Dust Speck???

BeccaLeigh · Nov 27, 2009

As some of you might remember a while back i purchased a Canon Xsi from eBay and got taken. I ended up returning that package for a full refund. Now I have purchased a Nikon D40. I just got the camera in the mail this week and started pointing and shooting around the house when I noticed a spot that kept showing up in all of my shots at the same place. I assumed this was a dust speck and tried to clean the uv filter and the lens, but it did not go away. Here are a few of the shots. Does anyone know what this might be? If so how do I get rid of it?
It is in the center horizontally and about two-thirds up vertically.

rocdoc · Nov 27, 2009

what aperture are those shots at? If a small one (high number) then it looks like sensor dust. You may try giving your sensor a solid puff from a "rocket" and see if it moves/goes away

Overread · Nov 27, 2009

It's sensor dust - that is dust on the actual camera sensor, which is a completly normal problem for digital photography.
There are 2 ways of dealing with it:

1) Editing - use the heal tool in editing (photoshop elements in my case) which will remove the spot most times without any problem - just set the brush size to be just larger than the spot and click.

2) Cleaning the sensor - there are loads of google accessable guides on this, but there are a few methods in common:

a) Blower - using a blower to remove the dust - bonus is this is cheap, but downside is that its not the most reliable method. Also note that you should always use something lke a Giottos rocket blower and NOT compressed air - never use compressed air on the sensor

b) Swabs and sensor cleaning fluids

c) specailist sensor cleaning brushes - Arctic Butterfly are the most popular and clean the sensor by using a statically charged brush to rub over the sensor to remove the dust

The latter two methods are the more reliable but the more risky since you have to put contact on the sensor itself to clean it. As an additional point I would personally set the camera onto a tripod for cleaning - so that you can clean inside with both hands free. Note that the camera should (idealy) be facing downwards whilst cleaning to allow dust to fall out and to help prevent more dust falling into the camera housing whilst your cleaning.

*note throught I have said touching and cleaning the sensor - in truth you are cleaning the filter infront of the sensor but you still have to be very carefull not to damage that filter (if it cracks your sensor will most likley be damaged).

**many camera shops will have a cleaning service for this if you feel that you want to have someone else clean the sensor

Eco · Nov 27, 2009

If you give on on the DIY stuff check with your local camera store, mine charges $75 for sensor cleaning.

TJ K · Nov 27, 2009

I just set my camera on mirror lock up and put the sensor facing down and used my Giottos Rocket to blow off the sensor well actually it's the part that protects the sensor I think but just make sure you don't touch anything in there. GL
tj

BeccaLeigh · Nov 27, 2009

so it would probably be best if i took it to a shop to have it cleaned since I am really new to the dslr world?

KmH · Nov 27, 2009

BeccaLeigh said:
so it would probably be best if i took it to a shop to have it cleaned since I am really new to the dslr world?

If you do some research on the web first you can do it yourself, it's really not all that hard. i t requires some backgrond info and being gentle. The image sensor actually has a couple of other layers in front of it. One of those layers is a UV filter.(see step 2) Another layer in front of the image sensor is the anti-aliasing filter

Step 2 is to take the UV filter off the lens. Wrap the UV filter in a clean micro cleaning cloth and put it in a dry, dark place, but remember where it is. Put it back on the lens when your ready to ship the lens to it's new owner in a couple/three of years.

TJ K · Nov 27, 2009

Well if you're careful and are not completely foreign to electronics and all of that then you could probably do it. Just make sure that you have some sort of a blower to blow off the sensor and get that big speck of dust off the lens. Just remove your lens and put the camera on mirror lock up click the shutter and it will be locked up. Then point the camera down so you don't blow the dust deeper in the camera and blow the sensor a few times until you think it's good and then take the camera out of mirror lock up and put your lens back on and test and see if there is anymore dust. If there is then yes i would take it to a shop to get it done because maybe it's something hard to get off and needs to be professionally done or at least very carefully. GL
tj

Provo · Nov 27, 2009

Giottos rocket blower is by far the best one around. $15-20

BeccaLeigh · Nov 27, 2009

KmH said:
BeccaLeigh said:

so it would probably be best if i took it to a shop to have it cleaned since I am really new to the dslr world?

Click to expand...

If you do some research on the web first you can do it yourself, it's really not all that hard. i t requires some backgrond info and being gentle. The image sensor actually has a couple of other layers in front of it. One of those layers is a UV filter.(see step 2) Another layer in front of the image sensor is the anti-aliasing filter

Step 2 is to take the UV filter off the lens. Wrap the UV filter in a clean micro cleaning cloth and put it in a dry, dark place, but remember where it is. Put it back on the lens when your ready to ship the lens to it's new owner in a couple/three of years.

So you're saying that I don't need a uv filter?

I'll see if I can google some examples I would like to try it myself.

Josh66 · Nov 27, 2009

Sensor Cleaning

Try the blower first. If that doesn't get it, you'll probably need one of the wet cleaning kits.

They come with detailed instructions, and it's actually pretty easy to do. Just make sure you get the right one for your camera.

rocdoc · Nov 27, 2009

do searches for sensor cleaning here and on dpreview. I cleaned my own for the first time, and went fine (though a bit stressful). The tutorials you will read will all mention the importance of doing the cleaning in a dust-free environment - do not underestimate this point. It can be a big source of frustration. But if you use common sense and carefully read instructions beforehand, AND if you use only good materials (Eclipse and Sensorswabs even have a warranty whereby they cover damage from their products, if used properly! - although I never needed to test this point...) you should be fine.