Bloody dust!!!

[havoc]

Just sorting through all (1,000+) Thailand pics, and I've noticed that at some point a few days into the holiday I got some dust on the sensor*...and I can't stop noticing it now!!! Couple of big, obvious spots and a couple of smaller ones...

It's on some otherwise stunning pics (as well as a few hundred average and mediocre ones), so I've got to spend time now in PSP sorting them out!

The thing is I changed the lens about twice during the whole holiday to try and prevent dust...didn't know I was already too late...

Any suggestions for prevention?

• And of course you can't spot it in the camera's own LCD!

[Andy M]

havoc said:

Any suggestions for prevention?

Limit lens changes, and when you do so make sure you turn off the camera.

As for getting rid of the dust, which post processing software are you using?

[stigmundfreud]

in PS there is a filter to eliminate it or the healing brush.

ITs a bastard isn't it! I was shooting some film yesterday but to prevent dust on my digital shots I had to keep the lens on. I might invest in a second lens for my film body.

It doesnt matter how much you try, you will get dust unfortunately

[chim666]

havoc said:

Any suggestions for prevention?

Re identifying dust specks via the LCD screen. As a rough check, take a picture of the sky with the lens in manual mode and out of focus using an aperture of f8 or smaller. View the image on the LCD screen zoomed in and 'scan' back and forth across the image - you should see any specks if they're there.

Apologies if you already know this, but it's always a good idea to switch the camera off for at least ten seconds before removing the lens to allow the static on the sensor to dissipate.

Secondly, point the camera face-down all the time that the lens is off.

Thirdly, buy yourself a Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly - although pricey for what it is, IMO it works well in removing loose dust from the sensor, but only clean the sensor if it needs it.

And don't fret too much about getting a completely spot-free sensor, dust is a fact of life in photography.

Hope this helps.

[stigmundfreud]

actually the best way is similar to the above but to find a constant colour tone like a solid colour wall, ramp up to 16 or 22 and do a +2 second exposure. Whilst taking the shot move the camera slowly but surely in random patterns and yes have it slightly off focus though it isnt too important

This will identify your spots via the lcd but then copy the image to your pc and ramp up the contrast this will highlight them for you. Just remember if on your image shows them in the top right they aer on the bottom right of sensor

I use an artic butterfly though looking at the sensor it is now due for a wet clean. I always work by brushing from the middle to the edges and trying to then move the edges to the bottom of the mirror.

[Famous Graham]

Lightroom has a handy dust removal tool that you can then apply to ALL (or selected) images at one go.

[nick_bbb]

My sensor is totally covered in crap so I was going to have it serviced, I know this is come up before but where in London does a good clean up for Canon?

Edited by nick_bbb on Monday 7th January 12:31

[havoc]

chim666 said:

Apologies if you already know this, but it's always a good idea to switch the camera off for at least ten seconds before removing the lens to allow the static on the sensor to dissipate.

Secondly, point the camera face-down all the time that the lens is off.

Thirdly, buy yourself a Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly - although pricey for what it is, IMO it works well in removing loose dust from the sensor, but only clean the sensor if it needs it.

And don't fret too much about getting a completely spot-free sensor, dust is a fact of life in photography.

Hope this helps.

It does (as do the other posts).

1) Don't usually do for 10sec...will do in future.
2) Do that alredy
3) I actually got decent results (after about 15-20 mins) with a rocket blower last year. is the AB really worth the extra?!?

Fact of life...yeah, guess it is...

[stigmundfreud]

the ab is worth it but you will have to take your time, what you might find is you do one shot and it appears you have lift off but your touching up passes move more around grr. Takes about 4 passes with shots in between I find.

Oh and a lot of the shit hitting the lens is from flakes of metal as the bayonets wear in - the more times you swap a lens eventually it does cut down quite a bit as the body and lens bayonets bed in

[chim666]

havoc said:

3) I actually got decent results (after about 15-20 mins) with a rocket blower last year. is the AB really worth the extra?!?

A blower brush may well remove the dust from the sensor, but you have no control over where it has gone! It could (and probably is) simply hanging around the camera mirror chamber waiting to drop onto the sensor again!

The AB will pick up the dust by very low-level static on its brush. I agree about the cost being high, but after spending quite a lot on swabs before buying the butterfly, I found that the butterfly was more efficient and was much less stressful to use for a rather nervous photographer!

[CVP]

nick_bbb said:

My sensor is totally covered in crap so I was going to have it serviced, I know this is come up before but where in London does a good clean up for Canon?

Edited by nick_bbb on Monday 7th January 12:31

Fixation are your chaps for a service. Been in business a long time. Based near Vauxhall train station I think

[nick_bbb]

CVP said:

nick_bbb said:

My sensor is totally covered in crap so I was going to have it serviced, I know this is come up before but where in London does a good clean up for Canon?

Edited by nick_bbb on Monday 7th January 12:31

Fixation are your chaps for a service. Been in business a long time. Based near Vauxhall train station I think

Thanks, that's what I was after, couldn't remember the name

[CVP]

No worries, I'm being nice and helpful to people for the next few weeks trying to build up my good karma for the upcoming big trip Happy to help out