1DX "Caution 02" Warnigns AND Filthy Sensor

[Nazareth]

For those that have the Canon 1DX, Have any of you seen the 'Caution 02" (Which is to warn about a suppsoed unexpected drop in battery power)? You'll find any system warnigns under the 1: 'System Status Display' choice in the 4'th section of the yellow wrench in the menu - If you haven't viewed these before, you'll need to click on the 'system status display' - then click info, then I beleive click info again when you select one of the warnigns cautions (If you have any listed there?)

I've searched the itnernet but there is VERY little info on this issue- I've contacted canon services via email- but haven';t hearde back yet, and they'll probably want me to send it in to them isntead of just explaining what the problem might be-

I have updated firmware to latest version- but hte problem existed even before the uopdate- I've only had abotu 4 of these 'caution 02' warnings

On another note- did anyoen notice an unusually filthy sensor filter when viewign photos of sky with small aperatures (abotu f16-22 or so?) My sensor filter was absolutely filthy on a suppsoedly brand new camera, (Which was bought from Amazon.com ltd liscenced which I can imagine anyone messign with the camera before selling it since amazon's reputation is on the line- it could happen i suppose, but it would seem unlikely- I read soemwhere that the canon 6d's are arrivign with, or get filthy sensor filter shortly after firing a few shots- soem thinking perhaps a lubricant is causing dirty sensors? The grunge and dust I saw ion soem moon shots at F22 in the sky was shocking! In 3 years of usign my canon 7d with many many lens changes i nthe field, I have never seen dust dirt and grime liek htis on my sensor- but this brand new 1DX was just absolutely filthy- soem of it was dust- and fell off with compressed air, but most of it is either lubricant or really stuck on dust- I suspect it's lubricant htough as it looks morel ike grime smears than dustr particles when viewed enlarged

Have a look at this fred miranda thread to see what I'm talking about in regards to the filthy sensor filter- we're not talking about just usualy dust here- as you'll see- My sensor filter is just as filthy as the one in the link, and others in photocamel who own the 1DX have shared that their sensor filters are also filthy when they bought it new or shortly after- the amount of spots and grunge is very unusually high. I've heard from several new 1DX owners that in their years of ownign and using cameras and changing lenses etc, they have never seen the amount of filth and grunge o ntheir sensors as they've seen o ntheir new 1DX's sensors- and that too has been my experience- there seems to be an issue with the 1DX's sensor filter or soem lubricant i nthe camera splattering all over trhe filter or something- If anyone here who owns the 1DX has these two issues (The warning/caution 02) and the dirty sensor filter despite camera being new, please post your experience here- thanks

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1153198/0

[TotoEC]

Post a picture so we can see how filthy your 1DX sensor is. 

[Nazareth]

Toto- I posted a link that is almost a spitting image of how filthy my own sensor is- thel ink was to the Fred Miranda forums where a perosn there is havign hte same issues as I've had- I can post my own photo here of a crop though-- My whole sensor was covered in these spots (This photo was just the sky and the moon at f/22 I beleive, so it really showed up) The smaller spots appear to be lubricant of soem kind, and smears, and woudl not respond to air when attempting to air clean- some of the larger particles did fall off, but most of hte spots remained- In 3 years of using my canon 7d, with many many lens changes i nthe field, I've never run into sensor grime liek thsi 1DX showed upion just receiving hte camera- I can see the sensor havign soem dirt perhaps from shipping, storing etc, but this was quite excessive- and if it's lubricant, it's gonna be a bear to clean:

[Nazareth]

wow- that really stretched the photo- not sure why- but you can at least see the large spots, and if you look close, or go to my public portfolio to cview the image, you can see all the smaller spots all over the sensor- some faint, some not so faint etc-

[TotoEC]

Nazareth,  Thanks for posting.  I see that you posted in canonrumor site as well. Members there are very knowledgeable and helpful .

Here's my take . . .

Comparing the picture you posted contra the picture posted by John Mulgrew @ the other forum site, I'd say that yours are way different in the following:

1.  lubricant / spots - is(are) what you see at the other post (not yours).  On that picture, though not 100% sure, it looks like the dirt was from a compressed air blown directly onto the chamber at the time of cleaning.  Somehow, it was as though the compressed air cartridge was almost empty and spread the debris all thru the nooks of the camera.

                In your case, if you have other pictures to examine, check if the [dark] spots are in the same location - picture-by-picture.  If they are, then it really might be in the sensor.  If not, then it is not in the sensor.

2.  smears – I have seen this from what I did long time ago with my F1 camera.  Luckily, I have cleaned the mirror, the focusing screen and the bottom of the pentaprism that faces the mirror.  If the smear was from the camera lens, you will actually notice a hazy or blurry view when looking at the VF.  It's kinda stubborn to clean this with just a swab hence, you will need a lens cleaning paper or cloth and wipe/clean it purposely.  Breath onto the lens to see where else needs further cleaning.

                In your case, the smear was as though it was a result of an attempt to clean the sensor itself by a cotton swab that has been dubbed with a liquid solution, then, was wiped or left to dry.

If you are adventureous, and not afraid to further ruin your 1DX, and this is at your own risk:  set the camera to Bulb, and while holding the shutter, clean the sensor lightly until you are satisfied with the result.  I am not going to recommend what to use.  Search the internet for the best and safest tool/application to use.

Better yet, bring and have your 1DX serviced by the nearest Canon service center.

Good Luck!

[Nazareth]

Thanks for responding- The photo I posted doesn't really show the dirt/spots/splatters whatever they are, very well due to the stretching, and it's just a small crop of the whole photo- so it doesn't reall give a sense of the extent of the debri- I also didn't do cotnrast or anything to make htem show up better- so they are kinda difficult to see- but when I take a photo of a white wall or soemthign at F/22- and examien the photo- it's very evident through out the whole frame-

Here's a link to my flickr site where you can right click the photo and choose 'largest size ' and it shows the spots a bit better- some look like dust that actually cast shadows, while other spots definately have a halo aroudn htem like a spot of liquid or somethign would produce http://www.flickr.com/photos/55331349@N05/8235915673/  Most of the fainter spots look like that- a spot with a halo aroudn them that doesn't look like a shadow like hte actual dust spots produce- A couple of larger more prominet spots of debri clearly look like an object with a shadow- but the smaller ones to me look like splattered liquid- I coudl be wrong, but that's what they look like- and hte whoel screen is covered in them

I'm probably goign to have to send it in, but that's goign to mean risking injury to the camera from shipping two ways, paying shipping, paying insurance, and beign without camera for at minimum a week and half- maybe longer- and my feeling is that sooner or later, I'm going to have to learn to clean sensor myself because I am not goign to be able to afford sending it in and havign to pay shipping, plus insurance on shipping, plus cost of cleaning- But I have to first find out if folks are cleanign their 1DX's without much problems- The thread at Fred Miranda's site got me nervous abotu attempting it myself due ot the mention of the apaprent more fragile sensor in the !DX bodies- and due to it possibly being 'hermetically sealed' to the sensor itself which would mean big $$ if the filter gets scratched or damaeges-

[Nazareth]

Well this is direct from Canon services

"I sincerely apologize for any dust that may have gotten on your sensor after manufacturing or during shipping.  I can assure you that the sensor is not any more or less delicate than any of our other sensors, and all of our sensors for a long time have had the filter sealed to the sensor unit in some way."

And then the usual 'please send it in for cleaning- we don't recommend customers clean their sensors in any way shape or form' etc.

The email said that the sensors have been sealed to the filter in soem way shape or form for awhile, but just wondering how a company like lifepixel can replace just the sensor filter if it's sealed to the sensor itself? If they can do this, why can't canon replace just the sensor filter alone?

but anyways, there's Canon's response to my questions to them about the **bleep**ility of the sensor, and whether it is 'hermetically sealed' to the filter like was indicated in the fred miranda site thread-

[telstar]

Hi, I have had 3 'Caution 02' warnings on my 1DX, but I just ignore them as they have not come up on the main display and are only in the tucked away system status, so personally I am assuming they are not that important and most probably a sw issue - just hope I am right - LOL