Spec in pics that won't go away...

D

Dark Prodigy

Jawbreaker
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
2,803
I have a Nikon D40 and Iately I have noticed that in EVERY picture I take there's this small spec in varying degrees of focus in the exact same spot. Its only noticeable on light surfaces. I've cleaned the lens front and back thoroughly...its spotless. What could be the problem?
 
If it's fuzzy and a bit larger at bigger apertures like F4 and more defined at smaller apertures like F11, then it's sensor dust. Don't touch the sensor, read up on sensor cleaning, blowing should do it.

If it's well defined pixels, then you have hot pixels.
Examples?
 
dirt on the sensor or dirt on the inside lens part. most people forget to clean that part.
 
Couple of example pics....


DSC_0010-6.jpg


DSC_0057-1.jpg


Spec is on lower left quarter of photos... what's the best way to clean the sensor..also.. where the hell is the sensor on my camera btw?
 
Yeah that is a dust spec that is stuck to your sensor. When you take your lens off and look into the camera you are seeing the shutter. You need to read the part in your manual on sensor cleaning, and it will tell you how to raise the shutter so that you can see the sensor which is a chip looking thing. Looking at this manual http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/noprint/D40_noprint.pdf it is on page 105. It'll tell you to use something like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/318545-REG/Giottos_AA1910_Rocket_Air_Blower.html You'll want to make sure the blower doesn't bump into anything in the camera since the shutter and the sensor/low pass filter are all fragile.

The dust spec may be really stuck on good and won't come off with simple blowing and will need swabbing. Reputable camera stores should be able to clean them in house properly for not too much money. There are also places you can send it to, but I don't have any of them on hand. I've never brought my D300 into a store or sent it off to get cleaned, but planning on it in about a year. I did do the blowing thing, and it work to remove the 3 dust specks that showed up all of a sudden.

Edit: Here is a site that explains the different methods that can be used to clean the sensor. I've not read through the site and found them quickly in a google search. http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html Other places to look are posts on fredmiranda.com, and there are recommendations that I've read on there when this topic has come up with people talking about where they send there camera off to to get the sensor cleaned, if they don't have a local store that they trust.
 
Swell swell information. There's quite a few camera and photo shops around these parts, I'll probably go to one. Even though I love saving money...just don't want to potentially damage my only SLR camera.
 
That's nothing. I finally sent in my 40d because my sensor was starting to impart a leopard skin print on everything. I had saved a lightroom shot simply for dust-spot cloning...
 
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