EOS-1D X & EOS-1D X Mark II - Dirt...near constant.....

[inkjunkie]

I have a 1DX and a 1DX Mark II. Swear they are both dust/dirt /grunge magnets. When I change lenses the camera body is ALWAYS pointed towards the ground. My mentor insisted that I hold the open camera body up against me but this just made the problem far worse. I understand that dirt anywhere in the focus area will not effect the images but it is very annoying to look at. So I will often, very gently, clean the mirror and the focusing screen. I have not been doing any shooting, my back problem has ramped up so I simply can not enjoy shooting so I have been avoiding it. A buddy wants me to go some where with him so I decided I need to look at the cameras. The 1DX was Cleaned by CPS, had a lens put on it and was used for an hour, it is still spotless. The Mark II...well...despite it sitting in a zippered shut bag with a lens on it looks like my dogs hauled it around for a while. Specs galore on the sensor. Mirror has a haze on it. The focusing screen is a wreck. I cleaned the mirror using the blower to remove all of the loose junk, then I VERY GENTLY wiped it with a used swab. Far from spotless but at least it no longer has dust particles on it. Again, I know that a gungy mirror will not show up on the images. When looking thru the view finder I saw what looked to be hairs and blobs of something. I took the blower and blew out the view finder and attempted to blow the junk off of the focusing screen. But it was just as dirty. So I very gently removed the focusing screen...all the garbage was on the top side of it. More blower. Put it back in, now there is one very tiny spec somewhere.

Just have to clean the sensor.

I am a CPS member so I very easily could have boxed it up and sent it to them. But this dirt problem happens every time I use the camera. All of the weather seals are good. I never have the camera body open and facing upwards. I also have a 7D Mark II. I treat this camera body the same way I do the full frames. Have been using it for a year, have never had to clean it once.

So whats the deal here? Do full frame cameras generate more static than crop cameras, masking them gunge magnets?

Like I mentioned earlier, I know I could have sent it to CPS but often times due to me being a bit forgetful I simply don't have time. Local shop charges $85@camera to basically clean the sensor and dust the body off.

So....folks that clean their own gear, how do you deal with this? Or is this just another one of those things that is just my miserable luck?

Finally....for those that maintain there own gear, how do you clean your mirror. I mean 0 disrespect here but if you are going to tell me to send it in to CPS kindly save your time and mine...I am well aware I can do that but as I stated earlier that is NOT ALWAYS  an option.

Apologies for the length...

Hope everyone had a very safe & Merry Christmas.

[wq9nsc]

Not sure what is up with those cameras because I shoot several times a week, mostly outdoor sports events, using a 1DX and 1DX 2 and I have had no problems like you are describing.  Although I usually keep the same lens on during an event, I do sometimes change them as lighting conditions change or to capture different situations.  I have shot in the snow, rain, wind, etc. on many occasions without problem so I am not sure why you are seeing so much debris getting into your camera bodies

I would be very careful about using plastic bags because a lot of them outgas as they age and that is likely where the film/coating on your mirror is originating.   This is part of the same issue that causes buildup on the inside of your car windshield as many car interior components outgas heavily when new.

Hopefully someone else who has also experienced a heavy amount of foreign material in their camera will have better suggestions as to the root cause.  I am careful with my cameras but I bought them to use so they go hiking, to many sports events, and in general get a lot of use (several thousand images per body each month).  Although I have preferred lens setups for different events, I have probably a dozen different Canon lens that get used with these bodies along with a 1.4X converter so they don't sit around with the same lens on all of the time.

Good luck on getting this sorted out!

Rodger

[Waddizzle]

I hope you are not seeing mold.  Have you used a rocket blower on your lenses?  They might be the cause.

Where are you when you are changing lenses?  I always carry two bodies, just so that I do not have to change lenses, which does not mean that I do not carry alternate lenses.  I no longer change them just anywhere, if I do not have to.

Changing lenses outdoors is a very good way to collect foreign debris in the camera box.  There are all kinds of things floating in the breeze, from moisture to dust and pollen.  

Changing lenses inside of your vehicle can be bad, too.  Turn of the AC, and all blowers if you do.  But, that does not really help because the air is riddled with micro particles, which will get inside your gear.  The only time I change lenses in my car now is when it has been parked for a while.

[shadowsports]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

I hope you are not seeing mold.  Have you used a rocket blower on your lenses?  They might be the cause.

Where are you when you are changing lenses?  

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That is a very good question.  This is InkJunkie.  These changes could be ocurring anywhere, at a dragstrip or on safari.  He's world wide.

@Inkjunkie,

You disappeared...  now you're back.  (Oh no)  LoL.

I am not sure how the inside of your camer'a are getting so dirty.  Tilting the body down during lens changes is a good habit.  I change lenses outside infrequently.  Last time was somewhere on the Eiffel Tower.  It was a one-handed hanging from a ladder maneuver before security came.  Mission accomplished.

I keep my gear super clean and inspect everything before storing.  I wash my hands before handling or after eating.  No lotion or hand creams.  I use compressed air for the outside,  puffer for the box rarely.  I won't take gear to the beach if there is anything more than a breeze.  Rain is a different story.  I have an Easy-Cover on my body (which I really like), but my lenses have see some light rain and all work great.  That's what this stuff s for, taking pictures. 

Like Wadizzle said, changing outdoors increases the odds for picking up stuff.  All you can do it take reasonable precautions.  You have the benefit of CPS.  Yes not always ideal, but helpful to have.  

[ebiggs1]

WOW! 

I read all those replies and I am in total disbelief. I do nothing and have never done anything extraordinary when changing lenses.  If I want a lens change it happens anywhere, anytime. This has been my practice for decades.  I know some of my still working pro buddies that throw the rear lens cap away.  They never even use them. Lens open all the time!

My main most bodies right now is the 1DX and Mk IV. Neither seems prone to dust any more or less than any camera I ever owned.

This means I have no answer for your predicament. Except I would refrain from,"...I VERY GENTLY wiped it with a used swab." A cotton swab?  That could possibly cause a static charge that attracts dust? Especially if it is dry.

"Hope everyone had a very safe & Merry Christmas."   Christmas gone a year, but a happy holidays to you also.

[inkjunkie]

Well...I think I found the answer to my "booger" issue. I narrowed it down to a particular lens. Of course if I would have noticed that the gasket behind the mount on this lens was missing big chunks I probably would not have had all the "booger" issues.