Hi photo folks!

Looks to me it is normal thing to clean a camera inside time to time. I have my Canon 400d a  bit over the year, only cleaning I did is "dusting" with a blower. I had no problem sofar untill reasantly I could not remove a dust anymore. I di not "dig" into a camera I send it to the Canon repair service. They can not remove a dirt from a sensor so they want to replace a sensor. Cost me a same as buy a new Canon 400d body. No question I will buy a new camera. But how to go clean it and protect a camera in a future I have little idea. 
Please tell me how you clean your gear and how often you think it is needed to do so.
Any input greatly thanked...
seeya  Tunde

( I am changing my lens very offten. Always turn a camera downwards when I attached a lens to it. Always do this in a wind free area. I prepair a lens before hand by place it on a table rear end sitting on a rear cover loose unsrewed, so all I do is lift up a lens and attach to the camera. For a swapped lens allready a cover waiting ready so straight ways a lens goes on the rear cover.)

Great question Tunde and timely for me as well it will be interesting to see the answers :-)
Catchyalata
Peter

I don't actually have this (yet!) but it's a system that is always seems to come highly recommended.

www.visibledust.com

I would not accept that they cannot remove the dirt from the sensor unless they can give an explanation why !  Forward their written explanation to Canon saying how dissatisfied you are.

Normal sensor cleaning involves cleaning with fluid on a swab  and costs  £25 in London, UK.
 Usually this is sufficient.  However in rare cases a piece of dust can get under the glass filter covering the sensor, so can't be removed by this method. If this happens to remove the filter and clean, or replace it, costs more (£95).  This is not the price of a new camera or sensor !

You sound as if you have been so careful and done all the right things when changing lenses. I do not accept they cannot clean it. 

Are they saying the sensor is faulty ?  If so at little over a year old I would press them on this for a repair under the guarantee. I know it is just outside warranty, but I would still press them.  I do not think the sensor is faulty, that would be rarer than dust under the filter !

Thanks Astro. I all ready placed an order for cleaning kit. Eclipse it s called. Will see what can I do with it when I have to. Interesting to see "Eclipse" does not recomend a sensor brush while  " Visible dust" yes. I hope somebody can help me with that as well. Use it or not this is the question...lol

seeya  Tunde

I find it hard to believe that Canon will NOT clean your sensor!!!!  Unless there is someting more wrong than just dust!!!!
I would try again with another Canon service center....failing that, before you go and buy another camera, I would try to do a "wet" cleaning yourself....you have nothing to lose.

Wet cleaning is done by most pro's to get rid of stubborn dust or oil from the sensor's filter.

I don't have much time now....but when I have a chance, I will try to find you a link to wet cleaning techniques.

Do not try to clean it yourself with eclipse fluid until you have resolved any dispute with the service centre !!!

Yes, I agree fully with Richard.....what I meant to say was that if you have fully exhausted your options with Canon service without satisfactory resolution.....and before you buy a new cam.....then and only then try a wet clean.  In other words...as a LAST resort!

Also be very careful with using any type of cleaning fluid.....and make sure you are using the RIGHT type of fluid.   There have been problems with using older fluid formulations on some of the newer sensor filters....be aware!

Regardless, something just doesn't sound right with this situation....Canon SHOULD be able to clean the filter if it is a dust or oil problem....or, as Richard says to remove the filter and clean....they do this ALL the time!   I think there must be more to the story....and you really need to press Canon to get to the bottom of this!

Good Luck!

I think you have been conned!  I have just had yesterday my cannon 10D sensor and mirrors cleaned, cost £40.   

I agree, they should have been able to clean it or given a valid reason as to why they could not. And the price sounds absurd.

Thank you guys the input. I try to argue with them soon as they open. I myself don't understand why they not able to clean the sensor. Somehow I did not think Canon has a  "slack" service like this.
About a price. I can have a b.new 400d for 750.00 delivered from Hong Kong trhoug e-bay. Canon replace a sensor for 800 bux. This is the option I can have.

seeyus and thanks again for the replies   Tunde

Theres some good reading on this link....

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/

I've been meaning to clean my sensor for ages. 
Lazyness means I have to erase dust marks in photoshop quite often...what a pain.
I'm hoping my local camera club will be doing a workshop on it sometime soon. 
I hope you get some satisfaction with your camera.

Anthony

Thanks for the link Anthony! Since yesterday I collect info from internet how to do clean a camera myself. I am so affraid of it to do it. I am not good with fine delicate job.

I did called Canon back, they totaly rejecting my arguement. Kinda, like it or leave it attitude they have. The sensor not faulty. They can not clean it without damaging a sensor (some particles so much stucked to the sensor...(??) so they not do it so. Sound like to me they did not even try it at all.  I even got an advise if I am not happy next time buy a Nikon!! Not bad Canon!!

seeya  Tunde

That is appalling.  

Please complain to Canon  themselves that service franchise is not worthy of calling themselves a service centre, or be involved in any customer focused business. !!!

They are talking total bll**s !

If it is dirt it can be cleaned. The worst case scenario is they would have to remove the anti aliasing filter to clean it - still not the price of a new sensor or camera.

The only part of advice I agree with is not to buy Canon again if it meant dealing with such an incompetent service centre .

I deminded some answer thanks for encouragment guys. What they said. The dirt is got between a filter and a sensor. They not think is wise to clean it, they still stick to the story it will damage a sensor itself. I managed to get a price down "only" 475.00 to get a new sensor now.
Problem is what ever phone number I call it is directed to the main Canon Australia Service. I can not talk to somebody higher than a  technical support and complain about a handling of this matter.

I love my canon, next time I will send it to america....lol

seeya  and thanks again. Tunde

Attached Link: http://www.eos-magazine.com/Sales%20folder/Sales/sensorcleaning.html