See Spot... See Spot ruin pictures.

Zoom Raider

Is it possible that even after just 2 months of my D50 that it needs its sensor polished or cleaned? I've taken a couple of "practice shots", took it to the computer, viewed them on the monitor and zoomed in on them and saw what I thought at first were airplanes far far away.

Each picture has a spot that looks like a plane that's 20 miles off in the horizon. You cannot see them unless you zoom it in a little, but even then it's tiny. And each spot is in a different area. So far, the spots haven't been in the same place.

WolfCamera wants over $90 or $100 to clean the sensor. But there's a place that's been in business for 30 years (SuperiorCamera) that does it for $65. Everywhere I go to check out a DSLR, they say the sensor needs to be cleaned once a year after the camera is purchased.

Could sensors get spotty that fast... after 2 months, or could sensors get spots on them sitting in a box for months before the camera is puchased? These spots are so nuisance, ruining pictures if they are not actually planes far off in the distance.

Thanks!

Bob Bell

Excuse my uncontrollable laughter but

I have to clean my sensor every 2 weeks or so depending on how much I'm shooting.

While cleaning your sensor can be risky and you can cause damage to it, there are simple ways to clean your sensor that you can do at home in a few minutes.

I recommend that you pick up a Carson Lenspen from Artie Morris at Birds as Art or google it as many places sell it.

Tamp the excess carbon off on a pec pad and clean away. Remember fresh batteries or the AC adapter will be needed to keep the mirror up while cleaning.

There are also many other threads here on Dgrin on cleaning and other methods so search away.

Sorry for laughing but I think I am going to start a sensor cleaning business at $50 bux a pop. Thats better than selling photography

Zoom Raider

Bob Bell wrote:

Excuse my uncontrollable laughter but

I have to clean my sensor every 2 weeks or so depending on how much I'm shooting.

While cleaning your sensor can be risky and you can cause damage to it, there are simple ways to clean your sensor that you can do at home in a few minutes.

I recommend that you pick up a Carson Lenspen from Artie Morris at Birds as Art or google it as many places sell it.

Tamp the excess carbon off on a pec pad and clean away. Remember fresh batteries or the AC adapter will be needed to keep the mirror up while cleaning.

There are also many other threads here on Dgrin on cleaning and other methods so search away.

Sorry for laughing but I think I am going to start a sensor cleaning business at $50 bux a pop. Thats better than selling photography

It's okay.

Anyway, I took it to WC and they said they couldn't see that it was a spot/s on the sensor, (CDC as they call it). They said it must have been an airplane or a helicopter that was very far off in the sky. One spot is never in the same place on the picture, so they say it surely must be a UFO of some sort. Not an alien kind of UFO though.

Then I recently saw another spot. They said this particular spot must be a spot on the lens. I haven't seen anything on the lens before or after I took the shots. So I dunno. At least they're not trying to talk me into having the sensor cleaned now. Some places would love to talk one into having something done that doesn't even need to be done. Like certain mechanic shops.

They said if I change lenses a lot and not hold the opening down during lens changing, then something would eventually get on the sensor. Well, I don't change lenses much at all, nor do I even take a lot of pictures. Well, we'll see what happens with my new pictures that I'll be taking soon.

Thanks!

wxwax

Bob Bell wrote:

I have to clean my sensor every 2 weeks or so depending on how much I'm shooting.

Zoom, personally, I would not use a Lenspen on my sensor. Either use the Copperhill wet-wipe system, or the Visible Dust brush system.

I know it's scary, but you'll very quickly get used to doing it. As Bob says, it's insane to pay those prices for something that's so pain-free.

Oh, and yes, it's perfectly possible for you to have dust motes on your sensor, even in a new camera.

Steve Cavigliano

wxwax wrote:

Zoom, personally, I would not use a Lenspen on my sensor. Either use the Copperhill wet-wipe system, or the Visible Dust brush system.

I know it's scary, but you'll very quickly get used to doing it. As Bob says, it's insane to pay those prices for something that's so pain-free.

Oh, and yes, it's perfectly possible for you to have dust motes on your sensor, even in a new camera.

with Sid. Also, you might want to pick up a "Rocket Blower" to easily remove loose particulate.

As mentioned, sensor cleaning is common and will become routine

Steve

ian408

Steve Cavigliano wrote:

with Sid. Also, you might want to pick up a "Rocket Blower" to easily remove loose particulate.

As mentioned, sensor cleaning is common and will become routine

Steve

I generally use the rocket blower before touching the sensor with
anything. Note that you're really not touching the sensor but just
the filter that covers it--regardless, the less touching you do, the
better off you are.

To clean the spooge that won't come off with the blower, I use a
visible dust brush.

BTW, polishing the sensor is definitely out

JCDoss

RE: The Visible Dust brushes... aren't they just paintbrushes?

Zoom Raider

Well, so far, I've found a faint spot about half the size of a match head on the outside of the UV lens filter. I did not even see it before I took the one shot that had shown that faint circular spot on one of the pictures.

The two tiny airplane looking spots may be gone now after wiping the filter. I also held the filter up to a light and I saw film on the inside of it. I wiped that side off, too. So hopefully all this was the problem.

Since I'm still am amateur with the maintenance of certain gadgets and especially at photography, I think I'll take it to SuperiorCamara for $65 until I dare do such a thing on my own and become good at it.

I'm trying to figure out how all that film got on the inside of the lens filter when I don't use the camera a lot and I don't take the filter off and leave it laying somewhere for junk to get on it. It's finger tight on the lens.

They said the best way to see if the D50's sensor has spots and needs cleaning is to take a picture of a white wall. Well, I hope a light blue wall will do,`cos there's not a white wall or door anywhere in the house. May have to get a snow white beach towel and hang it somewhere.:):

I've also heard that condensation can build up on the sensor and when a picture is taken, the condensation fuses to the sensor. That's sounds damaging.

claudermilk

JCDoss wrote:

RE: The Visible Dust brushes... aren't they just paintbrushes?

Nah, they're very, very expensive magic paintbrushes.

Scott_Quier

There is an excellent, though quite long, thread on sensor cleaning in the Hall of fame.

Before I would do anything, I would take an afternoon and read it.

Here is a link to it - http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=8350