Spot on Pictures

[amandamw]

Hello all!

I'm new to the world of photography/DSLRs! I bought a Canon Rebel XS with a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens about 7 months ago. I recently moved to Italy with my husband, and have been taking pictures everywhere I go!

Anyway, this past weekend while I was out and about taking pictures I noticed a dark spot on most of my pictures. Grrrr. It seems to show up on blue/sky the most. Anyone know what this little spot could be, and how I can get it off?

 

[AgentDrex]

There possibly is a piece of dust on the sensor itself...be careful cleaning that: Sensor Cleaning

 

[flyingember]

it's dust on the sensor. it shows up in blue and white much easier than other colors. I had that problem all the time until I got a camera that had a sensor cleaning mode.

 

[Ryan L]

lets see if i remember this right. Point up at an overcast or blue sky white paper or whatever light solid background you can find. set your mode to AV, ISO to 100 and set for max aperture f22 or whatever it may be. Focus to infinity and take a shor. You should be able to see any specs that are there fairly clearly.

 

[amandamw]

lets see if i remember this right. Point up at an overcast or blue sky white paper or whatever light solid background you can find. set your mode to AV, ISO to 100 and set for max aperture f22 or whatever it may be. Focus to infinity and take a shor. You should be able to see any specs that are there fairly clearly.

Looks like it worked....

My camera does have a sensor cleaning mode, but I guess it didn't work too well.

Would it be best to find a camera store, and see if they can fix it?

 

[AgentDrex]

If you're concerned doing it yourself and you don't mind spending the fiat money most of us use now days, sure why not?

 

[Boomn4x4]

[

My camera does have a sensor cleaning mode, but I guess it didn't work too well.

Would it be best to find a camera store, and see if they can fix it?

Its an easy fix. Go online a buy yourself a rocket blower. Its just like a little rubber hand pump with a tube on one end. Kinda like that bulb they squeeze to take your blood pressure. You should be able to find one for about 5 bucks. To clean it, you'll need to take off your lens and lock your mirror up. Your manual will tell you how. Once the lens is off and the camera's mirror is locked up, turn the camera body upside down (so that more dust dosen't settle onto the sensor) and squeeze the blower at the sensor a dozen times or so. That should do it for you.

If it dosen't work, you're only out $5, and a rocket blower is good to have anyway. Take it to a camera shop to have it cleaned professional. If the dust is on there that good, contact with the sensor may be needed... and you don't want to be the one to touch it.

 

[flyingember]

dust is a common issue. do a search read on your options, pick what you're comfortable with doing and find something you can do over and over as needed. I used indirect canned air on my D70 and didn't have problems (i.e. pointed at the mirror) other people haote canned air and use softer blowers. sme use wet systems. now I like the sonic cleaning it does since it has good results