I have no clue how this pattern got on my sensor but as you can see it ruined a pretty good comp IMO. I've researched when it first showed up and it was at a lens change. I never have the camera on when changing lenses, the change was made indoors and the body was never open except for the five seconds where the lenses were swapped. The linear pattern of the spots mystifies me. They were unaffected by my Arctic Butterfly but came off the sensor easily with a swab. Anyone ever have a similar experience? Any idea what precipitated this? Thanks for any help.
Bill, this is called a gift. You've got stage one in development...good effort. Now move to stage two:
You need to show this to all sympathetic ears...especially close family members...adding,
"Oh, this is terrible. My camera is DOA!!! Look - the sensor is shot! Too costly to repair. What a nasty blow!
Any help you can provide to buy that needed D4, or (fill in your dream camera here) will help."
Try your best to add voice inflections where needed for emphasis.
Well, humor aside....I have no idea what that is. And hope you find a good cure. Sorry to hear about it. Never a good thing.
Posted by Kent Staubus on March 20, 2012 at 10:38 PM
Could it be a fingerprint?
Kent in SD
Posted by Lorna Taylor on March 21, 2012 at 12:12 AM
You are right in it ruined a great shot Bill, I am thinking condensation maybe !
i've possibly seen something like this before - left over trails from a sensor cleaning job. needs re-cleaning - make by professional?
Posted by Jim Sabiston on March 21, 2012 at 9:38 AM
I'm not a sensor expert, but I think these last posts are close to the problem. I recognize the pattern as similar to cleaning residue that might have been invisible until exposed to dust or humidity, even if briefly during the lens change. The residue would hold a slightly different static charge from the uncontaminated sensor surface. Was it particularly humid (foggy?) when you made the change?
Feel free to go with Ken's suggestion, though. I'll back you up!
My vote is for condensation. I've had a similar experience after several days in a rainy environment, but not to that extent. It looks as though too much liquid was used in the cleaning process and the residue left behind has fogged like a bathroom mirror after a hot shower. Looked clean before the shower, but all the streaks show up in the humid air and disappear again as they dry down.
The technique I use to test the cleanliness of my sensor is to set the camera to AV at f8 (any aperture will work) and take several shots of a consistent background, like a patch of blue sky or white wall, it's very important to have a consistent blank image without texture.Load one of the images into Photoshop. They should all look the same so just one will do,but a couple helps to verify results. In photoshop, depending on the version, hit auto levels under "image/ adjustments" and take a close look at the resulting effect. If the sensor is clean, there won't be much change. If the sensor is dirty, it will show dark spots or patterns as well as lighter areas because auto levels will find the difference between light and dark on what should be a consistent smooth image. Re-clean the sensor and repeat test until it's clear. A note of caution: If you are not comfortable or trained properly in sensor cleaning, LEAVE IT TO A PROFESSIONAL!
Bill,your image shows a side to side streaking. A circular motion would be a better technique.
Newer, self-cleaning cameras need far less cleaning, thankfully, but should be checked regularly.
Good camera hygiene goes a long way towards great images.
Hope this helps.
Neil
ps: I always enjoy your images
Posted by Mike Klarich on March 21, 2012 at 11:32 AM
Bill,
Clean the sensor and give it another try. Send it in if your not comfortable doing it yourself, that way they (the manufacturer) can check to see if it may be something else causing the pattern overlay type problem. I know the Canon service folks are AWESOME. You know some people try for that kind of an effect to apply to there images, just not all of them though...
Thanks for the advice so far. Condensation is a possibility since Houston is always humid. This is a Sony A700 which does have a self cleaning feature but that only works on dust particles that it can shake loose. As for it being related to residue from a prior cleaning I do doubt that as a cause since it has been many months since I've had to do any more stringent cleaning than a pass with an Arctic Butterfly. I really can't recall the last time I had to use a swab. I have not used it since the cleaning but will be taking some test shots today. More to come. >=))>
Discussion
9 repliesYou need to show this to all sympathetic ears...especially close family members...adding,
"Oh, this is terrible. My camera is DOA!!! Look - the sensor is shot! Too costly to repair. What a nasty blow!
Any help you can provide to buy that needed D4, or (fill in your dream camera here) will help."
Try your best to add voice inflections where needed for emphasis.
Well, humor aside....I have no idea what that is. And hope you find a good cure. Sorry to hear about it. Never a good thing.
Kent in SD
Bill you said it came off easily with a swab. Did the patttern show up on any shots taken after you cleaned the sensor?
--P
Feel free to go with Ken's suggestion, though. I'll back you up!
The technique I use to test the cleanliness of my sensor is to set the camera to AV at f8 (any aperture will work) and take several shots of a consistent background, like a patch of blue sky or white wall, it's very important to have a consistent blank image without texture.Load one of the images into Photoshop. They should all look the same so just one will do,but a couple helps to verify results. In photoshop, depending on the version, hit auto levels under "image/ adjustments" and take a close look at the resulting effect. If the sensor is clean, there won't be much change. If the sensor is dirty, it will show dark spots or patterns as well as lighter areas because auto levels will find the difference between light and dark on what should be a consistent smooth image. Re-clean the sensor and repeat test until it's clear. A note of caution: If you are not comfortable or trained properly in sensor cleaning, LEAVE IT TO A PROFESSIONAL!
Bill,your image shows a side to side streaking. A circular motion would be a better technique.
Newer, self-cleaning cameras need far less cleaning, thankfully, but should be checked regularly.
Good camera hygiene goes a long way towards great images.
Hope this helps.
Neil
ps: I always enjoy your images
Clean the sensor and give it another try. Send it in if your not comfortable doing it yourself, that way they (the manufacturer) can check to see if it may be something else causing the pattern overlay type problem. I know the Canon service folks are AWESOME. You know some people try for that kind of an effect to apply to there images, just not all of them though...