I'm trying to decide on my next camera. I've already got a collection of L lenses that will keep me happy for a while so Canon is my choice and lenses are not a limiting factor to which camera. Michael's review of the 5D discussed the dust problem, but if I recall right he was reviewing a pre-production model. I've seen some other posts that refer to excessive dust on the sensor. I live in Arizona and shoot landscapes so dust is a major consideration. My question is whether or not the dust problem on the sensor has continued into the newer production runs? I'd like to hope they modified something to address it. Any experience on dust in newer 5D's?

Thanks

I am a very busy professional working in the Southwest. I change lenses often on my 5D. I have yet to need to clean my sensor. Enough said?

Thanks, sounds like enough said to me,

Ted

there has been some discussion of 5Ds being "oily" from the factory

i had spots almost immediately that the artic butterfly wouldn't get rid of. i used smear-away, and have used sensor cleaner a couple more times, over the first 500 or 1000 images, in the last 1000 images there seems to be no dust

this is similar to my second 20D, and i think it may not be unusual with new SLRs in general

After all the hoohaa about dusty and oily 5Ds straight from the factory I was quite prepared to have to give my camera a thorough cleaning after I got it home.

Imagine my surprise to find both the viewfinder and the sensor in completely pristine condition. Not a spot of dust or oil or anything nasty anywhere.

I had a dusty view finder on any early 5D. Canon cleaned it for free in less than a week. Great camera. I would buy one again..no problem.

My viewfinder is a little dusty but it doesn't bother me. I only use a Rocket Blower to clean it and that does the job on the sensor. And since I only use primes I change lenses quite often in the field.

I've worked on 3 5Ds.

One had big flakes and oil streaks
One had big flakes
One had oil streaks

All straight from the factory.

Get past that, the camera rocks.

I get lots of dust all the time, is it only me? but at small aperatures it shows up so I do a general cleaning once a month with an arctic butterfly and occasionally with fluid and pec pads. The camera more than rocks you'll love it
Marc

i just picked up a 5D. What is the best option for keeping it clean??

The salesperson recommended only using dry methods and recommended i get an artic butterfly for the 1.6 size sensor, since it is easier to avoid the chamber walls to clean the sensor. I just wanted to get some feedback if this is indeed the best method (he said that because of the lubricants on the chamber walls, there is more of a chance of touching the walls with a the Arctic butterfly for the full frame sensor which will smear the sensor.

I just wanted to know what others are doing.

I've been cleaning a 5D with the smaller 1.6x Visible Dust brush (not the Arctic Butterfly) and it works really well. If one is careful, one can minimize contacts with the mirror box. I've got a larger brush and with this one, it's a bit more difficult to avoid the chamber walls.
I don't know if VD Arctic Butterfly brushes show much differences (1.6x vs 1.3x vs 1x).

Thanks Francois, i guess sticking to the brush for the 1.6x size sensor is the best option. I will check out the options. At least now stores in town actually carry the VD products, so I can take a look and ask the salesperson to show me the product, rather then buy blind.

Try to get some wet cleaning stuff along with your brush, just in case you smear your sensor with the brush. It happened to a friend of mine when he was shooting in remote mountains in Yemen. No need to say that he didn't find swabs and cleaning fluid. The good thing is that he is now a "Photoshop Healing Brush" master.

When my 5D was new I had the oily streak problem 2 or 3 times. I cleaned it with the Visible Dust sensor cleaning solution and swab kit and washed the brushes with their brush washing tablets dissolved in water.

After a time it settled down and now it just gets dusty!

In my experince it's neither better nor worse than the 20D or 10D for picking up dust. I don't avoid changing lenses in dusty conditions (I'd prefer to get the shot) and it does get a dusty sensor from time to time.

When it does I simply clean it with the full size brush (not the Arctic Butterfly). Far from not touching the mirror box walls, I clean them from time to time with a smaller brush, but I never use this one on the sensor. I believe keeping the mirror box clean will help to keep the sensor clean.

It varies, but I'd probably average a sensor clean about every 2,000-3,000 frames. I do work in some quite dusty situations.

Regards

Frank

same thing happened to me at the Tetons last fall with the IDmkIIN. My sensor got smeared, and i ran out of sensor swabs. There are two fairly decent camera stores there, but neither carried sensor swabs. I ended up only using my xti for the last two days there and after that incident i have not cleaned my sensor since. Instead i've sent it to canon once and then just used the rocket blower.

But i guess i need to get good at cleaning the sensor properly, coz it took two weeks for canon to get the camera back to me.

My friend paid $250 and had to wait for 4 weeks to have his 5D serviced by Canon in Switzerland ( ).
If you use Eclipse fluid, be aware that they suggest the new E2 fluid for 5d and XTi. A list for compatibility is here. I've come across of few reports that the original Eclipse fluid was not compatible with the new sensors (xti or 400D, 5D and now 1d3) and caused some damage...

Thanks Francois - that's good to know. With the 5D, is it better to get the 1.6x swab or the full frame? i'm just worried about smearing the sensor with lubricants.

I've never tried with FF swabs as my current camera is a 1D2 and I borrow a 5D on occasions. What I can say is that I've been using 1.6x swabs with no problem on a 5D. It might be easier than with FF swabs since the swab is narrower but it's just a guess.
Please, note that I've not tested the "new" Visible Dust swabs, I only used either the original Sensor Swabs or the Copper Hill method.

One strategy that I have employed to reduce the entry of dust into the camera and onto the sensor is quite simple and has been quite effective. Before switching lenses, I use a blower bulb around the margin where the lens is attached to the camera before I remove the lens to blow off any dust that may be sitting near the attachment point. I always do this since I assume that there are small amounts of dust, pollen, etc. present. Next, I blow off the dust between the lens and rear cover of the replacement lens and loosen the rear lens cover from this replacement lens. I then carefully remove the lens from the camera, place the rear lens cover from the replacement lens on it and place the new lens on the camera. The camera is placed so that the mount is facing forward, not up, during the lens exchange, This operation, which takes just a few seconds, has been quite effective in reducing entry of dust on to the sensor and has substantially reduced my need to clean the sensor.

The 5D dust issue is overblown. It is no more or less a dust magnet than other DSLRs. There were a few early production units that may have had more dust than usual coming out of the factory.

The best way to avoid dust on the sensor is minimize the exposure to dust. Have the lens uncapped and ready with the orientation dot already in position. When you are prepared like this then the camera mouth is exposed for less than a second.