GH2 Dead pixel? Help!!!

Brandon Rice

Brandon Rice

Distributed Producer
So, after my shoot this weekend, I noticed a small round dark spot in the upper right hand corner of all my shots where I closed the lens down a lot, and shot a bright background. It is visible with all of my lenses (after testing again). What could this be? And what is the solution to fix this problem? Please help!!!
 
Sounds like dust on the sensor. These can be very tiny & nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, but will show up in the viewfinder & footage as the lens is stopped down.

You can clean it yourself, but I suggest taking it to a professional. I've had Samy's Hollywood do it & the cost was about $50. Recently Abel Cine Tech has been advertising a high-end version of this service, & wouldn't be surprised if Hot Rod Cameras does too.
 
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Wow, this is very GOOD to hear guys! Dust on a sensor can be fixed! Okay, maybe I'll run down to Samy's and have it done. $50 is worth a clean image! I bought the camera used, so it could have been there for awhile.

Can I just bring it in over there, or do I need an appointment?
 
yep, arm yourself with that and a bright light to spot the sucker. only thing you need to be wary of is getting anything else into there, so a clean-non dusty room is best, and don't breath directly into the chamber. if you don't have a dust mask, you can just tuck your lower lip under your upper lip and breath through your mouth so you're blowing down and away from the chamber while peering into there. To be extra safe, try to do it with the camera facing somewhat downward.
 
There's a good amount of tutorials out there on cleaning the sensor, hope that's all it is. I can't remember on the gh2, but the g6 has a pixel remapping feature, aside from in cam sensor cleaning. Check all the features in some of those deep menus on the cam just to make sure.
 
maranfilms said:
There's a good amount of tutorials out there on cleaning the sensor, hope that's all it is. I can't remember on the gh2, but the g6 has a pixel remapping feature, aside from in cam sensor cleaning. Check all the features in some of those deep menus on the cam just to make sure.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I did a pixel refresh and sensor cleaning on the actual camera, but it didn't get rid of it. I'll try the blower method and see what it does.
 
I tried just knocking it out with air, but it didn't work... it's more faint now, but still there when closed all the way down.
 
A Sensor Brush would be be my next step, & if that doesn't do the trick, a Wet Clean with a Sensor Swab.

A Sensor Brush such as the Arctic Butterfly is a good tool to have in your kit, but I'd likely leave Wet Cleaning to a professional. I have all the tools needed but always hated the process as it's easy to leave streaks so often required multiple cleanings.
 
Yeah, uh, everyone is supposed to already know that you never use air to clean a sensor. It can make things worse.

Pay to have it cleaned, or buy one of those specially designed sensor cleaning kits.

If it's changed since the blow job -- you at least know it's dirt on the sensor.
 
Blower bulbs may work but sometimes just blast a lot more dust onto the sensor. I store mine in a sealed zip-lock bag & only use it in emergencies.
 
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