Reading mode: Light Dark

Is the G11 lens still flawed by the G9 dust issue?

Go to last post
Marco Cinnirella

Marco Cinnirella

Veteran Member
Messages
8,574
Solutions
6
Reaction score
2,962
Location
Surrey, UK
Have Canon re-designed the G11 lens mechanism so that it avoids the dreaded 'dust trapped inside the lens' issue that blighted some G9s, including two that I owned? It does look like the same lens cover mechanism and I am wondering whether in time the G11 will suffer the same fate?
 
I don't know if there was any such problem with the G9, but I have now had my G10 for a while and I have no problems with it. I have seen a few posts concerning this some time ago but I honestly doubt this is a big issue with any of the cameras.
--
http://www.olyflyer.blogspot.com/
 
......even if you eventually see dust within the lens (very unlikely!) it will almost never impair image quality. You can get an amazing amount of dust, even scratches, on a lens without affecting IQ noticeably. Makes me wonder why that is, but it's true.

Bill
 
Well, within 2 weeks of owning my G9 there was a piece of lint visible INSIDE the lens, on one of the front elements. It WAS visible in images and this is not an uncommon experience for G9 owners, sadly...
 
My G11 has some dust, seems to be on the sensor. When I stop down to f8 the blob becomes more strange and somewhat sharper, same appearence as with a dSLR.

Will send it to canon tomorrow. Will see if it happens again. If it happens a third time the camera will be returned.

Roland.
 
Bought a G11 just before christmas and it has already got some trapped dust in the lens housing/on the sensor. Visible as a sharp blemish in the live-view it then casts a varyingly blurry mark on all my pictures, great! I've treated it gently these past three weeks and haven't even had a chance to take it on a proper outing yet! So disappointed. My old 300D only got a dirty sensor a couple of times in 5yrs use and I'd be swapping lenses on that camera all the time!

Does anyone have a feel for how widespread this problem is? Will a repair, or hopefully replacement, very likely have the same problem since, if that's the case, then all it's nice features and handling are worthless to me, on the other hand if it only affects 1 in 1000 units...

Perhaps I should just be asking for a refund and look for a better manufactured camera?
 
Oh dear - looks like the G11 may suffer from the same "dust inside lens/on sensor" issue as the G9 then. Hard to say at this stage how widespread it is. It was really well documented with the G9 and the only cure was to try your luck with the hose of a vacuum cleaner up against the lens (yes, scary isn't it?!) or contact Canon and hope they would replace the lens assembly (which they did do for some users). Another scary thing is that Canon never officially recognised the G9 dust issue as a general issue with the model, never officially recalled the camera, never officially said they would always repair or replace G9s suffering from the problem. Of course, this is potentially an issue with any fixed lens zoom camera - the zoom action risks sucking in dust and debris into the lens mechanism, where it may get trapped, but Canon G series cameras do seem to suffer a bit more than others - not sure why. This is why I rely on DSLRs now - at least if you get dust on a lens or sensor you can usually deal with it yourself.
 
I just bought my first Canon camera, which was a G11. So far, I really like it and use it as a compliment to my D90. However, I am wondering how the dust gets in? I want to know what I should watch?
Thanks
--
Bob
 
Read my post above - the dust gets in because of a flaw in the design of many zoom lenses found on compacts - the concertina-style collapsing zoom system has a tendency to suck in dust and dirt as the zoom extends and retracts, which then can get trapped inside the lens elements or find its way onto the sensor.

Also note that some Canon G series owners, myself included, found pieces of lint inside their lenses which must have been left during manufacture and after a few weeks or months of camera use became dislodged and found their way onto the lens elements or the sensor.

Whatever way you look at it, it isn't great that Canon seem to keep suffering from this - is either poor quality control or a design flaw or both.

Incidentally, I kept my Canon G9 in a camera bag at all times and never used it in dirty or dusty conditions - so it doesn't matter how carefully you store the camera.
 
Dust in the lens or on the sensor was definitely a problem with some G7/9/10 models, and also a number of reports of the lens protection shutters scratching the front element of the lens.

These have been one reason I have been holding off buying a G11, until I hear the all clear. It doesn't sound too promising on this evidence, so I'll stay with my (so far) trouble free G7. I know dust in the lens should not affect IQ, but the chance of it getting on the sensor concerns me.
--
Marco Cinnirella said:
To Err is Human, To really foul things up you need a computer.
Click to expand...
 
you can wait forever for a good camera without any faults.

There will always be individuals with problems. No matter what you buy, be that an aeroplane, a car, TV set, camera or any other gadget. Don't rely too much on forum reports. I don't think there are many Gxx's out there with problems, but of course there are and always will be some, just like any other cameras.
--
http://www.olyflyer.blogspot.com/
 
Sure, ALL cameras can have problems, but my history is:-

Konica-Minolta DSLRS: No probs
Sony DSLRS: No probs
Sony compacts: No probs
Panasonic compacts: No probs
Fuji compacts: No probs

Canon G9: 1st copy returned due to lint/dust stuck inside lens elements; 2nd copy returned due to misaligned sensor; 3rd copy OK (ish) but rear LCD is not straight !
 
Well, I have had one Olympus E-500 without problems, one E-3 returned because of a big speck on the sensor, second E-3 OK, Canon G10 no problems at all since May, Nikon D300s no problems at all since September.

Sh!t happens. It seems you received more than you deserve of that... ;) I am sorry for you, but I still say it is just bad luck, although I have no experience with the G9, I am pretty sure the number of problems are few considering the number of sold cameras.
--
http://www.olyflyer.blogspot.com/
 
Dust and particles on the sensor will find its way into images - especially at apertures of f5.6 but more so at f8 and smaller. It would take an incredible amount of dust inside the lens to have a visible, detrimental effect. People make way too much of dust inside lenses. It's a non-issue.
 
olyflyer said:
you can wait forever for a good camera without any faults.

There will always be individuals with problems. No matter what you buy, be that an aeroplane, a car, TV set, camera or any other gadget. Don't rely too much on forum reports. I don't think there are many Gxx's out there with problems, but of course there are and always will be some, just like any other cameras.
Click to expand...
G7...serious dust issue, got lucky with a vacuum cleaner which sucked out most of the dust for still images, but video is still impacted. Fortunately for me, I have better choices when it comes to shooting video.

The G series may be fantastic in regards to IQ and handling, but Canon majorly dropped the ball when it came to lens assembly design. These are vacuum cleaners, although I'll admit I see much less in the way of complaints with the G10/11 vs. the G7/9.

However saying that the G7/9 didn't have any significant dust issues is being downright disingenuous. The issues are very well documented here. I've seen (and experienced) more dust related issues with the 7 and 9 then every other camera model on this message board, and that goes for any other forum. Combined. Dust with these G models is absolutely unacceptable - particularly for a $500+ camera.
 
Some information on dust in this old thread. My G10 got some tiny white dots - dust behind/between the lens(es). Seems to increase. Picture ok. Seller says they are not in the focus area. So - can I do anything to stop this? Suppose if it increases it will be a problem. Vacum cleaning mentioned, how? If it gets worse what to do and who will pay? Me? Canon? And so on.
No dust to be seen in my Canon S2. After 20.000 images...
 
I bought my G9 when they first hit the market. It never had any dust issue. And, after all these years, it still doesn't.
--
truview
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top