Tin Oxide coated sensors
Filed in Digital camera stuff - September 7, 2007Did you know that some of the latest cameras have sensor coatings that shouldn’t be cleaned with the products that we’ve all been using until now? And I’m not talking exotica either, but cameras like the Canon 400D. The last thing on my mind when I switched cameras was whether I needed to switch sensor cleaners as well.
The fact that the camera companies remain in denial about sensors needing to be cleaned (”return to service centre”) does nobody any good. I can see why they don’t endorse product x from another manufacturer – because they can’t control any changes to the composition over time – but I can’t understand why there couldn’t be a specification for cleaners. I’m imagining a system like motor oil. The manual for my car clearly states what specification oil must be used, and I buy oil to that specification from a manufacturer I trust. So, why not ‘…sensor only to be cleaned with fluid meeting ACM SC B3′. Grr!
Anyway, it is worth checking out the latest advice if you change your camera, and not to simply use the same old cleaning goop.
There is an interesting thread here about this, including some information from Kodak in their role as a manufacturer of sensors.
For what it is worth, the anti-dust shakey thing in my Canon 1D mk3 doesn’t work nearly as well as the device that all Olympus cameras use. I’ve had to clean the sensor more times in the last two weeks than in two years use of my E1.
Last sentence – last laugh!!
September 8, 2007 @ 6:45 am
Thanks for the info, Colin. I would have never thought about that, though I am not in the market for a new camera any time soon. The D2X will just have to suffice, no D3 for me. :-) I’ll stick with my old fashioned sensor cleaning stuff!
September 8, 2007 @ 4:50 pm
Hopefully your mk3 has the same problem with dust as my 5D when it was new. It seemed that Canon had stuffed the camera with a 3 month supply of sensor dust. So now, when most of the dust has settled, I am down to a cleaning every two or three month or so. And I am not the least bit paranoid about changing lenses.
September 9, 2007 @ 5:17 pm
Kjell,
Aye, and they surrounded the sensor with some sticky stuff that it is almost impossible to miss when using an anti-static brush. Getting the dust off seems to involved spreading the goo on at the moment :-(
You are right, though. It is getting better. However, I use Live View a lot, which is always going to be dust prone.
September 9, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
Ah, of course, it’s the top model, hence a larger supply of dust that lasts at least a year. You always get what you pay for. The goo comes at no extra charge :o)
September 9, 2007 @ 7:08 pm