Seeing SPOTS!

[johno]

OK, this one is new to me... I see two major spots in my viewfinder and those spots and a few others end up on my pic. Is this the sensor? If not what? Here's a sample.

http://www.lightexposure.org/photos/72111056-L.jpg

Any help would be good. Looks likes I need to take a trip to the camera shop.

peace.
johno~

[HeldDown]

Sensor dust. See ZoomRaider's post "See Spot..." for more information.

[mr peas]

aliens!

[johno]

Ahhh! good info. I guess I have been very lucky, since I bought the camera last November and this seems to be my first problem. I try to be cautious. I'll try to find a cleaning kit or get some help. Any ideas where to start looking?

peace.
johno~

[gus]

Ahhh! good info. I guess I have been very lucky, since I bought the camera last November and this seems to be my first problem. I try to be cautious. I'll try to find a cleaning kit or get some help. Any ideas where to start looking?

peace.
johno~

Welcome to the wonderfull world of DSLR's johno. (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/sensorcleaning.mspx)

[johno]

Just found the sensor cleaning thread in the hall of wisdom. Lots to learn.

[johno]

Welcome to the wonderfull world of DSLR's johno. (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/sensorcleaning.mspx)

Thanks Gus!:thumb

[marlof]

Welcome to the wonderfull world of (most) DSLR's (except those by Olympus and soon Panasonic) johno. (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/sensorcleaning.mspx)

Fixed it for you, Gus. This is always my moment of glory (http://www.olympus-esystem.com/dea/technology/usf/index.html). I have to stand in the back of the line when you guys speak of AF speed and clean high ISO, but whenever this subject rises, I'm happy. I simply can't understand why the other makers don't add this kind of technology to their cameras. I can attest, after changing many lenses in the African bush where dust goes everywhere, that it simply works. That said, I'm sure cleaning a sensor is pretty trivial. But not having to clean is still easier. :)

[Zoom Raider]

OK, this one is new to me... I see two major spots in my viewfinder and those spots and a few others end up on my pic. Is this the sensor? If not what? Here's a sample.

http://www.lightexposure.org/photos/72111056-L.jpg

Any help would be good. Looks likes I need to take a trip to the camera shop.

peace.
johno~

I had one spot just like those. Found out it was a spot on the lens filter.
Hopefully those spots are on your lens, or lens filter if you use any.
I've been told the best way to see if you have dust or spots on your sensor,
is to take a picture of a white wall... after you know you've cleaned your
lens and/or lens filter really well.

[Scott_Quier]

I had one spot just like those. Found out it was a spot on the lens filter.
Hopefully those spots are on your lens, or lens filter if you use any.
I've been told the best way to see if you have dust or spots on your sensor,
is to take a picture of a white wall... after you know you've cleaned your
lens and/or lens filter really well.It really helps to focus at infinity (yeah, that makes that wonderful picture of your wall all OOF :D ) and with the aperature stopped all the way down f/22 is a good place to set it. Doing all this will help to uncover all the dust bunnies sitting on your sensor.

[johno]

No more spots. Called the nice guys at canon and they walked me through a sensor cleaning. It took me a couple tries, but in the end, it looks good. Talk about adding grey hair to your head.

I'm so happy.

peace.
johno~

[Scott_Quier]

No more spots. Called the nice guys at canon and they walked me through a sensor cleaning. It took me a couple tries, but in the end, it looks good. Talk about adding grey hair to your head.

I'm so happy.

peace.
johno~This is the first I've heard that ANY manufacturer even admits that cleaning a sensor is an operation a customer can perform.

Can you provide a brief summary of what you were told to do? It would be interesting to see if it differs in any significant way from what is already published in the DGrin Hall of Fame.

Thanks

[johno]

I called the canon co. to find out my options on the spots, as seen in the photo above, to be cleaned which I identified as being on my sensor. I told them I didn't want to void the warranty and asked for their advice in getting the spots cleaned up.

1. They told me to plug it in or place a newly charged battery into the camera.

2. Menu/Tools/Sensor Cleaning... Which locks the mirror up.

3. Puff air into camera to remove dust.

4. Turn off camera.

That seemed to work well enough for the large spots. I think I found a few smaller spot but nothing to big to worry about.

First try... Nothing
http://www.lightexposure.org/photos/72525581-M.jpg

Second and third try looked like this.
http://www.lightexposure.org/photos/72526190-M.jpg

It was after this pic that I called back to set up repair at Canon HQ. Another canon service employee walked me through the instructions again. After he gave similar instructions, I realized I may not have gotten my blower nozzle in close enough to the sensor. One last time.

http://www.lightexposure.org/photos/72526804-M.jpg
I liked the look of this one a lot more than the others. Again, I think I can see a few other small spots, but a big difference from the others.

OK. This might not have been a cleaning with anything other than a blower, but I was surprised at how casual they were about me going about this myself.

Hope this helps.?
johno~