Dust on Sensor

[poker_jake]

On the left side of the photo there is a dark circle and I believe it's something on my sensor as I have cleaned the lens many times. I ran the auto sensor cleaning through the camera many times and all it did was shift it a little to the left. How hard is it to go in and manually clean it? It's really distracting.

 

[MrSleepin]

take your lens off, i bet its something on the mirror right there.

(this is a dslr right?)

 

[SCraig]

If it's on the mirror it wouldn't show up on the image since the mirror flips up out of the way during sensor exposure.

Here's a good How-To: Cleaning sensors by Thom Hogan

 

[KmH]

Nothing on the mirror will be visible in an image, because the mirror is up out of the light path when the shutter opens.

That's why the viewfinder goes black with each shutter release. The mirror is up against the bottom of the pentamirror/prizm blockign any light from being seen in the viewfinder.

Cleaning the image sensor periodically is a normal, routine maintanence task. There are special, inexpensive tools available, and many online video tutorials on how th do it.

Often, all that is needed is to use a hand blower to gently blow the dust bunny off the image sensor. Note: hand blower, not canned air. Shutter curtains have to be very light and canned air can damage them even when they are open.

The hand blower is also very useful for cleaning your camera and lenses.

Giottos Rocket Blower

Copper Hill Image Sensor Cleaning Kit

Zeiss Complete Lens Cleaning Kit

 

[o hey tyler]

Can't read my, can't read my, no he can't read my poker_jake.

AFAIK, the 60D has an automatic sensor cleaning mechanism as previous EOS cameras have had. They do work, but they don't always work for moist particulate matter that lands on the sensor and then dries. I've blown canned air into the sensor housing before, not with the mirror down, but it removed the dust on my sensor. I held the red-straw nozzle ~10inches away from the lens mount. I would not suggest using an air compressor however, as sometimes moisture can be within the lines or tank and will spray drops of water in your camera.

Edit: As Keith has said, I guess a hand blower would be ideal. However if you exercised some common sense with canned air, that would be a fall back.

 

[MrSleepin]

you know i never thought about that...

i had some dust on the mirror one time and i removed the dust and the dust disappeared from the pics!?

 

[Buckster]

Canned or compressed air of any kind is a bad idea. Both for the shutter curtain reason Keith gave, and the fact that they can have oils and things in them. They're just not made for this kind of application.

Stick with bulb-squeezed blowers like the Rocket Blaster.

 

[Buckster]

you know i never thought about that...

i had some dust on the mirror one time and i removed the dust and the dust disappeared from the pics!?

Coincidence. When you were getting the dust off the mirror, the dust on the sensor dislodged and fell off.

 

[poker_jake]

Thank you all, used a hand blower on manual cleaning mode and it's gone