[niceshot]

Yes and no.
In the absents of a Low-pass filter you are actually not "polishing off" the coloured filters which sit on top of the colour blind light sensitive elements (pixels) but what you will wipe is the Infrared filter (some sort of glass) which sits on top. It also protects everything beneath it.

Cheers

As I understand it there is no physical glass on top of the sensor, correct me if I am wrong

[GeneV]

I would think someone would need to find the diagram of this particular sensor to really know the answer. When I Google diagrams of sony cmos sensor, I get images of a number of different designs. Often there is a micro lens on the top layer. Someone with some engineering chops needs to answer this one.

[lithedreamer]

As I understand it there is no physical glass on top of the sensor, correct me if I am wrong

What would be filtering out IR light, like every other camera seems to do, then?

[wtlwdwgn]

What's missing on the K-1 is the low pass filter which can degrade image quality.

From Imaging Resource:

"At the heart of the Pentax K-1 is a 36.4-megapixel full-frame CMOS image sensor with a Bayer RGBG color filter array. Dimensions are 35.9 x 24mm, total resolution is 36.77 megapixels, and the pixel pitch is 4.9 microns. Maximum image size is 7,360 x 4,912 pixels, except when operating in the APS-C crop mode, when resolution tops out at 4,800 x 3,200 pixels (or in other words, 15.3-megapixels).

As with other Pentax DSLRs since the K-3, the Pentax K-1 doesn't include an optical low-pass filter. It does, however, feature an on-demand mechanical antialiasing function. More on that in a moment. (Or read Dave Etchells' "Geek's Guide to On-Demand Low-Pass Filtering" from our Pentax K-3 review for the full story; the feature is unchanged from that camera.)"

My local dealer recommends using a blower after every photo session especially if you've changed lenses. I've started to do that and I haven't seen as many stuck on particles.

[mattb123]

My local dealer recommends using a blower after every photo session especially if you've changed lenses. I've started to do that and I haven't seen as many stuck on particles.

That seems excessive (depending on how much you shoot I guess). I just blow mine out as needed or if I'm about to do some f/22 long exposures or something like that. I also have a little sensor loupe with a light on it so when I do a cleaning (always dry first) I can pinpoint any offending particles.

[Class A]

I clean my mirror using lens cleaner and wiping.

I don't think you should touch the mirror at all.

It is much more sensitive than the sensor and will scratch very easily.

[monochrome]

I have been avoiding this thread and subject for quite some time now haha... I have had stubborn crud on my K1 sensor for at least four or five months now that the Giotto blower has not been able to remove. It only shows up at small apertures so was hoping that enough time would magically fix it but no dice. When it does show up it can bite hard and require a lot of work to fix the images... Have not touched a sensor with anything since my first dslr (K100D) and never needed more than a Giotto on K5/K3... Given what I've read here, I'm most inclined towards monochrome's solution, but it sure is a pricey trigger to pull...

I f you get the stick I'll lend you my Loupe. (seriously)

[todd]

I f you get the stick I'll lend you my Loupe.

Appreciate that! I actually bought a $20 loop that arrived yesterday and got to see the load of crud stuck on my sensor. I've balked at the stick for now though and ordered some regular old swabs for $15 that should arrive tomorrow. I tried hard but just couldn't pull the trigger on the stick. By the time I get through the pack of swabs, should be ready to dish out the $45 for the stick...

[niceshot]

Appreciate that! I actually bought a $20 loop that arrived yesterday and got to see the load of crud stuck on my sensor. I've balked at the stick for now though and ordered some regular old swabs for $15 that should arrive tomorrow. I tried hard but just couldn't pull the trigger on the stick. By the time I get through the pack of swabs, should be ready to dish out the $45 for the stick...

Truethfully you would be better off with the stick, less chance of micro abrasions.

[todd]

Truethfully you would be better off with the stick, less chance of micro abrasions.

Yeah I am regretting the choice at this point.. Tried using swabs today and under the loupe it just looks like I am smearing stuff around... Too nerve wracked to try it any further and now have to wait til mid next week for the gel stick to arrive from Adorama and pay extra for shipping because the Amazon vendor that had a couple left is now out (people reading this thread? haha)...

Also going to contact my local camera tech tomorrow (whom I trust since he's repaired my gear many times) to see what he charges to clean sensors..

[Schraubstock]

got to see the load of crud stuck on my sensor

Tried using swabs today and under the loupe it just looks like I am smearing stuff around...

Hi

I keep preaching here to remove crap from the sensor as soon as you discover it.

I read all the time, when the blower can't remove it (which in itself is bad advice - let the hate mail begin) just let it be and remove it from the picture in post. I am afraid, not the brightest idea.

Why is the blower not the best idea ? Well, you may just quickly and very temporarily shift the offending matter only to come back at a later stage. Pointing the lens mount to the floor at first thought seems to be logical (and it is when changing glass as dirt is less likely to fly up into the mirror box) but there is no guaranty the fluff you just blown off the sensor (if it even comes off) will obediently sail down through the lens mount and hit the floor. Don't forget, the very low weight of whatever lands on the sensor is the reason it floated through the ambient air, so why should it fly out again particularly when you keep puffing air. It is not suddenly heavier then what it was before. I read all the time, the blower did the trick, sure, but only for the time being. When I find stuff on my sensor it is removed, not just dislodged ! This way it can never make another appearance. To cover all objections to the contrary which will be posted now, I concede there is a likelihood the stuff which just got blown off the sensor may actually not return because it got stuck on some surface inside the mirror chamber, but it is equally or even more likely it will find itself back on the sensor sooner or later.

Now, why should you remove dirt from the sensor as soon as you possibly can ? As stated in my previous posts most stuff which lands on the sensor will be of organic matter. What does organic matter do when humidity builds up in the mirror chamber ? It "blooms". This can be observed when the dirt spot develops a halo. I bet you have seen this before. Give it enough time it will literally "weld" itself to the sensor surface. It will stick like - you know what !

When you are stiff with fear of damaging the sensor removing a simple piece of crap in time, you will be paralysed from the waist up when you face a cleaning job of massive proportions. You neglected to take the s***t off immediately when it was still just one or two fresh little pieces and now you pay the price. With every day the crap remains on the sensor the harder it becomes to remove it and over time you collect more and more. Trust me, I know !

Also going to contact my local camera tech tomorrow (whom I trust since he's repaired my gear many times) to see what he charges to clean sensors..

Yeah, right! There are some good operators no doubt, but most of the time they are not any better then you are and they employ the same cleaning method as you do. You just have to overcome your fear, that is the main thing. And as stated before sensors are more robust then you think. Manufacturers know it is a user serviceable part so it has to be cleanable. I know of a few cases where the cam came back in a worst state then when it was before, even with damage. Yeah, but then I hear you say it is their responsibility to make good. Fat chance, just read carefully the fine print on the repair agreement form. Particularly the part titled "Disclaimer".

Just overcome your fear, get a bit of practice and do it yourself. (Practice on a new CD because it scratches infinitely more easily then any sensor will so you know how hard you can go at it). Unless you have a bad shake or tremor, nobody will be better then you are, because you care more.

Cheers

[niceshot]

Yeah I am regretting the choice at this point.. Tried using swabs today and under the loupe it just looks like I am smearing stuff around... Too nerve wracked to try it any further and now have to wait til mid next week for the gel stick to arrive from Adorama and pay extra for shipping because the Amazon vendor that had a couple left is now out (people reading this thread? haha)...

Also going to contact my local camera tech tomorrow (whom I trust since he's repaired my gear many times) to see what he charges to clean sensors..

well if you already are smearing it around you are committed to complete it that way. clean once wet and then immediately dry it up with another. When i do this with q-tips and moisture from my breath it usually takes 4 or 5 tries . DISCLAIMER I AM TELLING YOU DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. once you get it clean in the future use the stick.

[GeneV]

With the K1, I have noticed one other area that needs some attention: the mirror damper. It is large and woolly felt on the K1, which makes the camera quiet. However, when I blow the dust off the sensor, it is often caught on this cushion and eventually returns to the sensor. I chased one large fiber back and forth for a week, before it got to a place on the felt where it could be safely removed with tweezers. I thought about using the mild adhesive on a post-it note to remove the dust trapped in this felt. Any thoughts?

[niceshot]

With the K1, I have noticed one other area that needs some attention: the mirror damper. It is large and woolly felt on the K1, which makes the camera quiet. However, when I blow the dust off the sensor, it is often caught on this cushion and eventually returns to the sensor. I chased one large fiber back and forth for a week, before it got to a place on the felt where it could be safely removed with tweezers. I thought about using the mild adhesive on a post-it note to remove the dust trapped in this felt. Any thoughts?

Yeah be careful not to snag that felt and pull it out by mistake, Having said that I have done the same.

[Schraubstock]

I chased one large fiber back and forth for a week, before...

I rest my case.