Recurring smudge on photo (upper left)

[naice]

Hi DPR,

Looking for some help to resolve this recurring smudge I've got going on in the upper left corner of the photo. Prior to this photo, I had both black specs +the recurring smudge, but after some cleaning and dusting off of the mirror and sensor the specs went away but I am still left with this smudge.

After changing the lens, the smudge went away but I do not see anything on previous lens that would create such a smudge. How can I go about cleaning this smudge off the lens?

 

[Hanno van Tartu]

Hi DPR,

Looking for some help to resolve this recurring smudge I've got going on in the upper left corner of the photo. Prior to this photo, I had both black specs +the recurring smudge, but after some cleaning and dusting off of the mirror and sensor the specs went away but I am still left with this smudge.

After changing the lens, the smudge went away but I do not see anything on previous lens that would create such a smudge. How can I go about cleaning this smudge off the lens?

It is dirt on either: (1) on the surface supporting the lens cap, (2) on some surface of the lens, or (3) just in front of the sensor. I would guess that you do not see this smudge at an aperture of f/2.8 if it was in your lens or on the sensor front. Hard to say without access to your equipment. So let me start from the other end of the question.

What lens are you using after the lens change? More importantly, at what aperture did you use this lens when you no longer saw this smudge? You say, this smudge was recurring -- do you see this same smudge on photos when your lens was opened to an aperture of, say, f/2.8 or f/4?

 

[Dyun27]

Hi DPR,

Looking for some help to resolve this recurring smudge I've got going on in the upper left corner of the photo. Prior to this photo, I had both black specs +the recurring smudge, but after some cleaning and dusting off of the mirror and sensor the specs went away but I am still left with this smudge.

After changing the lens, the smudge went away but I do not see anything on previous lens that would create such a smudge. How can I go about cleaning this smudge off the lens?

This photo was taken at f/16, which is kind of extreme for most photos. At that aperture you're going to see every speck of dust.

Unless this piece of hair is not present at f/16 with any other lens, I think it's probably resting on the sensor. Sometimes these tiny hairs get stuck on the inside parts and one cleaning may not get it. I've had this happen to me once. It took several tries to get it loose. If you can't get it, maybe a local camera store can clean it for you, or you can send it to Nikon for a cleaning.

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[philm5d]

It's a teensey weensey hair infront of the sensor. I doubt you'll even see it if you flip the mirror and open the shutter for cleaning. My advice - just forget it, it's not going to appear on 99% of your images.

 

[naice]

Hi DPR,

Looking for some help to resolve this recurring smudge I've got going on in the upper left corner of the photo. Prior to this photo, I had both black specs +the recurring smudge, but after some cleaning and dusting off of the mirror and sensor the specs went away but I am still left with this smudge.

After changing the lens, the smudge went away but I do not see anything on previous lens that would create such a smudge. How can I go about cleaning this smudge off the lens?

It is dirt on either: (1) on the surface supporting the lens cap, (2) on some surface of the lens, or (3) just in front of the sensor. I would guess that you do not see this smudge at an aperture of f/2.8 if it was in your lens or on the sensor front. Hard to say without access to your equipment. So let me start from the other end of the question.

What lens are you using after the lens change? More importantly, at what aperture did you use this lens when you no longer saw this smudge? You say, this smudge was recurring -- do you see this same smudge on photos when your lens was opened to an aperture of, say, f/2.8 or f/4?

Upon more experimentation, the "smudge" or hair particle still shows up for both lenses. The lenses I am using are the AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 G and then the Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 Ai-S, respectively. The smudge begins to fade away with the lens open at f/2.8 or f/4. So this probably brings me back to the sensor.

 

[naice]

Hi DPR,

Looking for some help to resolve this recurring smudge I've got going on in the upper left corner of the photo. Prior to this photo, I had both black specs +the recurring smudge, but after some cleaning and dusting off of the mirror and sensor the specs went away but I am still left with this smudge.

After changing the lens, the smudge went away but I do not see anything on previous lens that would create such a smudge. How can I go about cleaning this smudge off the lens?

This photo was taken at f/16, which is kind of extreme for most photos. At that aperture you're going to see every speck of dust.

Unless this piece of hair is not present at f/16 with any other lens, I think it's probably resting on the sensor. Sometimes these tiny hairs get stuck on the inside parts and one cleaning may not get it. I've had this happen to me once. It took several tries to get it loose. If you can't get it, maybe a local camera store can clean it for you, or you can send it to Nikon for a cleaning.

Upon more experimentation, I believe it is the sensor too. The smudge still shows up at f/16 for the other lens that I used. Thanks.

 

[naice]

It's a teensey weensey hair infront of the sensor. I doubt you'll even see it if you flip the mirror and open the shutter for cleaning. My advice - just forget it, it's not going to appear on 99% of your images.

Appreciate the input, I'm going to keep trying to get that hair out.

 

[Hanno van Tartu]

Hi DPR,

Looking for some help to resolve this recurring smudge I've got going on in the upper left corner of the photo. Prior to this photo, I had both black specs +the recurring smudge, but after some cleaning and dusting off of the mirror and sensor the specs went away but I am still left with this smudge.

After changing the lens, the smudge went away but I do not see anything on previous lens that would create such a smudge. How can I go about cleaning this smudge off the lens?

It is dirt on either: (1) on the surface supporting the lens cap, (2) on some surface of the lens, or (3) just in front of the sensor. I would guess that you do not see this smudge at an aperture of f/2.8 if it was in your lens or on the sensor front. Hard to say without access to your equipment. So let me start from the other end of the question.

What lens are you using after the lens change? More importantly, at what aperture did you use this lens when you no longer saw this smudge? You say, this smudge was recurring -- do you see this same smudge on photos when your lens was opened to an aperture of, say, f/2.8 or f/4?

Upon more experimentation, the "smudge" or hair particle still shows up for both lenses. The lenses I am using are the AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 G and then the Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 Ai-S, respectively. The smudge begins to fade away with the lens open at f/2.8 or f/4. So this probably brings me back to the sensor.

Now, that is my guess too.

 

[Leonard Shepherd]

It's a teensey weensey hair infront of the sensor. I doubt you'll even see it if you flip the mirror and open the shutter for cleaning.

I disagree.

With good eyesight and the body on a windowsill with sun falling on it, gently tilting the body to receive direct sunlight should show the hair.

A hair top left on a photo will be bottom right on the sensor.

For those new to optics a lens projects a reversed image onto the sensor - and in camera software puts the image the right way round.

 

[David Lal]

It's a teensey weensey hair infront of the sensor. I doubt you'll even see it if you flip the mirror and open the shutter for cleaning.

I disagree.

With good eyesight and the body on a windowsill with sun falling on it, gently tilting the body to receive direct sunlight should show the hair.

.. with your disagreement Leonard! Of course, your eyes may be younger than mine or maybe the fibres/hairs with which you have dealt are fatter than the ones I've had to remove - or maybe that Yorkshire sunshine you have is stronger than my Sussex sunshine!



Joking apart, I keep a jeweller's loupe (about x5 magnification) in my cleaning kit. These are inexpensive (GBP£ 5 or so) and offer the big advantage of freeing both hands as the loupe can be gripped with cheek pressure between cheekbone and eyebrow - much easier to see sensor détritus.

@OP: You mentioned cleaning the mirror. Don't - its surface silvering is very easy to damage.

 

[PHXAZCRAIG]

You need a nice wet clean of the sensor. That's a classic dust bunny, and there are probably more you haven't noticed.

Get yourself a do-it-yourself cleaning kit, or pay a shop to clean it for you.

I got tired of cleaning mine, so I just started paying a shop $60 to clean and inspect it once a year before going on a photo trip. If I see something show up away from that time of year, I'd just clean it myself, though it usually takes me several passes due to lack of practice.

 

[naice]

It's a teensey weensey hair infront of the sensor. I doubt you'll even see it if you flip the mirror and open the shutter for cleaning.

I disagree.

With good eyesight and the body on a windowsill with sun falling on it, gently tilting the body to receive direct sunlight should show the hair.

.. with your disagreement Leonard! Of course, your eyes may be younger than mine or maybe the fibres/hairs with which you have dealt are fatter than the ones I've had to remove - or maybe that Yorkshire sunshine you have is stronger than my Sussex sunshine!



Joking apart, I keep a jeweller's loupe (about x5 magnification) in my cleaning kit. These are inexpensive (GBP£ 5 or so) and offer the big advantage of freeing both hands as the loupe can be gripped with cheek pressure between cheekbone and eyebrow - much easier to see sensor détritus.

@OP: You mentioned cleaning the mirror. Don't - its surface silvering is very easy to damage.

Thank you for the pointer!

 

[briantilley]

A hair top left on a photo will be bottom right on the sensor.

In fact, a hair that appears top left in an image will be found bottom left on the sensor as you look at it - because when cleaning, we're viewing the sensor from the front.

 

[Leonard Shepherd]

In fact, a hair that appears top left in an image will be found bottom left on the sensor as you look at it - because when cleaning, we're viewing the sensor from the front.

Thanks - I forgot about viewing from the front :-(

 

[Leonard Shepherd]

Now - sensor cleaning in general.

Everybody who does it themselves has their own preferred method.

For those considering doing it for themselves for the first time this is how I do it.

SLR's (the OP gear list is a D750) need much more finger dexterity as the sensor surface is nearly 2 inches down in the mirror box - and the F mount lens flange is quite small.

With Z the sensor is only just over half an inch from the lens flange - and there is a useful sensor surface surround - made possible by the much greater Z mount lens mount diameter.

Photographing a white sheet of paper - usually need up to 1 stop extra exposure - at f16/f22 and then in post maximising contrast and reducing black exposure I find works well for identifying sensor surface issues - sometimes including some you have not previously noticed.

I have an old blower brush which I thought was OK - which shifts the dust that was there before - but replaces it with some larger than dust lumps of corroded rubber from inside the blower :-O

For Z - my advice is never use a blower brush.

When powered off the sensor surface is recessed by about a millimetre from the surrounding frame - and any dust/hairs that get blown into the recess are ready to come back after 2-3 shots :-(

If possible clean in a dust free room. I use an old dehumidifier for about half an hour before cleaning to remove as much dust as possible from the room.

Obviously make sure the camera power is off - after exposing a DSLR sensor for cleaning.

I have a convenient window sill and when the sun is fairly low in the sky, and with the camera on its back and the sensor tilted slightly toward the sun I find it easy to see hairs and specks of dust.

For dust I use Eyelead from Germany.

Gently pressing the adhesive pad on the sensor surface over the dust/hairs picks up the debris. Then gently pressing the the pad on a strong adhesive strip (several provided) removes the dust from the pad.

For stubborn surface marks I dry clean first with a cleaning swab, followed up by a "wet" clean. A wet clean is no more than three drops of cleaning fluid spread across the swab width.

Moist not wet! A wet swab can leave tiny liquid marks on the sensor surface.

With a swab of the right size for the sensor gently start at one edge of the sensor with the moist side and sweep it to the opposite side. Then reverse the sweep with the dry side of the sensor - and you are almost done.

The final stage is to take a second white subject photo to check the sensor is completely clean.

I use UES brand which works out at about £1 a swab. I consider Visible Dust at about £3 a swab (UK) extremely overpriced.

--
Leonard Shepherd
In lots of ways good photography is much more about how equipment is used rather than anything else.

 

[David Lal]

Now - sensor cleaning in general.

Everybody who does it themselves has their own preferred method.

<snip>

For Z - my advice is never use a blower brush.

.. with pretty much all of your post Leonard, especially about NOT using a blower. I make my own made-to-measure swabs from a bit of plastic (credit card sort of stuff), though have some bought ones too and a cut Pec Pad which I then moisten (not soak) with Eclipse (=methanol).

For testing I usually photograph the sky. I've been caught out more than once by confusing a distant flying bird with an incalcitrant dust mote!

 

[johnchap2]

I was taught early on (more than 20 years ago never to use a dry swab on a sensor. I first started early when my Nikons did not have sensor clean setting and I had to clean quickly to get done before the max 30 second exposure closed the shutter. While perhaps not highly likely, a dry swab is still more likely to scratch than a wet one.

Secondly, with all the discussion I did not see any mention (maybe I missed it?) of using a sensor loupe magnifier. I consider a sensor magnifier essential to the cleaning process. They are inexpensive and a whole lot easier than trying to visually scan an enlarged image of a plain light image. If I cannot see a speck or a smudge with the loupe then it generally won't appear on an image.

After my first experience with a professional clean ($40 plus all the expense and time going to and from the professional cleaner); and then discovering that the sensor was still dusty albeit with the dust moved around compared to pre-cleaning, I have done it myself ever since. When I travel (especially to dusty places like Egypt or similar) I always take along my little sensor cleaning kit with the sensor loupe. During such a trip I will occasionally check the sensors of my bodies for any dust that the sensor might have acquired during lens changes. And I normally offer to check the cameras of those I might be traveling with.

Getting dirt/dust on a sensor, battery charger ceasing to work [I now always take along a backup charger] are just two of a small number of things that can ruin a trip if one is not prepared re what to take along. Another similar take along is the AA battery holder for battery grips in case charging of a camera battery is not possible. AA batteries are available literally everywhere in the world in case you don't want to add them to your take along stuff.

I normally clean all my bodies (3-4) at the same time, since setup is overhead. Takes maybe an average of 6-8 minutes per body including the overhead. If a shooter rarely or never changes lenses, the need for sensor cleaning is substantially reduced.