sensor dust HELP!

[dan.rpo]

so i have been taking pictures of blue sky all day b.c i have noticed 2 distinct black fuzzy dots in the picture. i have a nikon d40 and was wondering the best way to go about cleaning this on my own. help!

 

[Josh66]

It's actually pretty easy.

Copper Hill Images

Just be sure you get the right one - for the D40 you need the one that comes with E2, not Eclipse.

 

[dan.rpo]

is there any way to do this WITHOUT spending a crazy 40 bucks?! simply blowing air over the sensor with one of those turkey baster looking tools wont work? 40 bucks is crazy!

 

[Josh66]

is there any way to do this WITHOUT spending a crazy 40 bucks?! simply blowing air over the sensor with one of those turkey baster looking tools wont work? 40 bucks is crazy!

40 bucks is about HALF what a camera shop will charge you to do the exact same thing, ONCE.

Try a blower first. If a blower can't get it all you'll have to either live with it, or clean it. It will probably get most of it though.

 

[dan.rpo]

what about using a compressed air can? will that work even better? the sensor is the area on the top correct? right above the mirror?

 

[Josh66]

what about using a compressed air can? will that work even better? the sensor is the area on the top correct? right above the mirror?

No. Do not use a compressed air can.

Some of the propellant could get on the sensor, and then you will have to spend the $40 for a sensor cleaning kit.

You should be able to find a blower pretty cheap. As long as it's clean, a turkey baster would probably actually work OK too.

I use a large (60cc) syringe (with no needle on it, of course). It can blow a pretty good shot of air in there. We have them free at work (I don't think we're supposed to take them home though...), so I decided to try it and it worked good enough that I haven't looked for a replacement.

I still have to do a wet cleaning every now and then though.

 

[Josh66]

the sensor is the area on the top correct? right above the mirror?

No, that's the focusing screen. The sensor is behind the mirror and shutter.

You will have to put the camera into cleaning mode. Cleaning mode doesn't actually clean the camera - it just flips the mirror up and opens the shutter so you can clean it.

 

[dan.rpo]

hmm, gotcha. i will try the turkey baster method again tomorrow, if not, would my local camera store have one of those rocket blower things?

and how do i put my D40 into cleaning mode? does the manual state how to do this?

 

[Josh66]

If they don't, start looking for a new camera store. It's a pretty common item.
They might not have that specific brand, but they should have something.

 

[KmH]

so i have been taking pictures of blue sky all day b.c i have noticed 2 distinct black fuzzy dots in the picture. i have a nikon d40 and was wondering the best way to go about cleaning this on my own. help!

In the picture on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder before you take the picture.

If it's the viewfinder you just need to use one of these on the focusing screen. You use one of those to keep all your gear cleaned up.

Be careful trying to clean an image sensor. A mistake is costly.

 

[musicaleCA]

A mistake is not just costly, it's very, very costly, especially if you really mess-up and damage the sensor physically.

Also, make sure those black dots are not just on the LCD screen on the camera, but also when you view it on a good monitor. It *could* just be dead pixels on the screen. Unlikely, but I think it's best to check all your options before messing with the sensor.

 

[Josh66]

If you can see it in the viewfinder before you take the picture - it is not on the sensor, and it will not show up in your pictures.

If you do have dust on your sensor, you will not be able to see it in the viewfinder. It will only show up in the pictures.


It's not like you're going to be pouring solvent inside the camera... Yes, if you mess up the sensor, it will be expensive to fix - but honestly, I think that is unlikely. As long as you can follow directions you can do it.

 

[musicaleCA]

Wait, so you're saying I wasn't supposed to put that sulphuric acid on my sensor? Uh oh...

 

[Josh66]

Is your camera still under warranty?

 

[OregonAmy]

I had this recently and fixed the problem completely by spending $14 on a rocket blower.

1. Take the lens off with the mount pointing toward the floor.
2. With the d40, there's no mirror lock-up, so you need to put it into shutter priority mode, then set it to bulb.
3. Depress the shutter release and blow the air into the camera body (keep the shutter release depressed)
4. After a few blows, let go of the shutter release, replace the lens, and check for dust in your shots.

If that doesn't work, repeat.