I seem to have a spec or two of dust on my sensor but I can't see them in any photos I take. I haven't tried one on solid blue sky but I took one with the dust aligned with a white section of a bird feeder and saw nothing.
Is there anything else that the dust could be on? I cleaned my eyepiece and blew off my sensor as well as I could. I haven't used any swabs yet and dunno if it's necessary if I can't see the dust in my images.
Whether you see the spot or not also depends on aperture. Take your test shot at f/16-22 to see the effect.
If it's a small spot, I wouldn't bother. It is nearly impossible to have a perfectly clean sensor (and even if you do, it will pick up dust the first time you change a lens) so if it's not a major distraction, just clone it out in Photoshop.
Thanks Guy!! The shot that I went out and took to test was at f14, I'll try one highter but I could see it on that photo. Looked like a circle about the size of this..... O ..... I probably wouldn't have seen it if not for being on a bright sky.
you can also just take a photo of your monitor with a white background (in photoshop open a new white document and go to full screen) then use your widest lens, with your smallest possible aperture. and while taking the photo move your lens, zoom-in out. focus unfocus, that should make sure that the dust you are seeing is actually sensor dust as opposed to dust on your lens/monitor.
Btw, i would't clean my sensor for 1 or 2 specs of dust, chance's are that you won't notice them in most shots.
Right, one or two specs is NOTHING, so easily fixable in Photoshop, not worth mucking with the sensor. Once you start noticing a handful of spots in your images and you're poking all over the image with the Spot Healing Tool to get rid of 'em, then clean the sensor. I have the Canon Nuclear Psycho Dust Chunk Magnet (also known as the 5D) and I'm HAPPY if I only see two specs shortly after a sensor cleaning.
Do you have a sensor cleaning toolset or product of any kind? On suggestion of several folks on this site, I've tried Dust-Aid (with the Canon Cleaner tapes) and it works very well.
The Olympus 4/3rds system is worth the other problems for the automated sensor cleaning system. "Supersonic wave system" may be a dumb name but it works.
I have used the Copperhill swabs (www.copperhillimages.com) and it did a fine job on my Canon 40D. I still didn't get every spec of dust and took it in to Biggs Camera in Charlotte, NC for their opinion. Troy told me he had NEW cameras with more dust spots than I had. So....I just decided to quit being so anal and clone out whatever may show up in future shots.
Posted by Mike Klarich on April 10, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Cindy or anyone with a cleaning system,
You have a 40D. Do you have problems with dust? I have a 20D and have been thinking about upgrading to the 40. In reading about that camera they report the dust cleaning sensor vibrating system is a huge improvement for reducing the need for cleaning the sensor. What is your opinion?
Im with Paul, one dust speck sounds like a dream come true. I clean my sensor and within one shoot the 5D dust magnet manages to suck up every dust speck within 1 mile.
Posted by Rod Barbee on April 10, 2008 at 10:27 PM
"I haven't tried one on solid blue sky but I took one with the dust aligned with a white section of a bird feeder and saw nothing. "
Are you saying that you tried to line up the dust while looking through the viewfinder? Because you can't see sensor dust while looking through the viewfinder. If you're seeing dust in the viewfinder then the dust in either on the mirror or on the focusing screen, not on your sensor. This would explain why you don't see it on your sensor--it's not there.
Mike--
I think part of my problem is I'm not as careful as I should be when changing lenses. In order to mitigate that, I have purchased a 500D Diopter to attach to the front of my 70-200/2.8 for close up/macro work. Maybe if I don't take the lens off so oftern I want get as much dust.
Mike,
I use a 1DmIII, and the auto dust cleaning does work, but...
you will still get dust on your sensor albeit on a much slower rate.
My 2cents worth here!
Discussion
12 repliesI seem to have a spec or two of dust on my sensor but I can't see them in any photos I take. I haven't tried one on solid blue sky but I took one with the dust aligned with a white section of a bird feeder and saw nothing.
Is there anything else that the dust could be on? I cleaned my eyepiece and blew off my sensor as well as I could. I haven't used any swabs yet and dunno if it's necessary if I can't see the dust in my images.
What would you all do?
Thanks!
If it's a small spot, I wouldn't bother. It is nearly impossible to have a perfectly clean sensor (and even if you do, it will pick up dust the first time you change a lens) so if it's not a major distraction, just clone it out in Photoshop.
Guy
Btw, i would't clean my sensor for 1 or 2 specs of dust, chance's are that you won't notice them in most shots.
Wim
Do you have a sensor cleaning toolset or product of any kind? On suggestion of several folks on this site, I've tried Dust-Aid (with the Canon Cleaner tapes) and it works very well.
Paul
You have a 40D. Do you have problems with dust? I have a 20D and have been thinking about upgrading to the 40. In reading about that camera they report the dust cleaning sensor vibrating system is a huge improvement for reducing the need for cleaning the sensor. What is your opinion?
Are you saying that you tried to line up the dust while looking through the viewfinder? Because you can't see sensor dust while looking through the viewfinder. If you're seeing dust in the viewfinder then the dust in either on the mirror or on the focusing screen, not on your sensor. This would explain why you don't see it on your sensor--it's not there.
I think part of my problem is I'm not as careful as I should be when changing lenses. In order to mitigate that, I have purchased a 500D Diopter to attach to the front of my 70-200/2.8 for close up/macro work. Maybe if I don't take the lens off so oftern I want get as much dust.
I use a 1DmIII, and the auto dust cleaning does work, but...
you will still get dust on your sensor albeit on a much slower rate.
My 2cents worth here!
Wim