Dust reduction on sensor..how important?

[dan.rpo]

hey guys, ive been getting a lot of help and suggestions, so thank you for that....i have been reading up on the nikon d40/d40x all day, and they seem to be great buys for the $$, however, they lack dust reduction on the sensor....how imporant is that or would that be in your decisions? Cant you just use lens cleaning paper on the sensor when the lens is off to remove any dust, if there is even any?

 

[Overread]

Even with dust reduction you are going to get dust in the camera - that is part of shooting digital photography. Though dust reduction technology will help reduce dust buildup it won't stop it all so even still you will have to clean the sensor.
Dust is also not something to fear - it takes only a few moments to remove using editing and many times you won't notice it unless you are shooting at a small aperture (ie at a large f number) so for much of photography you might never notice any dust buildup for a long while.

I would not let it put me of choosing a camera model

 

[dan.rpo]

thanks for the great opinions as always! love this site! i think i will be getting a Nikon D40!

 

[patrickt]

I don't consider it important at all. I do consider the coating on the sensor critical as it relates to dust, though. My first DSLR I had to wet clean four or five times a year. My newer one I've had for 18 months and haven't had to wet clean once. The newer camera has a different coating and dust doesn't adhere and I can blow it off with my blower.

 

[icassell]

My Canon 30D doesn't have it. I wish it did, but it certainly works great without it. It would not be the deciding factor in a camera purchase. Get yourself a Giotto bulb.

BTW --you don't want to poke at your sensor with cleaning paper. Sensor repair can cost a good percentage of the price of a camera. Get yourself an air bulb and blow dust off.

 

[Josh66]

It would not be a factor at all whenever I buy a new body (my current body (350D) doesn't have it). I don't have to clean it (wet) very often - maybe 2 or 3 times a year. I just blow it off between wet cleanings.

Dust happens.

 

[epp_b]

I notice quite a bit of dust on photos from my D40 near the smallest aperture of f/36. By f/22, it seems mostly gone.

By contrast, a friend of mine has a Canon Rebel XTi, which has the sensor-shake feature to get rid of surface dust. I saw one of his photos the other day, which had a very noticeable spec of dust, but I don't know what aperture the photo was taken with.

While we're on this topic, what do you people do to to clean nasty dust that adheres to your sensor? Do you clean it yourself or do you take to a camera shop to get it professionally cleaned?

 

[Ls3D]

Is it the sensor, or low pass filter that gets buggered up?

THIS was an interesting read last night.. in fact I may just do this procedure myself right now.

-Shea

 

[icassell]

The sensor and the filter are tightly adherant. It is usually the filter that gets mucked up and is too tightly adherant for dust to actually get on the sensor. On my 30D, however, the last guy who cleaned it said there are a couple of flecks on the sensor itself