EX1 Sensor Damage? at DVinfo.net

Gavin Rawlings · August 3rd, 2010, 02:21 PM

Has anyone ever come across this problem of a purple S shaped line (see attached photo) on there EX images?

At first I though it was something on the lens but after cleaning it was still there. I can't see any visible marks on the inside of the lens either. I then found that the mark stays the same size in the same place when zooming. I presume this mark must be on the sensor then but I also noticed the further I close down the iris the more visible and detailed the S shape becomes.

Would closing down the iris make a mark on the sensor more visible as it would on the lens?

Cheers

Serena Steuart · August 4th, 2010, 12:10 AM

Not the best image for seeing anomalies. Can you post something without so much clutter? If you're shooting through vertical blinds I think there might be other problems.

Marten Dalfors · August 4th, 2010, 12:29 AM

To me it seems to be some kind of dust (the shape is just the shape of the dust particle) on the sensor or close to the sensor. When I have dust on my DSLR sensors it looks and behaves like what you describe. On DSLRs it's easy to clean the sensor. I guess it's not that easy on the EX1.

Bruce Rawlings · August 4th, 2010, 05:29 AM

I had a purple mark appear like a hair in the gate on my EX1. Shake the camera and it moved! Sony put a new chip block in it at no charge.

Gavin Rawlings · August 4th, 2010, 04:02 PM

Yer I've given it plenty of shake but no luck for me. I'm taking it to the repair centre today to see what they say.

Thanks guys

Patrick Collins · November 23rd, 2010, 10:56 PM

I seem to also have the same issue with my ex1. Like a pink line, which is less obvious with ND filters applied but still.. what to do? I have a big shoot on saturday.. camera was purchased 1/2008...

Gavin Rawlings · November 24th, 2010, 06:04 AM

Yep thats the exact same issue I had. Same colour as mine so it may be on the green chip in the CMOS block if I'm thinking correctly.

I had to get the whole CMOS block replaced which was a pricey $2500 job. Lucky my insurance covered it in the end. That was through definitec Patrick.

Andy Wilkinson · November 24th, 2010, 06:09 AM

Patrick and/or Gavin, any idea how this happened? Have you shot in nightclubs with lasers going, for example, or very dusty environments? Did Sony say exactly what it was?

Gavin Rawlings · November 24th, 2010, 02:11 PM

Yer I did a 2 week film shoot in the Simpson Desert. Turns out it was some dust from there. Weird shape for dust though...

Mark OConnell · November 24th, 2010, 03:30 PM

It was my understanding that the prism block is sealed. That's why the dust can't simply be cleaned off, instead the whole thing has to be replaced. If this is correct it would make no difference where you were shooting because the dust couldn't have entered a sealed block. Any dust within it must have been there before it was sealed, that is, it must have been introduced during manufacture.

Gavin Rawlings · November 24th, 2010, 03:37 PM

Yes thats correct Mark. It is meant to be completely sealed. I brought this up with the repairer saying that it is a manufacturing fault then but they dismissed that and said its more of a usage fault... Whatever they mean by that... Must of just been a coincidence that it happened straight after the Simpson Desert trip.

Walter Brokx · November 24th, 2010, 04:55 PM

Maybe the heat or temperature changes caused the seal to fail?
Otherwise it should have been there...

Russell Heaton · November 24th, 2010, 06:18 PM

These cameras are built in "clean rooms". The optics and sensors are sealed. The only way you could break that seal is to drive over the camera with a truck. Methinks the factory has contamination issues and the repairer was feeding Mark a line of BS.

I lived in the Simmo for a year and the dust out there is very definitely not organic. So even if the seal was compromised somehow, I doubt that something "curly" would have got in there from the Simmo.

I'd be making a few phone calls to Sony, seeking an explanation.

Cheers

Russ

Mark OConnell · November 24th, 2010, 06:38 PM

If this problem developed during the warranty period Sony would do the repair at their own expense, once that warranty is up you're on your own. I doubt that the suggestion that the dust must've come from their own factory would cause Sony to reconsider this.

Russell Heaton · November 24th, 2010, 06:55 PM

I agree with you Mark. Sony won't want to know you but I think that they should be put on the spot when these things happen....and they should be clear that the EX1 will have to be replaced someday....maybe not by a Sony camera.

If nothing else, they might improve their manufacturing facility and/or QC.

Cheers

Russ

August 3rd, 2010, 02:21 PM	#1
Gavin Rawlings Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 40	EX1 Sensor Damage? Has anyone ever come across this problem of a purple S shaped line (see attached photo) on there EX images? At first I though it was something on the lens but after cleaning it was still there. I can't see any visible marks on the inside of the lens either. I then found that the mark stays the same size in the same place when zooming. I presume this mark must be on the sensor then but I also noticed the further I close down the iris the more visible and detailed the S shape becomes. Would closing down the iris make a mark on the sensor more visible as it would on the lens? Cheers Attached Thumbnails

August 4th, 2010, 04:02 PM	#5
Gavin Rawlings Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 40	Yer I've given it plenty of shake but no luck for me. I'm taking it to the repair centre today to see what they say. Thanks guys __________________ Gavin Rawlings www.gavinrawlings.com.au

November 23rd, 2010, 10:56 PM	#6
Patrick Collins New Boot Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 10	I seem to also have the same issue with my ex1. Like a pink line, which is less obvious with ND filters applied but still.. what to do? I have a big shoot on saturday.. camera was purchased 1/2008... Attached Thumbnails

November 24th, 2010, 06:04 AM	#7
Gavin Rawlings Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 40	Yep thats the exact same issue I had. Same colour as mine so it may be on the green chip in the CMOS block if I'm thinking correctly. I had to get the whole CMOS block replaced which was a pricey $2500 job. Lucky my insurance covered it in the end. That was through definitec Patrick. __________________ Gavin Rawlings www.gavinrawlings.com.au

November 24th, 2010, 06:09 AM	#8
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Patrick and/or Gavin, any idea how this happened? Have you shot in nightclubs with lasers going, for example, or very dusty environments? Did Sony say exactly what it was? __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

August 4th, 2010, 12:10 AM	#2
Serena Steuart Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Studio Alnitak, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Posts: 640 Images: 3	Not the best image for seeing anomalies. Can you post something without so much clutter? If you're shooting through vertical blinds I think there might be other problems.

August 4th, 2010, 12:29 AM	#3
Marten Dalfors Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 61	To me it seems to be some kind of dust (the shape is just the shape of the dust particle) on the sensor or close to the sensor. When I have dust on my DSLR sensors it looks and behaves like what you describe. On DSLRs it's easy to clean the sensor. I guess it's not that easy on the EX1.

August 4th, 2010, 05:29 AM	#4
Bruce Rawlings Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Posts: 410	I had a purple mark appear like a hair in the gate on my EX1. Shake the camera and it moved! Sony put a new chip block in it at no charge.

November 24th, 2010, 02:11 PM	#9
Gavin Rawlings Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 40	Yer I did a 2 week film shoot in the Simpson Desert. Turns out it was some dust from there. Weird shape for dust though... __________________ Gavin Rawlings www.gavinrawlings.com.au

November 24th, 2010, 03:30 PM	#10
Mark OConnell Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 420	It was my understanding that the prism block is sealed. That's why the dust can't simply be cleaned off, instead the whole thing has to be replaced. If this is correct it would make no difference where you were shooting because the dust couldn't have entered a sealed block. Any dust within it must have been there before it was sealed, that is, it must have been introduced during manufacture. __________________ http://www.markoconnell.org

November 24th, 2010, 03:37 PM	#11
Gavin Rawlings Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 40	Yes thats correct Mark. It is meant to be completely sealed. I brought this up with the repairer saying that it is a manufacturing fault then but they dismissed that and said its more of a usage fault... Whatever they mean by that... Must of just been a coincidence that it happened straight after the Simpson Desert trip. __________________ Gavin Rawlings www.gavinrawlings.com.au

November 24th, 2010, 04:55 PM	#12
Walter Brokx Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Maassluis, The Netherlands Posts: 294	Maybe the heat or temperature changes caused the seal to fail? Otherwise it should have been there... __________________ Brainstormnavigator searching for the hole in the sky..... Audiovisual Designer (NL) - http://www.brokxmedia.nl

November 24th, 2010, 06:18 PM	#13
Russell Heaton Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cossack, Western Australia, Australia Posts: 84	These cameras are built in "clean rooms". The optics and sensors are sealed. The only way you could break that seal is to drive over the camera with a truck. Methinks the factory has contamination issues and the repairer was feeding Mark a line of BS. I lived in the Simmo for a year and the dust out there is very definitely not organic. So even if the seal was compromised somehow, I doubt that something "curly" would have got in there from the Simmo. I'd be making a few phone calls to Sony, seeking an explanation. Cheers Russ

November 24th, 2010, 06:38 PM	#14
Mark OConnell Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 420	If this problem developed during the warranty period Sony would do the repair at their own expense, once that warranty is up you're on your own. I doubt that the suggestion that the dust must've come from their own factory would cause Sony to reconsider this. __________________ http://www.markoconnell.org

November 24th, 2010, 06:55 PM	#15
Russell Heaton Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cossack, Western Australia, Australia Posts: 84	I agree with you Mark. Sony won't want to know you but I think that they should be put on the spot when these things happen....and they should be clear that the EX1 will have to be replaced someday....maybe not by a Sony camera. If nothing else, they might improve their manufacturing facility and/or QC. Cheers Russ