Help! What's on my Sony A7S sensor, and how do I get it off??? Time sensitive!

[ironman2284]

Hello all.  Eager to get out with my A7S and new lens for astro in CO this evening.

However, when I went to change lenses, I noticed what looks liked dried water on my sensor.

I also noticed a ton of spots after I reviewed the latest images from the SD card.

I was recently shooting near water in the mountains so this may be what it is.

Can anyone advise?

Most importantly, using only what I have at home (q-tips, 70% iso alcohol, microfiber) how can I clean this sensor up for tonight's shooting?

I have used a blower and auto clean functions with no improvement (these images are after blowing).

Thanks!

[VTC]

Been my experience that only a wet cleaning will get rid of those. Don't be squeamish. It's easily done but you'll need to buy a cleaning kit that comes with wide swabs and a liquid. Go through sensor cleaning routine but DON'T POWER DOWN CAMERA until you've cleaned sensor because the sensor remains locked in place while you're swiping. (You don't want to wrench a wiggling sensor out of spec when its being futzed with.) Some have used the GEL STICK for Sony sensors but you'll never find those locally. You won't find a cleaning kit locally either if you don't have a camera shop near you.

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

Liquid spots. Good thing is that mountain water is clean, compared to sea water for instance. Don't use any household products to clean. There are specific sensor cleaning kits with fiber swabs and liquid that won't leave residue. Buy one of those kits, should be with you in a few days.

[KMG]

What VTC and Jaf-Photo said.

 

I've used this product with great result on both stubborn dust and saliva / water stains: https://www.visibledust.com/products3.php?pid=471

[VTC]

KMG done good here. Follow that link and watch the YouTube 'how to do it' video. Camera repair shop will clean it for $60-$80 if you think it's above your skill level but that approach gets expensive no matter how careful you are swapping lenses. Cleaned my sensor. Blew out all the dust with rocket blower. Mounted lens and even not taking off lens for 2 months some specks landed on the sensor from who knows where of how so it's best to train yourself to do it. There's a protective covering over the sensor so it's not like you're dragging a swab over raw naked electrons.

[ironman2284]

Update: I used the Photosol Sensor Ultra 3 with Aeroclipse... all 12 swabs... and the dots are still on the sensor albeit a bit smaller (I think - see photos).

If this was dust/water dried on the sensor glass, shouldn't it have come off by now?  I suspect it's just water and I don't have any visible marks on the image I took after the cleaning... any that I can see anyways.

What about taking some more aeroclipse, putting it on a dense cotton swab and slowly going after the spots directly?

Thoughts appreciated.

 

 

[VTC]

Getting closer. Concentrate on the stubborn areas. I had some gnarly spots but I didn't need to go neanderthal on them to eradicate. LOCK sensor down. 

[VTC]

Getting closer. Concentrate on the stubborn areas. I had some gnarly spots but I didn't need to go neanderthal on them to eradicate. LOCK sensor down. 

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[KMG]

ironman2284,

 

I'm not familiar with the Photosol Sensor Ultra 3 with Aeroclipse product(s) but using 12 swabs seems very aggressive to me! Really, after that much cleaning and still having spots indicates to me that the product(s) aren't very effective.

 

I can not recommend the VisibleDust product I referenced earlier enough. It never takes more than one application to resolve issues in my experience.

 

Before using cotton swabs which are not guaranteed to not include contaminants, I'd suggest you avoid the potential grief of damaging your sensor and order the VisibleDust wet cleaning kit.

 

Just my 2 cents

[Username]

........... but DON'T POWER DOWN CAMERA until you've cleaned

sensor because the sensor remains locked in place while you're s

wiping. (You don't want to wrench a wiggling sensor out of spec when

its being futzed with.) .........

   

That camera does not have a wigging sensor [aka IBIS]. 

The rest of your advice is acoarst good, but we don't want 

the user trying to compensate for a  non-issue. 

[VTC]

 

That camera does not have a wigging sensor [aka IBIS]. 

Meant to be taken as generic, non-specific camera advice that applies to ANY camera assuming the reader is smart enough to know that tying a red Nike soccer shoe is similar to tying a blue Reebok track shoe is similar to tying a black Bruno Magli dress shoe. No repeat of tie training for each brand or model shoe is necessary once you understand the concept.

[VTC]

.

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

What VTC and Jaf-Photo said.

 

I've used this product with great result on both stubborn dust and saliva / water stains: https://www.visibledust.com/products3.php?pid=471

That's what I use too. No problem removing stains with one gentle swab. Even got rid of oil splatter covering a third of the sensor (long story).