Dust? A scratch? WTF is this?

[Tu13erhead]

Something's showing up in all my photos.

example

You can see it in the top right, a grey speck. I cleaned the front of the lens both with a lint-free cloth and canned air, and blasted the other side of the lens and inside the body with canned air (I don't have a bulb handy). I assume whatever it is isn't on the front of the front lens as it shows up at the same spot in every picture, regardless of focus (if it was on the front, it would move as focus changes).

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

EDIT: Fixed. Thanks!

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

That's most likely dust on your sensor.

DO NOT USE CANNED AIR. There's a chance that the air in canned air might blow out with some liquid, so do not use it on your sensor.

Go to Walgreens or CVS and get an ear syringe for a blower bulb on the cheap:

http://www.walgreens.com/store...avCount=0&id=prod17204

Use this to blow the dust off your sensor. Your camera should have a sensor cleaning mode where the mirror locks up and exposes the sensor to cleaning.

 

[Tu13erhead]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
That's most likely dust on your sensor.

DO NOT USE CANNED AIR. There's a chance that the air in canned air might blow out with some liquid, so do not use it on your sensor.

Go to Walgreens or CVS and get an ear syringe for a blower bulb on the cheap:

http://www.walgreens.com/store...avCount=0&id=prod17204

Use this to blow the dust off your sensor. Your camera should have a sensor cleaning mode where the mirror locks up and exposes the sensor to cleaning.

Noted. Will do this and report back.

Thanks!

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: Tu13erhead

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
That's most likely dust on your sensor.

DO NOT USE CANNED AIR. There's a chance that the air in canned air might blow out with some liquid, so do not use it on your sensor.

Go to Walgreens or CVS and get an ear syringe for a blower bulb on the cheap:

http://www.walgreens.com/store...avCount=0&id=prod17204

Use this to blow the dust off your sensor. Your camera should have a sensor cleaning mode where the mirror locks up and exposes the sensor to cleaning.

Noted. Will do this and report back.

Thanks!

Just be careful when blowing. Do not let anything touch the sensor. Make sure the blower brush is clear and not blowing out any sand, dust, or water before putting it in front of your sensor, and make certain not to accidentally poke the exposed sensor with the blower's nozzle.

 

[corkyg]

I have had this same experience, and can vouch for the ear syringe method.

An easy way to tell if your sensor has dust on it it so shoot at plain blue sky, then examine the result. A dust speck will appear as a grayish speck.

The newer Canon SLRs have a sensor mechanism designed to repel dust. It is a good idea to always do your lens changes quickly in a clean environment. I always try to keep the camera facing down when lensless.

 

[dartworth]

Just be careful...

http://www.luminous-landscape..../sensor-cleaning.shtml

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/

http://www.ultimateslr.com/clean-image-sensor.php

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
That's most likely dust on your sensor.

DO NOT USE CANNED AIR. There's a chance that the air in canned air might blow out with some liquid, so do not use it on your sensor.

Go to Walgreens or CVS and get an ear syringe for a blower bulb on the cheap:

http://www.walgreens.com/store...avCount=0&id=prod17204

Use this to blow the dust off your sensor. Your camera should have a sensor cleaning mode where the mirror locks up and exposes the sensor to cleaning.

bulb blowers dont always work, some dust is a PITA to get off, canned air is bad but if you have your own air comprressor, they work wonders

also if its not liek directly in the middle of the frame you can just clone or heal it out in PS quite eaisily

 

[Tu13erhead]

Bought a bulb on the way home from work, gave it a few puffs and it appears the spot is gone.

Anyways, yeah, Aperture's spot tool took it out quite well, but it's nicer not to have to do that to every pic. Supposedly this camera also has some thing where you take a pic of a white wall and it'll edit out the dust particles when you take the picture, but I'd rather just have a clean sensor.

Thanks for the help all!

 

[DrPizza]

I'd be careful with an air compressor - unless it has a filter on it. I just purchased a compressor earlier this summer and it came with all sorts of warnings about the risk of moisture in the air, and it can also have contaminants such as dust from the intake air, or oil from the compressor itself. If you have a compressor though, a moisture trap is a pretty cheap investment to add onto it and useful for other purposes (oil-based painting, etc.)

 

[Gooberlx2]

I've had good results with the sensorbrush from visibledust.

 

[jamesbond007]

I like a little power behind my cleaning. Thus, I purchased the Giottos Rocket Blower (Large). It's pretty powerful and it does the trick for me.

Yes, that does look like sensor dust. Seeing as it's showing up already at f/9, it is most likely a larger spec. This could be a little more difficult to remove. If the Rocket Blower doesn't remove it, you may need to purchase some surface wipes.

Keep us posted!

 

[Mellman]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I'd be careful with an air compressor - unless it has a filter on it. I just purchased a compressor earlier this summer and it came with all sorts of warnings about the risk of moisture in the air, and it can also have contaminants such as dust from the intake air, or oil from the compressor itself. If you have a compressor though, a moisture trap is a pretty cheap investment to add onto it and useful for other purposes (oil-based painting, etc.)

seconded... compressors have all sorts of nasty things in them, especially if you live in a humid area.

I would NOT advise doing this to your camera!