arthurpreston Posted October 13, 2007 Share #1 Posted October 13, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I just started using my brand new M8 today; numerous dust spots on images with sky. It sucks that I paid so much $$$ for a camera with dust spots on the sensor this early. And wouldn't you know it, the manual says that sensor spots are not fixed under warranty. Then why did they send me an M8 full of them?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 13, 2007 Posted October 13, 2007 Hi arthurpreston, Take a look here Dust spots on the sensor the first day of use. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
techpan Posted October 13, 2007 Share #2 Posted October 13, 2007 Dust spots doesn't necessarily mean just on the sensor. There is dust inside your lens which you can clearly verify by shooting completely stopped down at F16. You will see solid black spots in your pics. You can see them clearly by shooting at clear sky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
canlogic Posted October 13, 2007 Share #3 Posted October 13, 2007 Every camera that I have purchased has arrived with dust on the sensor includeing my Canon 1DmkII. It takes 2 minutes to clean so no big deal. I think until they start sealing the cameras in an air tight package they will all have dust from the packaging/shipping trip to your store. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurpreston Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share #4 Posted October 13, 2007 Thanks for the input so far - the lens (21MM) is also BRAND NEW - both used for the first time today - I did clean the lens glass (both sides) with a dab of lens cleaning fluid on lens tissue and a cloth just for that purpose. Do you think maybe I should clean it again, to see if it's better? After I did the Arctic Butterfly on the sensor, along with the rubber bulb blower, and cleaned the lens the first time, the first spot was gone...but now there seem to be many more. Any suggestions on lens cleaning techniques? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
techpan Posted October 13, 2007 Share #5 Posted October 13, 2007 I was refering to dust inside the lens. My 21mm asph which was less than a year old had about 4 dust particles inside the lens. I sent it out to be cla'd. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradreiman Posted October 13, 2007 Share #6 Posted October 13, 2007 Hi Arthur, Welcome to the forum. Don't despair. It's been pretty common for new digital M cameras to have minute particles of grease that splatter around a small bit at first and require a sensor swab and solution. I use visible dust swabs and their solution. They have swabs for 1.33 crop sensors with a green handle. You drop a couple of drops of solution on the swab and drag it across the sensor once and the spots should be gone. With a new camera it may take a few swabs. After nearly a year with the camera I only have to swab it every month or so. I change lenses alot. Also it really helps to turn the camera off before changing lenses because the electrrical charge at the sensor attracts dust. Don't worry about the sensor swabbing the sensor cover is extremely durable....Brad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted October 13, 2007 Share #7 Posted October 13, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Arthur: the good news is that the M8 ismost dust-prone when new - something to do with a manufacturing residue making the sensor 'stickier' - or excess shutter oil forming a deposit - or some such. After a few cleanings (which also slowly remove the sticky residue) the dust specks generally become fewer and further between. (at least that was true of my two bodies). Garin: Dust in the lens does not appear in images - at most (if there is a lot) it will cause flare, but not actual specks on the sensor or picture. Optically im-possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurpreston Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share #8 Posted October 13, 2007 Well, thank you for your input. I guess the "Arctic Butterfly" won't do the job, since it may be an oily substance. I did think it was peculiar that the M8 manual talked about "not putting too much grease on the lens" (my thought was why any??? that would be dangerous), but I guess it's not. I will search for the solution and a swab. I'm glad I joined this forum, as there seems to be a lot of working knowledge going on in here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
techpan Posted October 13, 2007 Share #9 Posted October 13, 2007 Shoot at F16 and you'll see the black spots. When you shoot wide open, the dust specs are dispersed along the entire image making them not visible... Arthur: the good news is that the M8 ismost dust-prone when new - something to do with a manufacturing residue making the sensor 'stickier' - or excess shutter oil forming a deposit - or some such. After a few cleanings (which also slowly remove the sticky residue) the dust specks generally become fewer and further between. (at least that was true of my two bodies). Garin: Dust in the lens does not appear in images - at most (if there is a lot) it will cause flare, but not actual specks on the sensor or picture. Optically im-possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baxter Posted October 13, 2007 Share #10 Posted October 13, 2007 Arthur My experience mirrors Bradley's and by the sound of it yours. I wasn't overly impressed, but did the wet cleaning several times (Pressing hard with wet swab isn't a bad thing and increased effectiveness). The prospect of having to do this cleaning all the time filled me with dread. The advice from here was accurate that things improve after 1000 shots. I haven't had to wet clean for 2 months or so.. More expense for Artic B, Sensor Loupe and swabs wasn't at all welcome, but greatly life enhancing. Cleaning is so quick, simple and effective now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted October 13, 2007 Share #11 Posted October 13, 2007 It is common for all digital camera to have some dust on the sensor when new. But you will find the M8 is very dust prone for the first 1000+ shots. This is due to oil use to lube the shutter and that gets sprayed onto the sensor when the shutter opens and closes. Get yourself a good wet cleaning kit and get use to using it for the first 1000+ shots. Both my M8 are now well over that 1000 shot mark and I haven't needed to clean the sensors on either of them for some time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurpreston Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted October 13, 2007 A followup question if I may - one of you suggested Visible Dust with the "green handle", yet that says "1.5 - 1.6" size...the "orange handle" is 1.33 size. Isn't the orange one the one I really need? And, exactly which "formula" do I purchase? B&H has kits, so I'll probably go there. Thanks again! you are all so helpful Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted October 13, 2007 Share #13 Posted October 13, 2007 Arthur, sorry you've experienced dust problems so early, don't let it put you off. Wet cleaning the sensor (or more precisely damp cleaning it) is a rite of passage to M8 nirvana; visible dust may be fine for collecting loose dust but sticky dust - such as pollen - may be more awkward. Try opening the shutter in "Sensor Cleaning Mode" and shine a bright light into the lens throat. You can see dust and grease spots quite clearly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurpreston Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share #14 Posted October 13, 2007 Ooops - My mistake. The green handles are the correct ones for 1.33 sensors. I see there are two liquid solutions. Vdust Formula Solutions, and Sensor Clean Solutions to choose from. Which do you use/prefer? thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted October 13, 2007 Share #15 Posted October 13, 2007 Ooops - My mistake. The green handles are the correct ones for 1.33 sensors. I see there are two liquid solutions. Vdust Formula Solutions, and Sensor Clean Solutions to choose from. Which do you use/prefer? thanks PSI Eclipse E2 solution. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted October 13, 2007 Share #16 Posted October 13, 2007 I had lots of oil spots yesterday plus a horrible big bit of gunk on the sensor, using the 90 Elmarit at f16 and sky. After a lot of blowing and three wet cleans with 1.3 wands and E2, I was still getting the bit of gunk but in a different place and not all the oil spots had gone. I gave up and took the M8 to my local, ultra-helpful pro-camera repair shop Pro-Tech (luckily only about 10 miles away in Uckfield, Sussex). I wanted to at least start my trip to Cape Town with a clean sensor. Kevin won't tell me what all he does but I know he has one of these illuminated sensor viewing magnifiers. 20 minutes later and £25 lighter, I have a pristine sensor. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurpreston Posted October 20, 2007 Author Share #17 Posted October 20, 2007 ok, today I received my 1.33 swabs and "Visible Dust" fluids (two of them). Not sure if it's working, because I don't have daylight right now (9:00pm here). However, I took some night photos using f 16 and on the display I saw tiny blue and red pixels...when I went to "play" on the images, the colored pixels were there, but after about 3 seconds they dissappeared. I'm wondering if under a full blue sky these will still be snesor spots - I guess I'll find out tomororow. if so, I have as many bad spots as I did before the cleaning, so I'm wondering if maybe my sensor is "bad". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted October 20, 2007 Share #18 Posted October 20, 2007 Arthur, it sounds like what you are seeing in the last shots is the darkslide removal which kicks in after long exposures to reduce noise in the image. This is perfectly normal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted October 20, 2007 Share #19 Posted October 20, 2007 ok, today I received my 1.33 swabs and "Visible Dust" fluids (two of them). Not sure if it's working, because I don't have daylight right now (9:00pm here). However, I took some night photos using f 16 and on the display I saw tiny blue and red pixels...when I went to "play" on the images, the colored pixels were there, but after about 3 seconds they dissappeared. I'm wondering if under a full blue sky these will still be snesor spots - I guess I'll find out tomororow. if so, I have as many bad spots as I did before the cleaning, so I'm wondering if maybe my sensor is "bad". To check the sensor for spots when there is no daylight/blue sky open Photoshop and then a new document, making the background white. Zoom in on it until it fills the screen. Set the camera to a exposure time of 1/2 second and the lens f/16 and fucus it at infinity. Move the camera is small circles keeping it in the white part of the PS document and about 3 or so inches away from the screen and take a shot. Those colored spots you are seeing are from the sensor getting hot during long exposures. This is normal for all digital cameras. In your unedited post you said you saw purple lines running across the sensor. That is not normal, at least not for me. I never see any lines on the sensor when I'm done cleaniing it. More then likely you will need to do 3>whatever number of cleanings to get all the dust and crud/oil spots off it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy Posted October 20, 2007 Share #20 Posted October 20, 2007 To check the sensor for spots when there is no daylight/blue sky open Photoshop and then a new document, making the background white. Zoom in on it until it fills the screen. Set the camera to a exposure time of 1/2 second and the lens f/16 and fucus it at infinity. Move the camera is small circles keeping it in the white part of the PS document and about 3 or so inches away from the screen and take a shot. Might be worth mentioning that you can also do this with, eg, a white sheet of paper, or a white wall, or the ceiling of your room. Buying a multi-thousand-pound computer and state-of-the-art imaging program in order to be able to see the colour white isn't actually mandatory... I mean, imagine the frankly inferior results you'd get if you tried it with A WORD DOCUMENT...! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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