ICS - the dust system

I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked if the Integrated Cleaning System of Canon cameras works or not. The reality is, in our experience, yes it does. But we're just a few people. The wider world is a big place and while most people we talk to are happy with it, we want to know what you think. Do the shaking filters in front of the sensor really help to keep dust away? Is the extra space between the filters and the sensor effective in making what dust is there less obtrusive? How often do you do a manual clean? Have you use the Dust Delete Data function? If so, how did you find it? Has it reduced the frequency with which you have to manually clean the sensor? And for those Nikon users that have defected from Canon (yes, I know there are some of you reading this!) do you miss the cleaning system? Is it one of those things you now need to spend time on again? 

Yes, questions! And yes, we want answers! 

And now for a tip - The shaking filters works by dislodging dust from filters which then drops onto sticky tape below. Think about it like industrial double-sided tape. If you want to maximise the chance of the dust hitting that tape and staying there, you need to make sure gravity is on your side. So, when it comes time to do the automatic sensor cleaning (in other words any time you turn the camera on or off) make sure you try and keep the camera pointing forwards - i.e. with the lens pointing away from you. That way the dust will fall onto the tape. 

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Sensor clean tip

Sensor cleaning. Argh! It makes grown men go weak at the knees. We've been told it's a delicate place to go and that it should be left to the professionals. But did you know you're not actually cleaning the sensor? It's the low pass filter in front of the sensor that gets the dust on it.

But that's beside the point. Now, up front I need to apologise as this is a UK based tip and I'm not sure how it works in other countries, but it would be worth checking.

When you buy an EOS camera, there is a one year warranty with it. Within that warranty period, Canon UK will do one full sensor clean. All you need to do is get it back to them by paying carriage (and insurance if you want) each way. They'll do a sensor clean and it'll come back pristine and ready for use.

With the advent of the Integrated Sensor Cleaning, manual cleaning with Arctic Butterflies, Swabs, Hoovers etc seems to be becoming a thing of the past - certainly my main EOS 1D Mark III has not had a manual sensor clean yet and it's done 20,000+ frames. But it's at least nice to know that if you want it done by Canon, the first one is free!


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