AGGGHHH Weird Canon 7D artifact?

October 25, 2010 2:49 PM

Weird Canon 7D artifact?

So all of a sudden today I see this dark line on the left of my photos, like a hair or pine needle or something- you can see it here over the lampshade.

I of course assumed it was something on the lens so I wiped it off, did sensor cleaning, etc. But the really weird thing is, it only shows up on videos and on stills done in "video mode," ie using the LCD screen!!

If I take a still picture in the normal way, through the viewfinder, everything is fine! To be clear: all other circumstances being exactly the same, taking a picture with the LCD yields this artifact, while taking the picture looking through the viewfinder does not.

How is this possible and what could be the cause?? Thanks!

posted by drjimmy11 to technology (4 answers total)

It's probably something physically in front of the sensor that's only there when the mirror is locked up and the shutter is held open, which happen in both video mode and live view mode. If you put your camera into sensor cleaning mode, you'll probably be able to see it. I wouldn't actually remove it myself, though (it could be something broken off from one of the mechanisms inside the camera). Since you live in LA, if you have time you can take it down to the Canon Factory Service Center down in Irvine to have it investigated (they have walk-in service). Also any other good camera place that does repair would probably be able to take care of it, or send to Canon if it's something broken off inside the camera.
posted by zsazsa at 3:04 PM on October 25, 2010

Hmmm sounds plausible. It is under warranty so I suppose I end up sending it back to Canon.
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:06 PM on October 25, 2010

Update: I put it in manual cleaning mode, it was just a little white hair or something on the mirror; I got it out and everything is fine now! Thanks zsazsa!
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:13 PM on October 25, 2010

BTW, two things you can try to replicate this in normal look-through-the-viewfinder picture taking mode would be: taking a shot with mirror lockup on (to see if it's just the mirror's fault), and taking a long (several seconds) exposure (to see if it's the open shutter's fault). In any case, it looks too sharp to be anything but something that's within millimeters of the front of the sensor.
posted by zsazsa at 3:13 PM on October 25, 2010