No sensor cleaning?

[hhelmbold]

Can't remember where, but I did read a rumour that the new 1Ds will not have built in sensor cleaning. If this is true, we'll have to see. But I read in a electronic magazine "Click" distributed by Canon South Africa today that their service partners will now offer free sensor cleaning to all EOS bodies purchased after January 2011. As far as I know you lucky international shooters already have free cleaning from Canon, so you might ask what's the big deal?

I also know that the camera technicians had to go for training recently. I don't think it was training on something new or exciting, but this announcement from Canon SA came after this. And it just got me thinking that MAYBE we will indeed see a new camera without auto sensor cleaning and they had to be sure their technicians are capable of cleaning the sensors?

Take this with a pinch of salt - just thought I'd share my 2 cents worth.

[neuroanatomist]

A pinch of salt by a huge, ham-fisted giant, perhaps...  My 5DII has auto sensor cleaning, and it still collects plenty of dust - I can't imagine a new pro body not having the feature.

[hhelmbold]

A pinch of salt by a huge, ham-fisted giant, perhaps...  My 5DII has auto sensor cleaning, and it still collects plenty of dust - I can't imagine a new pro body not having the feature.

I agree with you - just trying to find the rumour. They had a reason for it (still didn't make sense to me)

[hhelmbold]

Aha... found that rumour!   http://tedgerner.hubpages.com/hub/New-Canon-EOS-1Ds-Mark-IV

It's quite a bit down on the page and I still take all rumours as... well.... rumours But it is said

No sensor cleaning device
It is believed that canon is removing the 3-layer low pass filter to improve per-pixel acutance and microcontrast.

I will add more camera specs details later when there will be more information available

The fact that Canon was actually marketing FREE sensor cleaning as a WOW benefit here in South Africa just made me wonder if there was some truth to this. I must say... if removing sensor cleaning really gives greater dynamic range and truly better results (that you can actually see) - I will happily give up the cleaning and have it done by PRO-Technicians for FREE!

[TexPhoto]

Great if your service provider is down the street.  No so much if 1400 miles away like mine.

[hhelmbold]

Great if your service provider is down the street.  No so much if 1400 miles away like mine.

Well... I don't really consider Canon-SA a service provider, they have to go a long way to live up to the Canon name I know from the US. My heart lies with Canon USA which makes my service provider VERY far! I just do not trust the 3rd party "professionals" they approved to do Canon repairs. Just way too many horror stories

[KurtStevens]

I've got an old 5d and a dirty prizm, worth sending it for cleaning?  I have a blower I regularly blow out the dust from the housing but still those little dust bunnies refuse to leave.  Had a guy clean it as well used 3 sensor wipes and couldn't get all the dust.  Is it worth sending in to canon (do I have to be a member of their services?) or do I just wait til 5d3?

[hhelmbold]

I've got an old 5d and a dirty prizm, worth sending it for cleaning?

I think it's all in the mind but it tends to feel like my pictures are better after my camera has gone for a service. I think it is like having your car serviced... somehow that peace of mind just makes everything feel right

But my honest answer would be : How much time do you spend fixing your photos? Is the dust causing you to spend hours removing it from your photos and does it influence the quality of your pics? If not... then I guess you can hang in there.

those little dust bunnies refuse to leav

You sure it is dust and not damage to the sensor?

[aldvan]

I can understand that a mechanical microsystem allowing to shake the sensor is not the best for accuracy but I can't imaging that the solution for that could be a free cleaning service. The worst thing to do against dust is to give it the time to stick on the sensor due to the air humidity, condensation, etc. Although the sensor cleaning system is not the ultimate solution, it allows to frequently remove freshly landed particles...
Furthermore, if a dust spot started at the beginning of a trip, have I to wait until the end of it to send the camera for a service and until that service to get, maybe, thousands of pictures marked by that? And I find the software removal of dust spots provided by the camera an unacceptable trick...
No, sensor cleaning is a must for DSLR since, unlike the film in the old cameras, every flaw in the sensor will repeat itself on every pictures until removed.
It seems crazy, to me, a similar idea. Nobody is ready to trade sensor cleaning, although not perfect, for a slight accuracy  improvement. The only environment that can justify a lack of sensor cleaning is studio photography, but that is mid format territory...

[hhelmbold]

I still have a 20D which I use in case my backup camera fails - so it's my backup's backup and believe me, I understand sensor cleaning and got spoilt by it. The 20D doesn't have it and I agree 100% that it is a feature all photographers got used to and expect in a PRO system.