Ideas on how this can be cleaned?

superpippo

superpippo

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Alan
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My daughter has a Nikon D40 and recently the pics have shown a large amount of 'muck'. I don't know what this is - dirt on the sensor or elswhere? The attached pics show the spots in the blue sky, the worst being to the upper left, but there are more smaller spots to the right. Also, she tells me that these show through the viewfinder when taking pics - so the viewfinder image looks very dirty.

Does anyone have ideas as to what this is and how to fix? Should I take it to Jessops or Jacobs or Wilkinsons for a clean and any idea of the cost?







 
I use a small brush pen thing (at work, so I can't tell you what it is) to swipe dirt off the sensor, this usually works effectively. I do wishthe D40 had a sensor cleaner :(
 
it's the sensor, there are some dust on it and surely it can be cleaned, but actually it's not really a big deal, at least for now, as for me, i would wait until it gets dirtier and clean for one time :lol:
 
intotherainbow said:
it's the censor, there are some dust on it and surely it can be cleaned, but actually it's not really a big deal, at least for now, as for me, i would wait until it gets dirtier and clean for one time :lol:
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Do you mean the camera comes along and puts a big smudge over things it finds offensive? :naughty:
 
lol........... i am normally quite tolerant on misspellings after all i usually type "you" as "yuo" but I am finding myself gnashing my teeth at the censor/sensor and the their/they're/there......

Back to the OP.

Would assume a dirty sensor / viewfinder / lens....... give them all a clean....... otherwise learn how to use the clone tool in photoshop. :lol:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Do you mean the camera comes along and puts a big smudge over things it finds offensive? :naughty:
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:lol:

The viewfinder muck is likely to be different dirt on the mirror or the focusing screen. You have to be very careful getting those cleaned - it's a trickier job and easy to get lubricating oil from the shutter mechanism on, which would be hard to get off.

I'm tempted to suggest that's a job best left to a professional.

YMMV
 
Lynton said:
lol........... i am normally quite tolerant on misspellings after all i usually type "you" as "yuo" but I am finding myself gnashing my teeth at the censor/sensor and the their/they're/there......
Click to expand...

Flash In The Pan said:
Do you mean the camera comes along and puts a big smudge over things it finds offensive? :naughty:
Click to expand...

edited, my bad :bang:
I'm not a native though :naughty:
 
Stuff seen in the viewfinder is usually little more than a minor nuisance as it won't appear on the image. Unless it's really stopping you framing the shot I would be inclined to leave it. The blobs seen in the photos are, as already said, dust on your sensor. This is caused when you change lenses allowing dust into the mirror box which eventually finds its way onto the sensor. Your first attempt at removing sensor dust should be with a rocket blower. The most well known are made by a company called Giottos. Avoid blower brushes, Q Tips, canned compressed air as all of these have the potential to make things worse.
To clean with a rocket blower, ensure your battery is fully charged, remove any attached lens, then select "cleaning mode". This will be buried in the menus somewhere, and when activated will lift the mirror and open the shutter, revealing the sensor.
With the camera tilted so that the aperture is facing downwards squirt air at the sensor into all four corners of the opening. Avoid contacting the sensor.
Turn off the camera to release the shutter, reattach the lens, set to F22 and aperture priority and take a photo of a uniform light area. You'll most likely have to set to manual AF. Examine the image to check your blobs have gone. If they haven't, repeat the operation.
If anything left is still an annoyance then a wet clean may be necessary.
 
I had my sensor cleaned as it was very dirty when I bought it. A canon centre charged £45 to do it.
 
@James, chances are you'll need to do it again one day. Cleaning your own sensor with the right tools isn't difficult. I use Pecpads on a home-made wand with Eclipse 2 fluid. Total cost about £15, and I have enough for the life of the camera. I've done it around four times in the two years that I've had the camera. Most of the time the blower is sufficient.
 
Take it to Calumet in Manchester I think they charge £30 for a sensor clean. The staff there are very helpfull and seem to know what they are doing.
 
eccles said:
@James, chances are you'll need to do it again one day. Cleaning your own sensor with the right tools isn't difficult. I use Pecpads on a home-made wand with Eclipse 2 fluid. Total cost about £15, and I have enough for the life of the camera. I've done it around four times in the two years that I've had the camera. Most of the time the blower is sufficient.
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I was scared stiff after reading up on it on the internet. I asked my local shop and they didn't do it but could supply the kit for £35.
I figured let someone who knows do it for a bit more than me spending and messing up something
 
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