Cleaning The CCD

I am using the Forum for the first time so excuse me if this topic has been raised before.
Despite being extremely careful when changing lenses on my *istDS I think my CCD is dirty. I have carefully followed the procedure in the manual but I still get marks on photos which are mainly visible on areas of blue sky - 2-3 marks. I can usually get rid of them in Photoshop Elements but would rather have a clean CCD. I think maybe some dust got in whilst on holiday in Western Australia - I did in fact see a small insect once in the viewfinder - how did it get there??
Professional cleaning sounds expensive.
Has anyone had this problem and if so how was it solved? Also any idea of the cost of a professional clean?

Cheers

Depends what you call expensive.

I recently had my istD serviced. cleaned and new focusing screen fitted for £50 by Pentax.....tho the CCD is dirty again...roll on K10D

I use an Actic Butterfly from Visible Dust to clean mine. I haven't yet had to use their wet system, but am told by others that it is very good.
In the good old days when Pentax NL were in Breda they would clean it for free, but those days are gone. Some big photographic shops offer an expert cleaning service, wiithout having to lose your camera for weeks.

Thanks Gwyn - will look into these products. Which 'big' photoshops were you referring to. I went into the main Birmingham Jessops and was told it needed to be sent away and would cost up to £100 - this seems escessive.

Hi Impotentspider - where did you send your camera for the CCD to be cleaned for £50?? Seems a not unreasonable cost. How long were you without it??

Cheers

Kenty

I use (rarely) Eclipse solution and lint free pads on a swab. Cheap, simple, works for me. A little practice is required to produce a smear free result though. The glass cover over the sensor is much tougher than some people (including Pentax) would have you believe.

I had one camera where dust had got between the sensor and its glass cover. The only solution to this was to send it away for cleaning which was done for free as the dust could only have got there during manufacture. Unless you are feeling very brave and/or can afford to trash your camera, don't try this at home.

I've used both the Eclipse/PecPad method and SensorSwabs (sp?) both dry and wet.

But, in the end, dust will always get in there - even with rigorous cleaning - so Photoshop's clone & healing brush is extremely useful.

(If you've been on ePhotozine at all and seen any of Keith Henson's work, and tried the RAW challenge he submitted from his Canon 1DsMkII you'll see just how much gunk there is even on a professional's CCD Having seen that I don't worry overly now!)

Matt

next week there is a cleaning workshop at a store here in the Netherlands. Perhaps I will visit it and see what they do/advise etc.
But mostly I am with Matt, As long as I can clean it in Photoshop I don't bother cleaning it. I got a few spots on the CCD, but they only show up above f9 in a clear, lightly coloured background.
Photoshop is safer for your camera then cleaning the sensor
I think that even the CCD of the K10D get's fouled in the end, as will every cleaning thingy that all manufacturers offer now.

I may see you there then!

I've been using the sensor clean system from VisibleDust and it works well for me. http://www.visibledust.com/products.php?PID=102

Hi Kenty

I actually followed a link from this forum (have searched but cant find the original post) it was an ebay link offering service by ashai photo, I had to go through my paypal account to trace their details, cant see any ebay offers from them at the moment but you could try contacting them and asking what they can do for you.

http://www.asahiphoto.co.uk

if you want to know about their service then heres the feedback I left them: "superb service, posted monday, back by saturday, feels & looks like a new camera"

I use the Eclipse solution and the Sensor Swabs. Seems to do the job, although usually a bulb blower gets the dust off first.

where? Is it in the Leiden/Den Haag area?

I was told that shops in the Hague and Kamera-Express clean sensors for 25 euros!!

it's konijnenberg in Den Ham.
It will be on the 17th of November.
I have the time I will go there. Maybe a nice oportunity for the Dutch forum members to meet in real life.

It starts at 10.00 and ends at 17.00
The address is:
Foto Konijnenberg bv
Ommerweg 5
7683 AV Den Ham (OV)

Check the website of the store:
http://www.fotokonijnenberg.nl and go to the 'agenda'

Hi
Thanks to everyone who has responded to my question on 'Cleaning the CCD' There is plenty of information for me to digest and I will be looking into some of the products/methods suggested.
I would be very interested to hear from golfdiesel after he has visited the cleaning workshop.
Thanks again to you all.
Kenty

Seems like quite a long way to go, especially on a Friday in the Netherlands, you get stuck in a traffic jam and that's your day over......

Japan Camera in Waassenaar apparently cleans sensors for 25 euros....