What causes translucent white circles?

I have been using my DSC-F55 for 2 weeks now and am having problems with my lens (I think). On most pictures I get translucent white circles when I take photos using my flash. They vary in size and could be up to 1 inch in diameter. I have cleaned my lens several times and cannot see any spots on the lens (with my naked eye). They also seem random in position. Does anyone know what causes them. Is it just a faulty lens? Could the spots be very tiny or on the inside of the lens? My camera is brand new.

Regards
Vijian

Vijian -

I own several digital cameras, including the DSC-55. I have not experienced this problem with my camera.

Try two things......adjust to "low" regarding your camera's flash setting, and secondly, put a piece os scotch tape over the flash and see if this helps. Be careful not to cover your light sensor on the front of the camera's housing.

Josh

Vijian said:

I have been using my DSC-F55 for 2 weeks now and am having problems with
my lens (I think). On most pictures I get translucent white circles when
I take photos using my flash. They vary in size and could be up to 1 inch
in diameter. I have cleaned my lens several times and cannot see any
spots on the lens (with my naked eye). They also seem random in position.
Does anyone know what causes them. Is it just a faulty lens? Could the
spots be very tiny or on the inside of the lens? My camera is brand new.

Regards
Vijian

Click to expand...

Joshua,

Thanks for the reply. I suspected that I had a faulty lens (microscopic spots on lens, most not visible) and therefore took it back to the shop for an exchange. My pictures are fine now.

Regards
Vijian

Those particles are seen in several other cameras as well. There was a long thread on the Nikon forum and the most plausible explanation was that those circles are dust particles that are in the air very close to the lens; when the flash is used the particles are illuminated but because they are so close they are out of focus and show up as white circles.

If the problem is defects in the lens that is easy to check for. They should appear in every shot and their position should not change. Dust, on the other hand, moves and it is dependent on the flash to make them visible.

Vijian said:

I have been using my DSC-F55 for 2 weeks now and am having problems with
my lens (I think). On most pictures I get translucent white circles when
I take photos using my flash. They vary in size and could be up to 1 inch
in diameter. I have cleaned my lens several times and cannot see any
spots on the lens (with my naked eye). They also seem random in position.
Does anyone know what causes them. Is it just a faulty lens? Could the
spots be very tiny or on the inside of the lens? My camera is brand new.

Regards
Vijian

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. Your answer sounds very logical. However, I never had this problem when I had the much cheaper DSC-F1. Also, Since I changed my camera the problem has not returned.

Regards,
Vijian

As long as you are getting good pictures now. That is the important thing!

Vijian said:

Thanks for your reply. Your answer sounds very logical. However, I never
had this problem when I had the much cheaper DSC-F1. Also, Since I
changed my camera the problem has not returned.

Regards,
Vijian

Click to expand...