dust spots? - DPChallenge Forums

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

08/01/2006 01:51:10 PM · #1

Ok
I keep seeing people mentioning seeing dust spots on their pictures and quite honestly I rarely notice them. I also don't tend to worry about them because my camera supposedly has a SSWF that is supposed to wipe away all dust from the sensor.

Now my question is I was fooling around with some pictures from a recent trip to the Grand Canyon and found this picture

Are the spots in the sky likely to be dust spots--on the sensor or on the UV filter? I will intermittenly find dust on the filter and sometimes can't seem to get it clean. If it's dust on the sensor then I'm wondering just how good this SSWF is.

Can anyone help?
Eric

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

08/01/2006 02:03:25 PM · #2

It's either sensor dust or the orbs have returned. Just because your E-volt does a shake-n-shimmy doesn't mean you're totally immune; some dust is actually sticky...

R.

OdysseyF22

Panasonic DC-G9

Olympus 12-45mm /f4.0 Pro

08/01/2006 02:05:01 PM · #3

Looks like sensor dust to me. The SSWF feature (I'm assuming it's an anti-dust vibration device, or similar) probably does a decent job - if you switch lenses somewhat often and this is all the dust you have, then it's doing it's job.

To clean this up, you should probably start with the blower option - a baby nose snot sucker, or an actual Rocket blower meant for camera use. I'm not sure if you can use sensor cleaning fluid and pads on a sensor with the SSWF - probably can, but you should make sure, first. But I wouldn't bother with cleaning fluid and all that until I had exhausted other avenues.

I don't know about filter dust showing up. If you had a lot, I guess it would, but I've always attributed dust in my shots to the sensor.

Hope this helps.

I Enjoy Ham

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

08/01/2006 02:05:57 PM · #4

yah, its deffinitely the orbs, you can see a face in the one at the top. Actually though, could be something on the lens? i know when water gets on alens it sometime leaves bemishes that look like that.

-Dan

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

08/01/2006 02:23:48 PM · #5

Originally posted by I Enjoy Ham:

You can take a little piuece of post-it note and stick it on your lens or filter, and you won't even be able to tell it's there in the final shot. Try it. That's NOT what it is. The water drops are noticeable because they refract light.

R.

C-Fox

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/01/2006 02:26:39 PM · #6

Thanks Bear I always wondered about that

I Enjoy Ham

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

08/01/2006 02:41:03 PM · #7

i would still check the lens anyway :)

im of now to see if that whole post-it thing is tru or not...

-Dan

08/01/2006 03:00:12 PM · #8

well that just plain sucks. have you ever had one of those weeks where everything you do goes wrong? I mean everything. And by the end of the week you feel as big as an ant because even when you've tried to do it the right way it still fails. I have failed in everything I've done this week and now feel very small and stupid. I think my wife is about to kill me.

This just adds to the week--it's like the camel that broke the camel's back.

I'm not sure I'm comfortable cleaning my sensor

Eric

Message edited by author 2006-08-01 15:50:11.

Tamron AF 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD with Piezo

08/01/2006 08:36:14 PM · #9

ok here is a new picture. I tried every self cleaning technique on the camera I could to get it cleaned. And I repeated them several times. I just moved to a new town and: 1) have very little money for a sensor cleaning, and 2) am not comfortable cleaning the sensor on my own--I wouldn't even know how to proceed should I have the balls to do it.

I couldn't find the dust myself, but I rarely can. I think my first picture is only the second time I ever noticed dust spots.

Message edited by author 2006-08-01 20:37:06.

ralfw

Canon EOS-60D

08/01/2006 08:54:59 PM · #10

Your last shot looks pretty clean, but tough to tell with the various contrasts in the picture.

Quick and easy dust test goes something like this for me:

Compare skyshots - blue sky is easiest.
Take three shots for each scenario:

1) Lens 1, wide angle blue sky (3 shots)
2) Lens 1, telephoto blue sky (3 shots)
3) Lens 2, wide angle blue sky (3 shots)
4) Lens 2, telephone blue sky (3 shots)

Compare the sets.
Make note if you lens rotates or not, when focusing and zooming.
This will help you determine where the dust is.

For me:
If the dust is in the same place, it's the sensor.
If it's with one lens, not the other, it's the lens.
If you have only one lens, and use a filter, you can try the same test, with and without the filter to compare results - or even just turning the filter 90 degrees and compare results.

Now if only the cleaning were that easy!

Hope that helps!
Ralf