The Curse of Dust

[The PIT]

Nikon say the problem is over stated. Hopefully they'll change the mind and do something in the next gen of models becuase from my point of view it's certainly a problem.

Following a tip about the Nikon D80 over exposing by default, something I witnessed with my new lense, which uses 3d metering, I embarked on a good session of taking photo's.

Despite crap conditions dull misty I got a good set of photo's. Half way through there appears a fairly large spec of dust. At the time I didn't notice as the LCD kept steaming up.

I cloned it out but was rather annoying. Doubly annoying as I don't change lenses so the dust must have come from within the camera itself.

Changing lenses just make such it wasn't within the lense proved that it wasn't. Infact this moved it slightly and made it worse. Luckily it looks like I managed to blow it out. The nikon does allow you lock the mirror out of the way at least.

Hopefully this won't be a regular problem as I don't fancy having to clean the bugger regularly.

How common is this problem with Dslr's ?? I only thought it was a major problem if you swapped lenses around a lot.

If you remember the orginal camera came with the problem striaght out of the box. I sent that one back.

[Wulfman]

it can be a problem, especially if you change lenses a lot in a not-so-clean environment, or if you are using large zoom lenses. they move quite a lot of air around and into the camera when going from wide to tele.

having said that, I only had dust on my sensor two or three times, which I would translate as "hardly a problem", given that I regularly changed lenses in a open-roof landrover in tanzania, within dust clouds and whatnot.

curiously enough, when my camera went to switzerland for service from tanzania (some might remember..), the return recipe mentioned that they did "highly necessary cleaning" in addition to the repair.

mfg
wulfman

[ND66]

.......

If you remember the orginal camera came with the problem striaght out of the box. I sent that one back.

You came to mind when I was reading this line:

We started the test with an exhaustive manual sensor cleaning, since not all cameras arrived with entirely clean sensors.

Check this out:

Review: Dust removal systems / sensor cleaning


.

[Nappe1]

I have dust in my mirror and in focusing screen, but not in CCD panel...

(this is the only thing Oly users can be very proud of... The system really works. )

[VJ]

I had my D100 cleaned 3 times at the Nikon Service center in Aartselaar, Belgium. They did it for free (on 2 occasions I had to go there for a firmware update anyway: the D100 isn't user upgradable). Unfortunately, Nikon closed their Belgian office, so that is no longer an option. But if the service center is closeby, you can have it done with zero risk; this was particularly interesting for the D100: you could only to a mirror lockup in bulb mode (not good, as the CCD is charged then) or specifically for cleaning but only when a power supply is connected. On the newer models, you can lock up the mirror for cleaning using only the battery.

The problem isn't that huge, but if you are unlucky it can be annoying. As Wulfman stated, it can also be caused by zoomlenses, which pull in air from the outside when extending/moving lenses. Older lenses are worse at this (sealing that is starting to wear? other design priorities?). What most people don't know, is that it can also occur on a compact camera (it too has an extending zoom lens); but there is no way you have a chance at cleaning the CCD there.

The Capture software allows for an automatic dust-removal in postprocessing (using a reference image of a white background, taken with the camera), but IMO the problem should have been taken care of in hardware. Sigma has a dust-prevention thing in place: it is nothing more than a clear panel in front of the CCD but due to the distance to the CCD the dust is not captured in the image (too much out of focus and not obscuring individual pixels). Others have a dust-removal techonlogy (sonic filters, shaking the CCD, ...).

IMO, Nikon should either have a way of preventing/removing dust, or they should develop an accessory that fits to the lens mount and cleans the CCD (lenses and body communicate, so that ought to be possible) with zero risk.

Either way, it can be a nuisance...


Jörg

[The PIT]

Hopefully it will stay away for a bit.
I pointed out to a friend a work that it can occur with compact Camera's due to the mechanics.
It's annoying all right so soon after buying the damn thing. If it was six months I'd say fine clean it time.
I agree with you that Nikon should provide auto cleaning. I think they will go that way soince competors now provide fairly widely so a lack will mean detered customers.
Anyway I've ordered a cleaning kit so it'll probably stay away for ages until I lose the kit.

[The PIT]

Good news I definatley got rid of that spec of dust. Took some photos today no probs nice and sharp and no nasty blots anywhere.