it's on the mirror. Later on, as I know the censor is behind the shutter, I had the shutter opened up for 20 seconds so that I can see the censor out of my curiosity. Then the dust is on both the mirror and censor. :)

I also asked the Canon people about the cleaning kits, but their reply "try not to do that yourself. The sensor is very delicate, even the air bump will damage it if the air bump is too powerful.". That's why he said "a feather will damage it.". By now, we should know how delicate of the camera and why 5D, 7D are that expensive as their body is much stronger and tougher in weather proof. I hope those sales of Broadway and Fortress should tell the customers "not just heavy and heavy means good.".