Debayering a DSLR's Bayer matrix.

[ultraviolent]

The display connector to cheap calculators can be source of conducting paint, just heat it with the soldering iron. 

Bond wires are welded on an eg. aluminum pads, so maybe unsolderable.

Silverpaint could by an alternative.

At the laboratories of my university there are several manual bonding machines. Maybe there is something similar near you.

[RobRob]

Hello all,

I worked my way through the 102 pages of this mighty interesting and inspiring thread! Took me a week and I must say I'm full of admiration for some of the people (like Gina) pioneering the art of debayering DSLR sensors. I'm so inspired that I decided it is time to step up the plate and make a contribution myself and in process I might become another member of the Dead DSLR Sensor Society.

As a starter I bought 2 defect 350D bodies to experiment but my ultimate goal would be to debayer a 60D since I already have one to use as a color camera and it would be convenient to have a similar debayered camera so operating it in the dark would require any adjustment to find the right buttons and use the cooling unit I bought for it...

Some observation so far:

1) did anyone thought of static electricity killing delicate electronics? I haven't read anyone wearing an anti static cable to their working environment while working on the sensor. I could imagine this has a number of sensors during the creation of this thread...

2) when applying the epoxy resin why are people not masking the sensor (e.g. with frog tape) so when it is poured it is not flowing over the sensor area?

I'm sure I'll make a lot of mistakes during my own attempts and hopefully I'll learn a little in the process...

[RobRob]

Ok, I stripped the first 350D to experiment down to the sensor. I got it up to this level for this evening:

Should I also take the metal frame of to remove the glass?

[RobRob]

Just another observation: I noticed in some previous posting that the sides of the sensors with the blue top layer needs to be avoided. In posting #744 and #820 some of that circuitry is nicely shown. When you study these photo's it seems that there is a little area functioning as a light sensor (maybe to measure brightness or for some other purpose). Some people poor epoxy resin also over these sides with this circuitry. When resin is poured over it the function of this circuitry will certainly be distorted or no longer be performing its duties. That might explain the dark sensors or party lit sensors...

[RAC]

I would think that is just some part of the sensor circuit. The light metering is done by another sensor at the bottom of the camera.

I'm not keen on the epoxy idea anyway as it could cause the gold wires to fail. When ever I see glue even on even large solder joints on circuits boards in the automotive field I always find cracked solder under the glue.

[RAC]

Ok, I stripped the first 350D to experiment down to the sensor. I got it up to this level for this evening:

Should I also take the metal frame of to remove the glass?

Not sure about the 350d but the 1000d doesn't need that removing to take the glass off. As you will see in my photos of the very first post in this very long thread.

[Gina]

I agree about the possibility of epoxy causing problems with the gold wires and if I get to try this again I won't be using it.  I think a slightly reduced working sensor area is better than trying to get too close to the gold wires but the drive to get the absolute maximum out of the sensor can be irresistible

[RobRob]

What is the best way to clean the sensor afterwards. I've used both white spirit and demineralized water but both are not perfectly cleaning the sensor.

 

 

[Gina]

100% IPA is what I used.  That's IsoPropyl Alcohol not beer

[Stub Mandrel]

Afraid I jumped to the end at page 17, sort of glad I did...

I wear glasses and find that the anti-scratch coating crazes terribly after 18-months or so. I ruined one pair trying to buff it off with a dremel, but for the pair I'm wearing now I used 'armor-etch' a flouride based glass etching cream. Obviously no use on glass, but it may be useful for removing mineralized/inorganic coatings on non-glass substrates.

YMMV

Neil

[RobRob]

100% IPA is what I used.  That's IsoPropyl Alcohol not beer

ok, thanks I already was wondering what IPA was short for...

[RobRob]

Ok, today I was finally able to put the debayered sensor in a test 350D body and test it. I was happily surprised it still worked. I was 100% sure it was dead since I tried almost every trick in my book to try to get it cleaned. After putting back the filter frame I found it not particularly hard to stay away from the fragile gold wires or from the little circuitry on the side of the sensor while I was still able to remove most of the CFA layer at the edges. I had the feeling I could have removed all the visible CFA layer if I had wished...

After removing the mini lenses and the CFA layer with my cordon-blue stick using a 2x and 4x magnifying microscope I tried to clean it with demineralized water. This didn't work out well so I tried to get IPA but my local pharmacist doesn't sell it. I bought some denaturalized alcohol (96%) and cleaned the sensor with it repeatedly. still not really clean, after that I threw the sensor in a ultrasonic cleaning bath (I was sure it was toasted after that) and after this treatment the sensor surface still looks awful!!!

Also I worked the CFA layer a bit too hard in some area's. I should have let the Commandant 5 polish do its work instead of applying too much pressure on the cleaning stick. By doing so I managed to scratch the golden sensor layer in multiple areas which probably has caused the non working vertical line in the images below. 

Anyway, I'm still very pleased the camera and the sensor still work and disassembly and assembly of this first 10 euro test body produced a working debayered camera!!!

Debayered Flat:

Test Image:

[Gina]

Good result - well done

[RAC]

Good work for the first attempt.

[RobRob]

I'm planning to do a second attempt. Either by soda blasting it or using the same scraping method applied a bit more carefull (without applying as much pressure) on a second 350D sensor I took from another broken 15 euro body...

[Dave_D]

I'm planning to do a second attempt. Either by soda blasting it or using the same scraping method applied a bit more carefull (without applying as much pressure) on a second 350D sensor I took from another broken 15 euro body...

you have some luck there... i've been looking for broken 1100D to try to debayer, unfortunalely, people seem to think broken items have some intrinsic high value attached to them. last dead 1100D i saw went for over 50 euros 

[RobRob]

you have some luck there... i've been looking for broken 1100D to try to debayer, unfortunalely, people seem to think broken items have some intrinsic high value attached to them. last dead 1100D i saw went for over 50 euros 

Maybe you'll be able to steal this one for 40 euro's: http://www.marktplaats.nl/a/audio-tv-en-foto/fotografie-camera-s-digitaal/m939669521-body-canon-eos-1100d-met-toebehoren-spiegelhuis-kapot.html?c=8c285449651fa109c354bbabe740c1b&previousPage=lr

[RobRob]

Does anyone has experience with debayering a 600D, 650D or 60D?

Is it difficult to remove the glass on any of these sensors?

[RobRob]

well the second 350D sensor I praticed on decided to turn to the dark force. No image, just blackness 

One more 350D sensor with working camera in stock to practice. I hope the next one will work better...

[Gina]

Good luck   This is an activity fraught with hazzards.

[RobRob]

I just did a third one, another one that bite the dust... (black again)

[Herra Kuulapaa]

I just did a third one, another one that bite the dust... (black again)

I'm sorry to hear that

Do you know how/why it failed?

Ps. A 3x180sec HA image (with horrendous light pollution coming from a street light below the image) to motivate you continue.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Herra Kuulapaa

[Dave_D]

this may be a daft suggestion, but has anyone tried putting the wooden scraper inside a spring loaded biro pen or something similar? that way it would be much harder to put too much pressure on the cmos surface... just a thought.

[RAC]

As the years go by I'm starting to think this thread I started may be the third largest cause of dead DSLR's, Gravity and water being first and second lol.

[Gina]

It's top of the list for me   And in fact, the only cause of dead DSLRs.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Gina