A700 Sensor horror story .. help

[adakshi]

I was petrified. Last night after a visit to Shenandoah National park, I was processing cRAW and found some dust spots. Opened the mirror box and started puffing with big rocket blower. Then the climax, A700 with VG, two batteries slipped off my hand and you can imagine, naked sensor and rocket blower tip pointing to the sensor what could happen. Sensor indeed hit hard.

When I looked at my sensor, I found deep scratch like thing on it. My heart literally stopped for a while.

I assumed I'll have to pay $300-400, then why not try something .. wiped off the sensor with soft lens cloth moistened with eclipse, after a some cleaning, the scratch did disappear and from the picture I couldn't locate any mark at all. except some dust spots or lint. Probably they are attached due to static charges.

I did a quick test on SSS, focus accuracy(only central spot), sensor alignment .. everything looks as is. No damage.

Now my question is, since I saw a scratch mark and it was a real scratch, why I am not able to see the damage .. unknown damage is dangerous as it might appear once 1 year warranty is over.

I thought sensor system itself is too delicate, apart from the SSS. What I am missing? I thought I messed up the LPF protector .. what is it made up of? How a deep scratch can be removed so easily.

Need some help/suggestion from you guys. Should I send my camera to service center explaining what I did?

Help is appreciated.

[pakodominguez]

I think you haven't hit the sensor, but the filter it has on the front.
If you are in the USA, call to sony, get a ticket for the reapir and insist you want to send it to the Laredo facility: precision camera sucks (ask Sonolta about it...)

[01af]

Scratches on glass (AA filter over sensor or lens elements) often aren't. In many cases what looks like a scratch actually is just a mark left from an object that has touched the glass surface. Such marks usually can get wiped off entirely. It seems this has happened here, too. So if your camera still focuses accurately, the sensor is aligned squarely (vertical lines still appear vertical), and SSS carries on working then obviously no harm was done.

-- Olaf

[adakshi]

Scratches on glass (AA filter over sensor or lens elements) often aren't. In many cases what looks like a scratch actually is just a mark left from an object that has touched the glass surface. Such marks usually can get wiped off entirely. It seems this has happened here, too. So if your camera still focuses accurately, the sensor is aligned squarely (vertical lines still appear vertical), and SSS carries on working then obviously no harm was done.

-- Olaf

Thanks,

I checked both the axis, looks all are perfectly aligned. I'll check again though. Focus is fine. BTW, is it a glass protecting the sensor/some kind of plastic ... because when I rubbed off the surface .. it felt plastic and as if some scratch/mark, very stubborn, attached to it. If the protector is glass, then probably I am safe .. otherwise I am not sure ..

Any way to check it or test it in a better way .. I mean better testing method.

Thanks
Ayan

[KevinBarrett]

It was probably some rubber transferred to the surface, much like sneaker-marks on the surface of a basketball court. It can look and feel very solid and permanent as it is rubbed away, Unfortunately, while you may not have to worry about that "scratch," the pressure from rubbing it off posed some real threat to the sensor-shift image stabilization.