R1 cluster of hot pixels

[obl918]

Canon R1 I've owned since Dec 2024. When I first got it I did some astrophotography with great results. I took lots of dark calibration images and the sensor was excellent.

Tonight I went out to take some new ones, first time doing this in over a year. Now I have a very noticeable white spot that is visible at just 2" at 1600 ISO in live view and pretty glaringly obvious in images.

The sad thing is, I hardly use the camera. It's for fun and occasional outings. It has not gotten much use. Running a sensor clean had the expected effect -- which is to say, no effect. 

Am I correct in assuming I am just totally out of luck with this flagship camera? 

[Peter]

Can you share some raw samples? Use a file host. The picture above and one at ISO 100 and 1/10 sec.

[obl918]

Looks like the forum scrubbed that image bigtime. Here are some raw files:

• Jan 2025 baseline — 2.5s, ISO 12800, 15°C — clean, no spot: https://filedump.vexelfire.com/-x7qKSw77EJ/088A6821_clean.CR3
• Body cap, 15s, ISO 1600, 31°C — spot at its largest: https://filedump.vexelfire.com/-AMpQC97mhD/088A6018_clean.CR3
• Body cap, 2s, ISO 1600, 27°C — spot visible even at 2s: https://filedump.vexelfire.com/-SjCRqQVKM2/088A6019_clean.CR3

[obl918]

Sorry for not including a link to raw images. Here are three:

• Jan 2025 baseline — 2.5s, ISO 12800, 15°C — clean, no spot: https://filedump.vexelfire.com/-x7qKSw77EJ/088A6821_clean.CR3
• Body cap, 15s, ISO 1600, 31°C — spot at its largest: https://filedump.vexelfire.com/-AMpQC97mhD/088A6018_clean.CR3
• Body cap, 2s, ISO 1600, 27°C — spot visible even at 2s: https://filedump.vexelfire.com/-SjCRqQVKM2/088A6019_clean.CR3

I am aware that the sensor temp is significantly cooler on the older image. I have no way of testing right now if the summer weather surfaced an existing problem or if this is actually new. Either way though, seems like a pretty bad splotch of hot pixels.

[johnrmoyer]

The "Sensor Cleaning" "Clean Now" menu will on some cameras map out hot pixels and improve the image. I do not have EOS R1, but on my EOS R5 and EOS 80D it seems to me to improve the image. 

[obl918]

Thank you for your reply. I did try that, but no change. I had Claude analyze the raw image and it's saying that the white spot is over 700 pixels maxed out, all right next to each other. The sensor cleaning may trigger a calibration but that level of heat is pretty tough to fix after-the-fact. They are so hot that stacking dark images for calibration doesn't remove them from the final image.

[Peter]

I have taken a look now. Burned by sunlight? Any marks on the sensor?

[wq9nsc]

I agree with Peter that is likely either sensor damage or a fault in the sensor or its readout/buffer circuitry.  That isn't normal hot pixels.

This is a screenshot from DPP of a RAW image from my 4 year old 1DX III with the lens cap on and a 2 second exposure at ISO 1,600 with no noise reduction applied.  A few random "hot" pixels but you should never see a grouping like that from normal hot pixel issues. And both of my 1DX III bodies have seen a ton of use in very rough conditions shooting sports.

The camera needs to go to Canon service for a checkup.

Rodger

1DX III ISO 1,600 2 second exposure.jpg

[jrhoffman75]

when I power down my R6M3 I get a message to br sure to install my lens cap. Closing the shutter on shutdown is also an optional setting. Not something that beeded to be considered with DSLRs. 

[obl918]

For what it's worth, I have never taken this Camera out without a proper lens and cap. I baby this thing.

I suppose sensor damage is plausible, I just can't imagine when that would have happened.

Based on how I use this, and how ridiculously careful I am with it, I suspect a defect in the sensor. I'll have to arrange for service and see. Not looking forward to the bill for that!