Mako Technical Manual
V3.0.0
11
Camera cleaning instructions
Is it an impurity? – Identifying impurities
If you observe any image artefacts in your video preview of your Mako camera
you may have impurities either on the lens, filter/protection glass, or on the
sensor protection glass. Every Mako camera is cleaned prior to sealing and ship-
ment; however, impurities may develop due to handling or unclean environ-
ments.
As shown in figure 2, impurities (dust, particles or fluids) on the sensor or
optical components appear as a dark area, patch or spot on the image and
remain fixed in the preview window while you rotate the camera over the target.
Do not confuse this with a pixel defect which appears as a distinct point. Parti-
cles can either rest loosely or can be more or less stuck to the optical surface.
Where is the impurity? – Locating impurities
Before you dismount the lens you should find out if the impurity is on the filter,
lens, or sensor. Therefore, you should capture a uniform image (e.g. a white
sheet of paper) with the camera. The affected optical surface is identified when
a suspected optical component is moved and the dirt follows this movement.
1.
If you move only the lens (not the camera) and the impurity moves as
well, the impurity is on the lens.
2.
If you move the IR cut filter/protection glass window and the impurity
moves as well:
Figure 1: Illustration of camera orientation when removing lens or dust cap
Figure 2: Image with tiny dust on the filter (left) and dust on the sensor (right)
