Severe dust in my D7K "Help"

[Caline de binne]

This has been driving me crazy.
I had the kit lens 18/105 on the camera for two months.

Never took it off since day one. And Noticed dust particles at the smallest apperture. I use the dust clean-up mode no change.

Since then I bought two more lenses and notice that the dust is now increasing on the sensor
I take all the precotions, change lens facing down, in a clean area.
But now it looks like a constelation.
Is there something I can do "Quick Fix"
Until I order a cleaning kit.
Right now I'm away from home traveling.
Here are two frames one without lens and one with lens at f/29.
It's disturbing.........
I

 

[Scud49]

Under the Setup Menu you can select "clean image sensor" - that should get you started.

I'm getting a cleaning kit for mine.

 

[madecov]

I have seen much worse dust from other cameras. If the in camera cleaning mode is not helping, see if you can pick up a photographic "bulb" blower. Giottos markets one as the rocket blower.

Use the mirror up cleaning mode and blow out the sensor area being very careful not too touch the AA filter covering the sensor.

This should help get most of it off the sensor. Eventually you will probably need to do a wet cleaning.

Dust is just a fact of life.
--



In god we trust, all others are suspects

Licensed firearms dealer in Houston, Texas

 

[cary smith]

You're from USA are you now in USA?

Well, wherever you are, go to a pharmacy, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, etc. Go to the baby/infant supply stuff. There you will find a small squeeze blower bulb (for cleaning ears I think). Much smaller than the well known "rocket" air blaster bulb that is sold for lens and sensor cleaning.. This small bulb works fine for sensor and lens cleaning. Try it, keep it in your kit.

cary

 

[nkarasev]

Since then I bought two more lenses and notice that the dust is now increasing on the sensor
I take all the precotions, change lens facing down, in a clean area.

Are you using rocket blower when changing lenses? No? Then you really should. In 3 years I have never accumulated a single particle of dust on my D300 (I see some occasionally, but they are blown away next time) and I do change lenses frequently. But I always - I mean this - always use a blower to first: blow around the spare lens mount (while still with cap on), then the mount area of lens on camera, then quickly get the lens off camera and cap off another lens, blow on the cap and lens I just took off camera and set the cap onto it. Than blow the mount opening of the spare lens, then on the camera itself, then while setting up the lens on the camera I still do blow into the mount area.

Sounds too much? well, like I said - never a single accumulated particle that would take more efforts to blow off. In 3 years this flow is done so many times I almost do not notice how I do it - motor memory I guess

Nik

 

[Caline de binne]

Yes I am in the USA.
I'm in a small town where photography is non existant.
I will check the drug store for a small blower.
At least it will be better then nothing.
I apreciate your inputs.
Thanks all

 

[Dominique Dierick]

Why not order online. I would not trust any blower from a drugstore.

D.

--
Equipment: Nikon D3s, D700, D7000, Panasonic LX5 and GH2 for video

 

[madecov]

A proper blower will have a one way valve to help prevent dust from entering the blower and being deposited back onto the sensor. An inexpensive ear bulb will not and particles will be.sucked into the bulb.
--



In god we trust, all others are suspects

Licensed firearms dealer in Houston, Texas

 

[mdiphoto]

Some of the spots look like liquid (oil?) drops. Could come from the shutter.

 

[Aristoc]

That is not severe dust but it is unfortunate. What it looks like is oily spots. Its not usually from changing lenses but it shows up after the first few hundred clicks of the shutter. The camera comes from the factory perfectly clean but once you start clicking the shutter,small amounts of oily debris comes off and sometimes lands on the sensor. It will come off but you need a brush to do it. Maybe there is an art supply store where you are? Anyways, some photographers recommend always travelling with a sensor cleaning kit that can be transported on airplanes such as the one from Copper Hill Images. Anyways I did it this way:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1007&message=38067492
--
http://camerafocustest.blogspot.com/

 

[Lars Fosdal]

Caline de binne,

Did you check with a second lens to eliminate the lens as the dirty spot?
Do both lenses give the same dirty spots?

Take your camera and/or lens to service. It is more expensive, but the job get's done right.

Lars F.
--
There are no stupid questions.

 

[martyg70]

I had oil spots on my D7K sensor. My local camera shop cleaned it for free and suggested that I bring it back in 2 weeks to check the sensor again. I brought it back and sure enough there was more oil on the sensor. They sent it to Nikon for service under warranty, I'm now waiting for it to come back.

--
Martyg

 

[David Lal]

I'm not as convinced as you are that this is oil but certainly agree that it could be and certainly that it is 'unfortunate'. If it is oil then would not any kind of brush technique tend to smear it all over the sensor (and ruin the brush)?

I tried the CO2 and brush technique once - total disaster: even though the CO2 was from a famous name photographic supplier there were traces of oil or something in the gas - you can imagine the result!

Since then I stay with my tried and trusted method: methanol (Eclipse) + home-made Pec Pad swabs. Works a treat, is cheap, easy and will dissolve sticky residues like oil as well as remove dust motes. I clean the sensor every few weeks - nothing to it.

David

That is not severe dust but it is unfortunate. What it looks like is oily spots.

 

[beemerman2k]

In the 5 years I owned my Nikon D70s, I NEVER needed to clean the sensor. In the 4 months I've owned my D7000, I have had to do so 3 times already. I bought a package from "Visible Dust", and it works very well. I wet clean my sensor now with no problems. I used their sensor loupe to examine the sensor on my D70s and it's still clean as a whistle even though I have never had to tend to it ever.

My D7K is a fantastic camera, but it does seem to be a dust magnet as well. I am also getting the oil spots from the shutter, too, by the way. I hope it stops soon.
--
beemerman2k

 

[JoKing]

Caline de binne,

Did you check with a second lens to eliminate the lens as the dirty spot?
Do both lenses give the same dirty spots?

It's a common misconception that dust on the lens can show up in a photo. That's physically impossible. For something so small to be visible it has to be in extremely close proximity to the sensor (i.e. on the anti-alias filter).

To give you some idea of how damaged/dusty a lens can get and still not affect the image, consider this example:







http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2008/10/front-element-scratches

 

[larsbc]

Yes I am in the USA.
I'm in a small town where photography is non existant.
I will check the drug store for a small blower.
At least it will be better then nothing.

Actually, it could be WORSE than nothing. One time I used a bulb blower and it put way more dust specks onto my sensor than the one or two I was trying to remove.

IMO the sure fire solution is a wet cleaning and in the meantime, stop shooting at really small apertures.

larsbc

 

[larsbc]

A proper blower will have a one way valve to help prevent dust from entering the blower and being deposited back onto the sensor. An inexpensive ear bulb will not and particles will be.sucked into the bulb.

Where does the blower get the air from, if it's got a one-way valve?

larsbc

 

[cary smith]

as usual on forums, many repliers do not even read the OP -
"Is there something I can do "Quick Fix"
Until I order a cleaning kit."

Do you read that to mean the OP wants to fix it like ASAP, before more shooing ?
What would -you- suggest he do -NOW-, today by 12 noon, not a week from now ?

cary

 

[Aristoc]

Nothing. It can't be rushed. Best thing is to learn to bring a cleaning kit on future trips.

Yes, a brush can smear oil drops. So that is why I had to go over the area with the problem 7 or 8 times until they were lifted off onto the brush. Yes you have to becarefull with the CO2 and vapour discharge. Maybe you didn't use CO2 but you used one of those cans of air like DUst Off from the photo store. You must use PURE CO2.

Smearing of the oil or spreading or stretching the oil is exactly the same thing that the visible dust or sensor swabs do from eclipse or anyone else. The first swipe is only going to probably smear some of the oil and you won't get it all off on the first try. You have to go over it again. In my case example, I was using a dry brush method. I threw the brush out later. Because it worked for me to clean off the sensor I stopped there. But IF I found that it was not cleaning off the oil as nicely as I wanted, then and only then would I move to the next step of using the wet method. That is using the eclipse chemical and their sensor swabs (from copper hill). Take one step at a time...... Don't go for the wet if the dry method works.

"Everything is going to be ....a-l-l-l-l right!"

as usual on forums, many repliers do not even read the OP -
"Is there something I can do "Quick Fix"
Until I order a cleaning kit."

Do you read that to mean the OP wants to fix it like ASAP, before more shooing ?
What would -you- suggest he do -NOW-, today by 12 noon, not a week from now ?

cary

--
http://camerafocustest.blogspot.com/

 

[David Lal]

Cary, I don't know about your country - probably not as advanced as mine when it comes to photographic supplies [ , Joke!] but it is 18:30 BST here and I can order today online from my supplier any time within the next 4 hours and the stuff will be here tomorrow. That's pretty ASAP is it not? Oh, and I live in a small rural village, not a major city.

Aristoc: The CO2 was CO2 and intended for the purpose for which I bought it. I know all about canned air, propellants and all the rest of it. Eclipse is methanol, a very powerful solvent and yes more than one swipe would likely be necessary.

David

as usual on forums, many repliers do not even read the OP -
"Is there something I can do "Quick Fix"
Until I order a cleaning kit."

Do you read that to mean the OP wants to fix it like ASAP, before more shooing ?
What would -you- suggest he do -NOW-, today by 12 noon, not a week from now ?