# Dead Pixels on Sensor and LCD - Canon Warranty?



## Mencho(22) (Nov 11, 2012)

I know dead pixels could be a pain in the a__... But i never got this very clear and explained.

I am looking for an official Canon link where they clearly explain:

* How many dead pixels should have a Sensor or the LCD to be accepted for sensor/camera replacement?


By the way... I know a dead pixel could be mapped when it appears just on a photo, but what happens when it appears in video? Can Canon service remap it?

Anyone knows if the remaping software is available anywhere?

Thanks in advance for your help.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 11, 2012)

If you have a new camera with hot or dead pixels on your sensor that appear in video, send it to Canon for a warranty repair. NR usually removes them as well.
If the camera is out of warranty, contact Canon about service.
Other than NR, there is no remapping software for the end user.
You would need to have very extensive dead or hot pixels on the LCD to claim a warranty repair. Its mentioned in the user manuals. Pg 15 for my 5D MK III.


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## Ryan708 (Nov 11, 2012)

If you manually clean the sensor for at least 30 seconds (just enable manual cleaning dont actually have to touch the sensor) it will detect and map out dead pixels. At least it does on my 60d. Im pretty sure this is done prior to getting a new camera, dead pixels are like dust- you will eventually have some no matter what


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## Mencho(22) (Nov 11, 2012)

Ok... but anyone knows how many dead pixels should a sensor have to be accepted for a camera exchange?

Any official link?


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## dr croubie (Nov 11, 2012)

I don't think there's any official "x pixels gets you a new camera" number.

When I bought my 7D, a few months later I noticed it had quite a few (10-15) dead pixels, so I took it back to the camera shop and got them to send it in for a warranty repair. I figured for that price, I deserve 0 dead pixels.
It can back still with 5 dead pixels, so i sent it back. Then it still came back with 2, so back again it went. The last time it came back, the AF wouldn't work, at all (I even tried some lenses in the shop), but thankfully a 'restore to factory default' in the shop fixed that.
This whole process took 11 weeks all up (I was living in The Netherlands at the time btw, the repair centre was somewhere down south near the Belgian border), and i went on a trip to luxembourg with only a crappy p&s.
Also, I did try the '30-second cleaning = pixel remapping', but it didn't work. Maybe it's my camera, firmware, all 7Ds, or if they were just particularly stubborn pixels, I don't know.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 12, 2012)

Mencho(22) said:


> Ok... but anyone knows how many dead pixels should a sensor have to be accepted for a camera exchange?
> 
> Any official link?


No such number. 500 pixels out of 22 million is almost nothing. They just map them out.
Hot pixels in a sensor are common, dead ones are not that common. The really bright red ones cannot be mapped out by the sensor cleaning process, only Canon can do it.


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## Ryan708 (Nov 12, 2012)

I wonder if "cleaning" in a darkroom or with a body cap on would get rid of the hot pix. Im gunna check for hot pixels and do a test haha I will let you know!


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## Ryan708 (Nov 12, 2012)

So, my 60D didnt have any hot pixels show up from ISO 100-1000 with a lens and lens cap on in a dark room.
I took the lens cap off to let in whatever light may have been in my very dark room and above ISO 800 there were 2 hot pixels I could see in exact same spot in multiple shots, indicating a hot pixel.
But this only happened with some light hitting the sensor, so apparently they are just over-reacting pixels, not always hot. 

I took the lens off and did a "manual cleaning" for 30 seconds in the dark room, and took another test shot, and the hot pixels were still there, bummer. I have only ever noticed my hot pixels in shots of stars, as one of the 2 hot pixels is kinda blue looking.


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## JoeDavid (Nov 12, 2012)

Ryan708 said:


> If you manually clean the sensor for at least 30 seconds (just enable manual cleaning dont actually have to touch the sensor) it will detect and map out dead pixels. At least it does on my 60d. Im pretty sure this is done prior to getting a new camera, dead pixels are like dust- you will eventually have some no matter what



I've never heard of this but it seemed to work with a 5DM3 that I have. It had what appeard to be a stuck red pixel that showed up from ISO 100-3200 (didn't try 50). It seemed to disappeared at 6400 but I have the high ISO noise reduction set to auto and I think that removed it. Anyway, I tried an Auto Cleaning cycle from the menu and then a manual cleaning cycle for 30 seconds. After turning the camera off and back on, no more hot pixel. I even looked at a RAW file in PS with all noise reduction turned off and it was gone. It may not work in all cases, but I'm glad I tried it because I'd been thinking about sending it in to Canon. All they would have done was map it out so I saved myself from being without the camera for a few days. Thanks Ryan708...


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 12, 2012)

JoeDavid said:


> Ryan708 said:
> 
> 
> > If you manually clean the sensor for at least 30 seconds (just enable manual cleaning dont actually have to touch the sensor) it will detect and map out dead pixels. At least it does on my 60d. Im pretty sure this is done prior to getting a new camera, dead pixels are like dust- you will eventually have some no matter what
> ...


The process works to some extent, but not for the really bad ones that show up in a video. Fortunately, cases like that are rare, and Canon will fix them.
I checked my 5D MK III (both of them) and they were remarkably clean and free of hot pixels. Sensor manufacturing technology has definitely improved since the days of my 5D MK II from 2009 and my 1D MK III which both had lots of hot pixels, but not really a issue in normal photography.


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