DSLR Sensors and Dust

bbg404

bbg404

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Ben
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Just wondering how you all deal with sensor dust!

Ive just wet cleaned my sensor this morning and I'm really really pleased with the results but here's the thing

I only bought the camera in February and since then it's already been wet cleaned (Think that was in May) were now in August and it's been done again so it's roughly once every 3 month. My body's a Nikon D750 and now on about 6000 shutter count. A friend of mine has a Canon 6D with probably a higher shutter count and was bought a couple month before mine with the same focal length lenses just the Canon equivalent and never once had a sensor clean!

I've asked numerous times how he changes lenses and I've watched him out in the field and I feel I do everything the same as him and possible even more anal than I need to be yet I seem to gather a hell of a lot more dust!

Has anyone got any tips?
 
You could try ( if you haven't already) "clean sensor on power up" menu option
 
How bad is the sensor dust? Are you cleaning the sensor after getting 1 or 2 specs? Just to say it's often better just to clear sensor dust in post processing until you can't bear it any more, as you may find you make matters worse when attempting to clean it. It's also worth asking your friend if he includes this step in his PP.

Could be a difference in the cameras too. Maybe one is sealed better than the other. For comparison I used to get a fair bit of dust with my dSLR. I would tend to give it a blow with my rocket blower every couple of months or so (I never did a wet clean). Since I went mirrorless, I've been getting far less dust (hardly any in fact and I still use it and swap lenses frequently, especially when out and about). I did think that dust would be more of a problem with the mirrorless, as the sensor is exposed when you switch lenses, so was quite surprised to find the opposite. I guess the mirror banging around can move a far bit of dust around inside a camera, so it could well be just an issue with the way your camera is constructed.
 
If you put the camera or lenses in a bag, be sure that the bag is not the source of dust.

It could also be made worse by static. So the material of your shoes, clothing and your carpets at home could affect it.
 
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Well I felt it was bad as some of the dust spots looking thick and prominent
Yeah I do remove it in PP but somtimes its to many and gets on my wick doing it all the time! I understand it will never always be spotless

Thanks it's a newish bag infact it's only a month old but I'll go over it with a Hoover just to be sure
 
With DSLR's I'm not too sure that it really matters how careful you are when changing lenses. I'm sure that I read somewhere that most of the stuff that ends up on the sensor is internally generated and is the lubrication and little bits that come off the internal moving parts and there's always the chance that contamination can enter via the various gaps around buttons and dials and VF etc... unless the camera is really well sealed.

I'm mirrorless now but when I had my Canon DSLR's they needed cleaning regularly. I used to test them before going out for the day and clean them if necessary and I'd also probably check them again when I go home too. My 5D in particular was irresistible to dust bunnies and even if it was clean on a Monday and put away until Friday the chances are that it would have developed dust bunnies in the meantime.

Ben, is your friends DSLR really dust bunny free?

Some people don't seem to notice dust bunnies in their shots. I don't tend to mix with people with DSLR's these days but I do remember people claiming that their cameras sensor was spotless and dust just wasn't an issue even though bunnies were clearly visible in their shots but I quickly realised that when pointing this out to people they'd react as if I'd accused them of having a teeny tiny manhood so I just stopped and let them live in denial.

Mirrorless cameras are much better and none of my CSC seem to suffer any significant issues despite having more lens changes than I did with my DSLR's and when they do get the odd spot it's easily cleaned and I'm set for another long dust bunny free period.
 
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simonblue said:
The worst camera i had for dust bunny was the Canon 20D,the last DSLR i had Nikon D700 i didnt have to many problems with :)
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My 20D actually got a lot better the longer I kept it. I had it a shade over 7 years and I suppose as it aged just about anything that could come off the internal moving parts did until there was nothing left and at the end of my ownership it was actually suffering fewer dust bunnies that it ever had.
 
woof woof said:
My 20D actually got a lot better the longer I kept it. I had it a shade over 7 years and I suppose as it aged just about anything that could come off the internal moving parts did until there was nothing left and at the end of my ownership it was actually suffering fewer dust bunnies that it ever had.
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I got mine s/h my first DSLR came with dust bunny,got it cleaned but came back with some still their,cleaned again,after that seemed to pick them up all the time,but nice camera :)
 
Dust that gets into the camera when changing lenses should be minimal to nil if you're careful. That isn't the usual source of dust issues, but we all have them (including your friend, I'll bet).

Most dust gets in when you zoom the lens and air gets sucked in and out. The air takes the route of least resistance which could be around the front of the lens or any other moving part, or other common places are around the camera remote sockets on the left end, or through the battery and card chambers. Unless you take meticulous care around these areas, and nobody does really, then there's a good chance that you're shoving all sorts of crap into the guts of the camera every time you change the battery/card. Then pump the zoom a few times and that crap gets circulated everywhere, assisted by the mirror flipping up and down. The camera body-cap is another great source of dust, especially if it's kept rattling around in the bottom of your bag. Then we fit it to the body (to keep things clean LOL) and introduce all sorts of rubbish directly to the mirror-box!

Also, dust problems depend on what you shoot. If it's landscapes at higher f/numbers with lots of plain sky, you'll see tons more dust than someone else mainly shooting general walkabout at mid-range apertures.

Edit: dust a fact of life. I keep it under control by having the sensor auto-clean feature enabled, and use a Giottos rocket blower fairly regularly. That shifts most things and I think I've only wet-cleaned my main camera twice in the last four years. BTW, to know exactly where the dust is, remember the image is inverted on the sensor, ie dust in the top-right of the image is on the bottom-right of the sensor as you look at it through the lens mount.
 
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HoppyUK said:
BTW, to know exactly where the dust is, remember the image is inverted on the sensor, ie dust in the top-right of the image is on the bottom-right of the sensor as you look at it through the lens mount.
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Hmmm... Shouldn't that be laterally transposed as well? Top right becomes bottom left?
 
I've had my D750 since November 2014 and only cleaned the sensor once to remove the dust and oil that was there on shipment. Since then it's been fine and I've not noticed any dust spots. OK, so I've not done specific tests against a blue sky or anything, but I do shoot macro at f16 and even f32 at time and haven't seen any spots. I primarily use zooms too so in theory more prone to getting dust in my camera.
 
snerkler said:
I've had my D750 since November 2014 and only cleaned the sensor once to remove the dust and oil that was there on shipment. Since then it's been fine and I've not noticed any dust spots. OK, so I've not done specific tests against a blue sky or anything, but I do shoot macro at f16 and even f32 at time and haven't seen any spots. I primarily use zooms too so in theory more prone to getting dust in my camera.
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That's interesting
 
Image on the sensor will be upside down and flipped right to left.
 
it is easy to clean ....... not a big issue ..... just get on with it ... it is normal with DSLR's
 
I've found either a very stubborn dust spot on my 9 month old D750 or there's damage to the sensor. Wet swabs haven't budged it and I've now bought an eye lead which hasn't got rid of it either. Only noticed it in a landscape shot recently as usually shoot with wide apertures. It's been to Nikon recently but can't prove whether it was there before or not?

I won't loose too much sleep over it, I can fix in PP when needed.
 
Livin The Dream said:
I've found either a very stubborn dust spot on my 9 month old D750 or there's damage to the sensor. Wet swabs haven't budged it and I've now bought an eye lead which hasn't got rid of it either. Only noticed it in a landscape shot recently as usually shoot with wide apertures. It's been to Nikon recently but can't prove whether it was there before or not?

I won't loose too much sleep over it, I can fix in PP when needed.
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f16 against a white wall and post an image
 
chuckles said:
Yes ----

http://www.hatiandskoll.com/2014/02/21/camera-optics-the-single-lens-reflex-slr/

Second paragraph
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No.

Canon Bob said:
Yes

No

Bob
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Yes and no.

snerkler said:
Image on the sensor will be upside down and flipped right to left.
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No.

From the lens mount, you are looking directly at the sensor - not 'through' it as you would a piece of film. And there are no mirrors or prisms or LCD images involved in this.

Try this: take a lens and hold it a few inches from your flat palm so that an image of the room (or wherever) appears clearly on your hand. You will see that what appears, say, in the top-right of the scene as you look at it, appears on the bottom-right of your palm as you look at it.
 
HoppyUK said:
Try this: take a lens and hold it a few inches from your flat palm so that an image of the room (or wherever) appears clearly on your hand. You will see that what appears, say, in the top-right of the scene as you look at it, appears on the bottom-right of your palm as you look at it.
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Or imagine how complex the pentaprism would need to be.

Bob
 
bbg404 said:
My body's a Nikon D750 and now on about 6000 shutter count. A friend of mine has a Canon 6D with probably a higher shutter count and was bought a couple month before mine with the same focal length lenses just the Canon equivalent and never once had a sensor clean!
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At LensesForHire, we make sure the sensor is dust free every time a camera goes out on hire. So that's a lot of sensor cleaning. My experience is that the on board sensor cleaning functions on Canon DSLRs are *much* more effective than those on Nikons.
 
Livin The Dream said:
Did earlier against a magnolia wall, under exposed thinking it would show up better? Have to redo tomorrow. First impression?
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you can see the spots far better on a white wall, no need to focus .. just point and shoot
 
Livin The Dream said:
Will redo in the morning.
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wet cleaning will usually do the job

remember that you are not cleaning the sensor as there is a piece of glass in from t of it - but even that can scratch ........ but you can exert some pressure when cleaning

also marks that appear on the image are opposite on the sensor - i.e. botom left is top right etc.

"dust spots" are normal with DSLRs - you can do a better cleaning job than the lad in the camera shop!
 
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BillN_33 said:
you can see the spots far better on a white wall, no need to focus .. just point and shoot
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I think it'll be much better making sure nothing is in focus even at small aperture as all you want to see is any dust bunnies.
 
HoppyUK said:
No.



Yes and no.



No.

From the lens mount, you are looking directly at the sensor - not 'through' it as you would a piece of film. And there are no mirrors or prisms or LCD images involved in this.

Try this: take a lens and hold it a few inches from your flat palm so that an image of the room (or wherever) appears clearly on your hand. You will see that what appears, say, in the top-right of the scene as you look at it, appears on the bottom-right of your palm as you look at it.
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Ok... sincere apologies. I was treating this as a projected image onto the sensor, which will be horizontally and vertically inverted. It is after all a circular lens and has no concept of what is up/down or left/right. But, I forgot this is effectively the shadow cast by the dust-bunny which, in this case, can only be as you say.

Once again - apologies.
 
chuckles said:
Ok... sincere apologies. I was treating this as a projected image onto the sensor, which will be horizontally and vertically inverted. It is after all a circular lens and has no concept of what is up/down or left/right. But, I forgot this is effectively the shadow cast by the dust-bunny which, in this case, can only be as you say.

Once again - apologies.
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No worries :) It can be very confusing, and the more you think about it, the more confusing it becomes.

I should have added, that little test holding a lens to the light and forming an image really needs bright light - a sunny window is good, with something easily distinguishable in one of the corners.
 
HoppyUK said:
No worries :) It can be very confusing, and the more you think about it, the more confusing it becomes.

I should have added, that little test holding a lens to the light and forming an image really needs bright light - a sunny window is good, with something easily distinguishable in one of the corners.
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I know when I'm looking for dust bunnies I'm using the image as a reference for locating it- that's top right = bottom left! Anyway, I usually get the blighters!
 
HoppyUK said:
No.



Yes and no.



No.

From the lens mount, you are looking directly at the sensor - not 'through' it as you would a piece of film. And there are no mirrors or prisms or LCD images involved in this.

Try this: take a lens and hold it a few inches from your flat palm so that an image of the room (or wherever) appears clearly on your hand. You will see that what appears, say, in the top-right of the scene as you look at it, appears on the bottom-right of your palm as you look at it.
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Well every article I've just looked at suggests that the image will be flipped upside down and left to right. How do you explain it flipping one way but not the other then? If light from the top passes through and ends up at the bottom then surely the same happens from the sides?
 
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