Sick camera - DPChallenge Forums

12/14/2005 08:24:25 PM · #1

My camera must be sick , can you please check her vitals? :-(

I am suddenly getting blotchy areas in my photos that look like jpg artifacts, but they are already visible in the RAW format, too.

Here are a few bits of information to help in the elimination process:

A) Everything used to work just fine, then the blotches started. I am not aware of having changed anything in between.
B) It is not my computer/monitor, because I checked my old photos - they still look fine.
C) I have tried 4 different lenses (including my brand new L lens, my 50mm 1.8 and my tack-sharp Sigma 105 macro lens) - all give the same result, and none of them look all that sharp anymore.
D) I compared EXIF data between old and sick photos - nothing seems out of the ordinary
E) I pulled out the battery for a while to reset the camera
F) I formated the CF card (Ultra II SanDisk)
G) Shutterspeed and aperture don't make much of a difference - the problem is there with all of them
H) the blotchy bits are most noticable on smooth, dark areas (probably to be expected, right?)
I) they are not always highly noticable, but seem to be there ALL the time now, anyway.

Here are a couple of examples, the details are with the photo:

Does anybody have any clue to what is going on?
I really don't want to have to send my baby off to Canon over Christmas/New Year - I bet it would be Easter before I get her back :-(

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

12/14/2005 08:28:27 PM · #2

Dirty sensor?

I can't see what you're referring to in the first but the second shows signs of a dirty sensor.

Message edited by author 2005-12-14 20:29:07.

downtherabbithole

Canon EOS-30D

12/14/2005 08:29:03 PM · #3

it looks like dust on the sensor

12/14/2005 08:31:34 PM · #4

Sensor dust?
I have had sensor dust before - in the form of little specks, here and there, visible when shooting at small apertures.
This is MAJOR banding across the sky, can THAT be sensor dust, too? It looks nothing like any examples of sensor dust I have ever seen.

12/14/2005 08:32:52 PM · #5

Originally posted by cpanaioti:

I can't see what you're referring to in the first but the second shows signs of a dirty sensor.

I am seeing major banding - rainbow shape - across the sky.... isn't that visible to you?

12/14/2005 08:34:00 PM · #6

Originally posted by Beetle:

Originally posted by cpanaioti:
I can't see what you're referring to in the first but the second shows signs of a dirty sensor.

I am seeing major banding - rainbow shape - across the sky.... isn't that visible to you?

Oh and the little specks you're seeing are actually ON the background.
I guess you can only see the jpg blotches on some monitors....

12/14/2005 08:34:52 PM · #7

Originally posted by Beetle:

No, not in the small size.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

12/14/2005 08:40:24 PM · #8

I took it in to PS and zoomed to 400% and still can't see what your referring to.

dewed

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

12/14/2005 08:47:58 PM · #9

i get that rainbow shaped banding when I ofer do it with neatimage. my rainbows are prettier though. david

12/14/2005 09:13:50 PM · #10

Colette, I just looked at the pic on my neighbors monitor, which isn't calibrated - I can't see it on hers, either. Maybe that's what I need to do - un-calibrate my monitor *g*

David, I didn't do any postprocessing to those two examples - just resized them. But I"m happy that YOUR rainbows are prettier :-)

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

12/14/2005 09:17:05 PM · #11

I don't see the banding. My monitor is not calibrated, but both pics look great to me.

12/14/2005 09:18:47 PM · #12

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

I don't see the banding. My monitor is not calibrated, but both pics look great to me.

One problem still remains - when I look at my older photos, they WERE and still ARE fine.
This banding problem that I can see has only started recently.

12/14/2005 09:18:47 PM · #13

My monitor is calibrated as best I can with out the expensive hardware.

What resolution are you viewing it at? Some of the in between resolutions do wierd things to the colours.

Message edited by author 2005-12-14 21:20:33.

Nikon AF Fisheye-Nikkor 16mm f/2.8D

12/14/2005 09:24:08 PM · #14

Originally posted by cpanaioti:

My monitor is calibrated as best I can with out the expensive hardware.

What resolution are you viewing it at? Some of the in between resolutions do wierd things to the colours.

Please don't get mad at me, I'm just trying to figure out why you can't see it, I didn't mean to tread on your toes.

In answer to your question: I have two monitors, set to different resolutions. But anyhow, there is still the issue of the sudden onset of this problem, while my old photos still look fine.

modgethanc

Nikon D90

12/14/2005 09:29:26 PM · #15

I'm looking at it on a laptop screen and I could see faint banding...it looks more severe every time I look at it.

No idea what could be wrong, though.

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

12/14/2005 09:29:44 PM · #16

Originally posted by Beetle:

Originally posted by cpanaioti:
My monitor is calibrated as best I can with out the expensive hardware.

What resolution are you viewing it at? Some of the in between resolutions do wierd things to the colours.

Please don't get mad at me, I'm just trying to figure out why you can't see it, I didn't mean to tread on your toes.

In answer to your question: I have two monitors, set to different resolutions. But anyhow, there is still the issue of the sudden onset of this problem, while my old photos still look fine.

Not mad. I just read more into the statement about your neighbour's computer than was intended.

Back to the issue....

What does the image look like printed? Just do a basic RAW conversion ignoring the banding you see but don't do anything that seems to make it worse.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

12/14/2005 09:33:35 PM · #17

Try posting a 100% crop of the worst area of one of the pics. I can't see the issues on either my CRT or my laptop screen. iIt's probably being hidden by the resizing process.

Message edited by author 2005-12-14 21:33:44.

12/14/2005 09:54:02 PM · #18

Here is a crop

Re printing it: I rarely print pics, and wouldn't trust my printer to be any good indication of anything much.

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Canon

12/14/2005 09:55:37 PM · #19

Originally posted by Beetle:

Here is a crop

Re printing it: I rarely print pics, and wouldn't trust my printer to be any good indication of anything much.

Oh, well. It was just an idea.

longlivenyhc

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

12/14/2005 10:18:40 PM · #20

Originally posted by Beetle:

Here is a crop

Re printing it: I rarely print pics, and wouldn't trust my printer to be any good indication of anything much.

if i look really hard on that photo i see a slight purple band across the sky.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

12/14/2005 11:31:17 PM · #21

Blown way up, I do see some blotchiness, like color noise that's been supressed. Nothing really obvious, though, and definitely a tough situation.