Is This Sensor Dirt/Dust?

Forkbeard

Forkbeard

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Jim
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I've not had the camera long and bought it used so I have no idea if this is down to me or not, but the below image speaks for itself - I've boosted the contrast/colour to make it easier to see. There are 6 or 7 of these spots dotted all across the top of the image:

HOW_1545
 
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Yes, they’re dust spots on the sensor. Try a rocket blower first as well as the built in sensor clean (if your camera has it) then follow it with a wet clean if that doesn’t shift them.
 
Yep that is dust bunnies on the sensor. Try a rocket blower at first then have a google at sensor cleaning to see what cleaning system you would be comfortable with. I use woth a wet system and eyelead.
 
Bearing in mind a rocket blower can also stir up other dormant dust elsewhere within the camera body
 
Well I've tried the in-camera sensor cleaning function and it hasn't worked so guess I'll have to try something else...
 
How long is "not long" and have there always been spots on the images? Have a look at some earlier ones and look for the problem. If the sensor was dirty (looks like specks of oil, possibly) when you bought it, you might be able to get the seller to contribute towards a proper wet clean (which will be needed if it is oil rather than dust.)
 
Forkbeard said:
Well I've tried the in-camera sensor cleaning function and it hasn't worked so guess I'll have to try something else...
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It is not a difficult job to wet clean a sensor ...... it is quite simple and not something that you should be afraid of doing

it is a simple task - there are Utube vids on the subject ....... but as I said it's simple and a 5 minute job max ..... 2 mins normally

take images at f16 or f32 against a white wall - no need to focus - you will seem the dark spots and remember that they in the opposite position to what they appear on the image
 
depends when it was last cleaned, but it looks reasonably normal to me, especially if you are regularly changing lens and using the camera daily/weekly ........ f22 will always emphasis the situation ............
 
I've had my D7100 just over 3 years. It gets a lot of use and has had around 97,000 shutter actuations. Lenses are regularly changed outside. A few dust spots I've blown off with a rocket blower. Three times I've had blobs on the sensor similar to those in the first picture above, but they appeared more transparent. These were different from previous dust, I assumed they were lubricant from the shutter. Certainly on one occasion they appeared after shooting a lot on continuous. The blower didn't shift them. Twice I had the sensor professionally cleaned. The blobs appeared again, so I then used sensor swabs, eclipse fluid and a loupe that illuminated the sensor with multiple LED's. It was so simple and effective, I cursed not using them before. Luckily I've had no problems for the last 6 months.
 
realspeed said:
Bearing in mind a rocket blower can also stir up other dormant dust elsewhere within the camera body
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So can a normal shutter operation, so you're no worse off!

Normally, remove lens, hold camera with lens-mount facing down, use air blower with some good blasts. When dust spots get to be an irritation and this doesn't shift them, just do a wet clean (or two, if stubborn). It's so damned easy. Just make sure with a dslr (unless you have a mains adapter) that the camera battery is fully charged first, so that the mirror isn't going to crash down on your swab.

I can only see five? spots in the image posted, which should be easy enough to spot out in LR / PS.
 
It's a lot better than it was anyway, and I'm now not terrified of cleaning the sensor (which I thought was a lot more of a job than it is/was).
 
To minimise dust when changing your lens hold the camera face down and out of the wind. and make sure the rear element of your lens is dust free. when using the blower also face the opening down so any dust will fall out.
Cleaning get some ROR making sure it's a gen ROR as there are some misleading ads out there.
 
Chaz Photos said:
To minimise dust when changing your lens hold the camera face down and out of the wind. and make sure the rear element of your lens is dust free. when using the blower also face the opening down so any dust will fall out.
Cleaning get some ROR making sure it's a gen ROR as there are some misleading ads out there.
Click to expand...

Additional to above I also blow out the lens rear cap, and after blowing the sensor release the mirror and blow out again incase any dust became trapped around the lens throat or on the mirror. The only way to avoid or minimise dust issues is to have two bodies for the lenses you use most. Just waiting for the D750 replacement.
 
OP.

I feel your pain.
My 1dx2 looks like that. Yesterday I threw down a whopping £39.00 for swabs and fluid.
Just need to pluck up the courage to have a go.
 
Had the same thing, caused by changing lens in a dusty area, and a few blasts with a blower sorted it out. I also blow out the rear lens cap and couple it together with a body cap to prevent dust getting on it when in my bag.
 
As a way of reducing dust getting into the camera when changing lenses, hold the camera with the mount facing downwards when removing and fitting lenses. It takes a bit of practice to get used to doing this (to line the bayonet fitting up properly) but until you get the hang of it you can always hold the camera body up at head height to see what you are doing, whilst wearing the neck strap and being careful not to drop anything!

Edit: Sorry, just seen Chas' post above, so a bit of repetition! :coat:
 
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I have one spot on my sensor that's troublesome (there are probably others but they're not usually noticable - the camera is 6 years old). It appeared between shots. The lens hadn't been off. All I did was turn the camera off then back on a couple of minutes later. So I assume it's a spot of lubricant flicked off the shutter. The camera's self clean routine has diminished it over the 2 years it's been there, but it's still there. It only really shows against a sky, so I just clone it out. I'm reluctant to clean it in case it is something oily and I end up smearing it all over the sensor and making it worse.
 
Thanks for the tips about changing lenses etc. I do try and be as careful as I can but sometimes forget if I'm in a rush or whatever. I suspect some of that muck was already on it when I bought it though, I don't think I've had chance to use it anywhere that dusty. I only bought it about three weeks ago. I was pretty p***ed off to be cleaning a sensor that quick after buying a camera.

Oh well, I've learned something in the process.
 
Well my first sensor cleaning efforts did not go well today.
I tried a blower first which had little or no effect.
I moved on to swabs and fluid. This was a disaster as it shoved all the dirt to one side of the sensor.:banghead:

My second attempt (new swab and fluid) left something that looked the size of a brick in the frame centre.:jawdrop:

Third attempt moved the brick to the sensor edge.:eek:

Fourth attempt removed a lot of dust and stuff but left what looked like fluid droplets on the sensor.:(

Fifth attempt has got it back to reasonable.:angelic:

I think I'll pay someone to do this in future.:thinking:
 
soupdragon said:
Well my first sensor cleaning efforts did not go well today.
I tried a blower first which had little or no effect.
I moved on to swabs and fluid. This was a disaster as it shoved all the dirt to one side of the sensor.:banghead:
Click to expand...

I'm not recommending this as I don't want to take responsibility for someone bricking their camera, :D but:

I ended up dabbing a sterile cotton bud on some lens cleaning fluid so it was only damp not wet and gently moving into the middle of the sensor from the edges and collecting the dirt in one easily accessible place. I then went over the spot a few times with a new one every time and hey presto - gone (nearly, there is one that just won't budge). It's not ideal as it does leave behind the odd cotton strand, but these were a hell of a lot easier to remove than the dirt and only happened once or twice. If the cotton bud is properly damp they shouldn't come off.
 
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Forkbeard said:
It's a lot better than it was anyway, and I'm now not terrified of cleaning the sensor (which I thought was a lot more of a job than it is/was).
Click to expand...

Doing it the first time can be daunting, I remember imaging I'd break the sensor by pressing too hard, or I would ingrain the dust in even more. Truth is, we're not actually cleaning the sensor it'self, rather the filters that are in front of it. And you'd have to really want to break it to do so. Get a proper set of sensor swabs though, they're so easy to use that when you're done you go around the house looking for something else to clean with it :D
 
Cagey75 said:
Doing it the first time can be daunting, I remember imaging I'd break the sensor by pressing too hard, or I would ingrain the dust in even more. Truth is, we're not actually cleaning the sensor it'self, rather the filters that are in front of it. And you'd have to really want to break it to do so. Get a proper set of sensor swabs though, they're so easy to use that when you're done you go around the house looking for something else to clean with it :D
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Yeah, I would agree with that, I've ordered some sensor cleaning swabs.
 
I think I might go for the jelly dab/roll type if I decide to do this again.
 
Eclipse and pec pads wrapped on tight and locked with a piece of tape. I plan the day before and shut my door in my camera room and use dust wipes around the room then leave and let it settle. The next day I take my cleaning kit out of the box I keep it in, already have my heavy duty tripod set up so camera point angled down but towards me setting in a chair. A clean dry plate to put my cleaners on, these are best if sized to your sensor, when wrapped tight, drip a few drops across the edge depending how bad you think they are stuck on your lens. Now with medium finger pressure drag your cleaning stick made from plastic by pec and lean it in the direction you wipe, if you need to go back across because of extra sensor move straight move down edge then lean into direction of wipe and go across. This will work out 97% of the time. If still their, do again but rubbing back and forth on area you think spot is, i will put extra drop on and use a little more pressure on sensor. Sensors are strong and Eclipse will dry on pad once you have gone over surface with in a few seconds so no worry. Do not use pad more then once. A pack of pads and cleaner will last the rest of my life and fluid will not dry up with tight cap. A good deal, after reading on google and taking in directions, dust bunnies and yuk are a thing of the past. Don't wait and blow them out and clean if needed. Be happy
 
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so a fixed lens would be cleanest but I hear the Panny LX100 pulls dust in, and the RicohGR also
 
GreenNinja67 said:
Cleanest would be a 35mm compact film camera.

Those sensors are renowned for their cleanliness :banana:
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That's because we change the roll they are on every 12, 24 or 36 times we take a photo! ;) Medium format film cameras must be even cleaner as I change the 'sensor' roll after as few as 8 photos on some of mine. :D
 
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