Debayering a DSLR's Bayer matrix.

[Gina]

I think this is as far as I go with this 1000D sensor.

 

[Gina]

Flat frame pushed a bit further .

[badgerchap]

That must be a fairly use able area there, plenty bigger than many CCDs I imagine. Are the speckles remaining bits of CFA or dust or....?

Typed inexpertly from my phone

[Gina]

I think mostly dust, in spite of washing off with IPA and drying and then blowing off with a rocket blower before reassembling.  OTOH there are a few specs with what could be CFA structure.

A little later...  Checked the bits that I thought could be CFA remains and they aren't in the same place on previous images.  A darker "lump" that isn't in the same place before sensor cleaning has to be new and therefore dust/dirt.

Edited September 21, 2013 by Gina

[Gina]

I don't think it's worthwhile trying to get too close to the edge of the imaging area - the nearer the edge the greater the risk of going onto the border or catching the fine gold wire.  I've blown a couple of sensors by trying to go the last little bit

Edited September 21, 2013 by Gina

[badgerchap]

Well what you have so far must be fairly sufficient so not worth the fish for a few pixels' worth of sensor area

Typed inexpertly from my phone

[Gina]

I forgot to mention that on this latest 1000D sensor I used only the fine abrasive - Meguiar's Scratch X2 paint scratch remover paste.  Using more pressure on a stiff removal tool I was able to get through the hard surface layer and get the CFA off.  This avoided the scratches I got with the scouring powder.

[Gina]

Been attacking a 350D sensor today.  The cover glass came off ever so easily   I just applied the craft knife to a corner and whiteness appeared immediately .  Next corner, the same and the same for all four   Then I just carefully levered the glass off.  Came off all in one piece without even a chip with no bother at all.  I was quite amazed. 

Then I went on to attack the CFA using the fine abrasive.  Plenty of "elbow grease" and I broke through.  Went on to remove a lot more up to the point of needing the extra care around the edges.  Then I stopped, mopped off the abrasive and CFA remnants with IPA and cotton bud.  Now it's sitting in the camera waiting for reassembly and testing while we had tea.  Fingers crossed.

[Gina]

Just need to sort out which of my several 350Ds is a working one

[Tf2k]

Went the dichlormethane route, again...

This time, the adhesive of the  Coverglass of this D40 went fast white by applying pressure. Too bad, discovered this AFTER i did a deep cut with a glass cutter.

I don't want to try this sensor in my camera... don't want to see it dead again

[Gina]

I know the feeling!!

I think it's worth trying to remove the cover glass with a craft knife etc. before anything more extreme.  I'm sure I read that the EOS 350D cover glass was virtually immoveable without breaking it but my last one came off dead easily, much to my surprise.  For me, life has got in the way of doing any more sensor butchering just lately.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Gina

[Davey-T]

Been dipping in and out of this thread for what seems like a year, oh it is a year , are you going to have a birthday party for it ?

Spent the last four evenings rereading it from the beginning as I still have my old 450d that the mini USB socket fell off and if I can do a full debayer/cooling mod on it I'll lash out the  £130.00 for a new circuit board.

Congratulations to the pioneering SGL R&D team for all their efforts above and beyond the call on behalf of us all.

Dave

[StuartJPP]

......I'll lash out the  £130.00 for a new circuit board.

Dave

Wouldn't it would be better to lash out £159 for a full 2nd user camera (with guarantee) from MPB Photographic?...(they aren't even the cheapest). Then you have got two sensors to play with for very little extra money...

http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/search/canon%20450d?keyword=canon+450d&search_submit=SEARCH+PRODUCTS&used=on

[Gina]

You can get good buys from ebay auctions - that's where I get my cameras.   I expect to get one or two more 450Ds (I only have one ATM) so I expect to have a spare main board(or two).  But if you paid a bit more for a working 450D you'll get your main board and another sensor as posted above.  (Here I am talking you out of giving me money )

[Davey-T]

Wouldn't it would be better to lash out £159 for a full 2nd user camera (with guarantee) from MPB Photographic?...(they aren't even the cheapest). Then you have got two sensors to play with for very little extra money...

http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/search/canon%20450d?keyword=canon+450d&search_submit=SEARCH+PRODUCTS&used=on

As it's already broke, if I knacker it trying to debayer it  it's cost me nothing

Dave

[Gina]

I've started on another 350D sensor.  I decided to work on the sensor out of a working camera rather than dismantling to other camera to take the partly debayered sensor out (feeling lazy ).  This time the cover glass still lifted off easily but it cracked - not that it matters - it's off and the fine wires and sensor look fine.  I then took the filter out of the frame and put that back.  So I'm reday to attack the CFA but I'm reassembling the camera to check it's still working before starting on the CFA.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Gina

[billsantos01]

Hi.  New member here.  I recently read the entire thread with significant interest, and I am considering modifying either a suitable Canon or Nikon.  Unfortunately, the Canon I currently have is the 1100D, so from what I've read it doesn't look so easy to modify.  I have a few questions.

1)  I take it that the 450D is the easiest to modify, is that correct?

2)  I don't see much in the way of specifics when removing the matrix (removing too much, too little, etc).  One or more people seem to be using a microscope to help them.  I have a small, hand held, 60-100x microscope I could use that I think would be ideal.  Is there any way I can identify what pattern/ visulaization I should be looking for so I don't go too far?  Has anyone posted the ideal microscopic view of proper matrix removal?  

3)  What is the sensitivity/ noise comparison to a Nikon 40/80D and I understand that only a solvent is needed for bayer removal in the Nikon?  

4)  Has anyone tried the removal with anything other than Canon or Nikon?  I have a Pentax KX for example.

5)  Lastly, I live in an "orange" light pollution zone.  I wonder if it's worth the benefit of doing this mod to a candidate camera as the LP is basically moderate here?

Thanks in advance,

Bill 

[Gina]

Hi.  New member here.  I recently read the entire thread with significant interest, and I am considering modifying either a suitable Canon or Nikon.  Unfortunately, the Canon I currently have is the 1100D, so from what I've read it doesn't look so easy to modify.  I have a few questions.

1)  I take it that the 450D is the easiest to modify, is that correct?

2)  I don't see much in the way of specifics when removing the matrix (removing too much, too little, etc).  One or more people seem to be using a microscope to help them.  I have a small, hand held, 60-100x microscope I could use that I think would be ideal.  Is there any way I can identify what pattern/ visulaization I should be looking for so I don't go too far?  Has anyone posted the ideal microscopic view of proper matrix removal?  

3)  What is the sensitivity/ noise comparison to a Nikon 40/80D and I understand that only a solvent is needed for bayer removal in the Nikon?  

4)  Has anyone tried the removal with anything other than Canon or Nikon?  I have a Pentax KX for example.

5)  Lastly, I live in an "orange" light pollution zone.  I wonder if it's worth the benefit of doing this mod to a candidate camera as the LP is basically moderate here?

Thanks in advance,

Bill 

1)  I don't have sufficient info on the 450D but can say the cover glass is quite easy to remove compared with the 1100D.

2)  I clean off the green layer to reveal the gold layer below but only just - don't want to go too deep.

3)  I have no knowledge of Nikons.

4)  Not me.  I've only tried Canon EOS cameras.

5)  Narrow band imaging will block the orange light (though a good LP filter will help with OSC).  The sensitivity and resolution is also improved for LRGB, giving better colour images.  It may sound strange to change a colour camera into a mono one and then add filters to produce a colour image but this process produces a much better result.

[Gina]

Put the partly debayered sensor in the working camera.  Here are the results - photo and flat plus the histogram showing the extreme stretching to bring out the sensitivity variation.  No dead pixels, rows or columns and no noticeable scratches etc.

   

[Tf2k]

The Sensor is not dead...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11450954/DSC_3300-RAWcomposite.tif

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11450954/DSC_3300.NEF

Proof of concept, Nikon D40 can be debayered.

if it was worth it... i will never know.

[pixueto]

The Sensor is not dead...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11450954/DSC_3300-RAWcomposite.tif

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11450954/DSC_3300.NEF

Proof of concept, Nikon D40 can be debayered.

if it was worth it... i will never know.

Thank you. That looks very nice. It would be good to have a flat frame taken with that sensor too.

Can you confirm that all the CFA was removed without scrapping? Only by applying dichlormethane? I have a Nikon D80 sensor here and I'll have a go when I get round to it. I'm the other person in the forum using the dichlormethane approach.

What do you mean you don't know if it's worth it? Aren't you going to try that camera with the scope?

Thanks

Edited September 26, 2013 by pixueto

[Gina]

Of course it's worth it!

Vish I cud tipe

Edited September 26, 2013 by Gina

[Tf2k]

Thank you. That looks very nice. It would be good to have a flat frame taken with that sensor too.

Can you confirm that all the CFA was removed without scrapping? Only by applying dichlormethane? I have a Nikon D80 sensor here and I'll have a go when I get round to it. I'm the other person in the forum using the dichlormethane approach.

What do you mean you don't know if it's worth it? Aren't you going to try that camera with the scope?

Thanks

I will deliver a flat frame tomorrow of the D40 and the D3000.    

The CFA has been removed with a qtip and a little patience (20Minutes?) while moving the qtip in circles over the sensor.

We are using the partly dissolved CFA as a helper, the CFA settled on the qtip on the first run over the the weakened CFA by the dichlormethane.

a toothpick,gently moved over the sensor did some good work in the areas, where the qtip was too bulky.

The last two attempts with scrubbing powder or diamond lapping paste removed the CFA VERY easily, but did various damage to the Sensor. (Scratches, "blobs" in the sensor)

The same Job on a Nikon D3000 took much more time (comparable Sensor as D80? at least, it has the same fine gold wires on the four sides of the sensor).

On My D3000 i wasn't carefully enough, wiped over the blue frame, which lead to a dead pixel line in the middle of the sensor. And it seems, there were some glass particles on the sensor while moving over it, did some scratches there.

And again, i can't tell anything about the cover glass removal in one piece, went the hard way by destroying the glass on the first run.

The currently modded D40 stays as a proof of concept.

Got another D40 to do some CFA removal, lets see if i can get further towards the blue frame.

I will take some pictures on the next removal run...

Oh and the question with the Scope, Scope? what Scope?  

Never had one and never will.

Just doing this because i like to work on cameras... in this unusual way.

[Gina]

If you haven't got a scope use a camera lens and Ha filter.  Or even without Ha filter.

[Tf2k]

FlatFields.... curve applied as on ginas pictures.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11450954/cfa/d3000_flat.NEF

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11450954/cfa/d3000_flat.jpg

damn, got dust on the replacement glasson my D40.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11450954/cfa/D40_flat.NEF

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11450954/cfa/D40_flat.jpg