DUST IN SENSOR

Tried dry swabs, wet swabs, lens brush, rocket blower but the dust particle will not come off ....... Maybe it is on the rear side of the AA filter.......if nothing works I will have to send the camera to the service center in Dallas. I can see the particle clearly with the Carson SM-44 lens magnifier, but it seems to be cemented to the filter. I have been very careful swapping lenses. Do not know what I did wrong.

I never do the cleaning myself but always bring camera to the service center. After cleaning I get two A4 format prints - before/after and it costs about 50€

I actually have messed up a sensor trying to do it myself with a cleaning kit. I followed the directions and left permanent streaks on the sensor. After that I have always taken cameras to a local repair center or sent them to manufacturer.

I had a similar problem to what you are describing. There was dust under the top layer of the image sensor. No idea how it got there. I have become obsessively careful with lens changing and whatnot, and from time to time, something still gets in. Its something I have learned to prepare for, and check constantly when travelling.

Did you try it the way I told you, with the Eclipse wet swabs? I had what I actually thought was a scratch on mine. I was convinced it wasn't going to come off. It took me about ten tries with the wet swabs and it finally came off by mopping it very gently with the head of a Q-tip..and then giving the filter one more pass with the pec pad.

Try this, using something other than your fingers so you don't get oil on it, pull the tip of a Q-tip out a bit so as not to risk touching the wooden or plastic stick on the sensor cover...put a drop or two right onto the sensor and then mop the Q-tip gently back and forth over the spot..this is the only way I got rid of my welded-on dust.

I used the Visible Dust kit. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/574320-REG/1.3X_SENSOR_BRUSH_CLEANING_KIT

The problem with this article is that in does not say what is the best method:

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

They even talk about the Scotch Tape method. LOL

I read that same article before I did mine...there was another site I finally went on that made me decide on the Eclipse wet cleaning method. It looks similar to the kit you got...I spent quite a bit of time getting rid of this spot but it finally came off. I think the problem is that people scare us into thinking we're going to ruin our cameras by touching anything on the "sensor" and we end up being TOO gentle with it...remember, all this is is a glass filter over the sensor, not the sensor itself. As long as what touches it isn't abrasive, sticky or oily then it'll be okay. If I were you I would take one drop of that solution and drop it right onto the glass filter and then take a fluffy Q-tip and gently but thoroughly "scrub" the surface, and then finish it off with a couple of swipes with the pads. If I followed the manufacturer's instructions, it would've taken 20 pec pads to remove the welded-on dust, if I was to have any success at all, "mopping" it up was the only was I got rid of it. If you do that and the dust doesn't come off, then it is not on your filter surface. I did it, still found a spot in my image and realized I also had a spot on the rear element of my lens. Swabbed that too and it also was like new.

cinecameratv,
Visible dust have three different strength liquids:

http://www.visibledust.com/products3.php?pid=303

Check out their videos as to which swab goes with which liquid

Good luck and make sure the battery is fully charged - would be a nightmare for the shutter to come whizzing across a bit early!
Paul

with the GH3 you don't have to worry about battery being charged since it is mirrorless. There is nothing to lift out of the way, you open it up and the filter is right there, but you're right, if it was a Canon or Nikon DSLR and that happened it would suck badly!

On the canon there's not only a mirror but there is also a mechanical shutter covering the sensor. The mirrors only function is when one is using the viewfinder rather then using the LCD other then that it serves no other purpose. In fact it could be taped in the upward position.

The GH3 uses an electronic shutter which has the advantage of being silent but also has it own limitations regarding flash and higher ISO usage.

Some times it takes more than two passes to clean a sensor but one thing I wouldn't use is CO2 air canister in the deluxe cleaning kit.