Cleaning the inside of a lense

Pirata · Mar 13, 2009

I was cleaning my primary lense this afternoon and I noticed 2 specks of dust inside the lense in a place I can't reach or blow out. How or when they got there I am absolutely clueless. How to get them out I am equally clueless. I tried a little canned air in an attempt to move them but it did not even make them budge. Does anyone know how I can get these out?

Pirata

PS: if this is in the wrong forum I am sorry but I searched for something on lenses and did not find anyhting remotely suiting this.

Montana · Mar 13, 2009

You don't get them out. Its a fact that there will eventually be dust inside the lens. Do you see the dust in the photos? If not, no worries. It should really effect image quality.

Pirata · Mar 13, 2009

Problem is the biggest spec is only a couple degrees off center mass. Can I see it? Not that I can tell but like I said it is nearly center mass.

Worst case scenario, it shifts and I can see it, what can I do?

Pirata · Mar 14, 2009

Anyone? Return it to the manufacturer and have them remove it? Buy a new lense? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

dxqcanada · Mar 14, 2009

Dust inside the lens is not an easy thing to remove.
Most of the time you will find it within sets of elements that are encased in a housing. You would have to take the lens apart to clean it.

If you do not have any experience in this ... do not do it without good instructions.

In most case's the specks will not affect the captured image enough that you can see a degradation in the picture quality.

Most people would take the lens to a repair shop or the manufacturers' service dept. to get it cleaned.

AlexColeman · Mar 14, 2009

You should be fine, and if it really bothers you, take it to where you bought it, and return.

JerryPH · Mar 14, 2009

If it doesn't affect the pctures... it doesn't matter!

If it affects your shots, if you cannot replace it under warranty, take it to a GOOD camera shop and they will clean it out for you. Expect to pay 3 digits, as this is NOT an easy or fast thing to do.

Pirata · Mar 14, 2009

Ok, thanks, that's just the answer I was lookin for. Will look into the warranty issue but know of a great camera store within driving distance. If I do have to do the latter, I will shop around though and listen to the responses I hear before I commit.

usayit · Mar 14, 2009

IIRC, my EF canon prime cost me about $200 for a CLA through Canon service.

Dao · Mar 14, 2009

From what I read, the dust should not affect that much in most of the situation.

Please take a look at this thread.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...oto-gallery/144728-dust-scratches-lenses.html

Pirata · Mar 16, 2009

Cool beans! Thanks for the link. I'll pop a chill pill and kick back on this.

Garbz · Mar 16, 2009

Light is for a basic explanation least focused on the surface of the element, it doesn't matter if it's in the dead centre. It would have to be a HUGE dust spot before it would even show up in very small apertures.

It is the exact opposite of dust on a sensor where the surface is the most focused part of the image.

If you do send the lens in to warrant, all that will happen is some tech will take a good long laugh, send it back dust intact and with the bill glued to it. I have in the past taken photos with a lens that had huge flakes of mould growing in it and still got great pictures out of it. When the mould covered approximately 1/3rd of one of the elements I finally found it worthwhile to spend the $200 to get it cleaned.