blahblah454

Hello all you photography buffs out there.

I have a little problem here, a problem that has me wanting to pull out my hair and scream. My computer was out of the picture for about a month, so I had a months worth of pictures stored up on my camera. I just downloaded them all.

This annoying little spot is in every picture that I took for the entire months time. It mostly shows up in light areas, or blue. So every picture of the sky that I have has this little spot in it.

It looks like a big piece of dust on the lens or something. The thing is that I just had my camera sensor cleaned, so it cant be that, and its a brand new L series Canon lens that has absolutely nothing on either end of the lens.

Not being able to find what is causing this is driving me to madness!! Anyone have any ideas?

Here is a sample of what it looks like. It is in the exact same spot in every image.

LoganSnake

This guy has a similar problem: Help! Weird black spot in pictures - Photo.net Canon EOS Forum

It's dust.

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blahblah454

I figured it was dust, but what blows my mind is that I just had my bloody camera internals cleaned out professionally and the lens is spotless!! ROAR!!

mixedmedia

it's dust on the sensor. my camera has some. my boyfriend's camera has alot. you can clone them out in photoshop or have the camera cleaned. it's really not a big deal.

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Manic_Skafe

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paddyjoe

Manic's solution might very well work, but if not you'll need to send it back to have the sensor cleaned. Just don't go sticking anything up there to swab it, one wrong move and the pro expenses will really build up.

In the future though, whenever you change lenses, make sure the camera is turned off, especially outside.

thirdsun

Also, be extremely careful where you use it and where you change the lenses.

For example, if you do a lot of outdoor photography (standing in the surf or on a windy beach) expect your sensor to get dirty very quickly--especially if you change lenses while you're out there.

Unfortunately, the mere action of the shutter itself is slinging dust all around in there, so if you're taking hundreds of photos, it's something you have to learn to live with and Photoshop is your best friend, as MM points out.

The alternative is to used a sealed camera (which have become viable alternatives in quality to primes and zooms) or one of the newer models with a self-cleaning sensor (but I've never had any experience with one of those, so I don't know how well they actually work).

blahblah454

Well the thing that gets me going is that I just had the sensor professionally cleaned. I have a 40D so it has sensor cleaning, and I rarely change out the lenses.

What a pain in the ass, get the thing cleaned and it comes back even worse.

So you just squeeze that thing to get it to blow air Manic? Its works kinda like a turkey baster?

Manic_Skafe

Essentially. Without any lenses attached, enable the mirror lock-up feature (Canon nomenclature probably differs) so that the sensor is exposed and with the lens mount facing down, squeeze the rocket blower into the camera. Be careful not to hit anything in the process and use a flashlight afterward to ensure that the sensor is dust free.

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thirdsun

And if you touch the sensor with that thing, it'll leave a really BLACK spot on every photo, too....and Canon won't be able to get that off....it'll mean replacing the sensor.

If your camera is really dusty inside, this will blow all that existing dust around in there, too....including back onto the sensor....

Raghnar -ITA-

Dust on sensor, I also have a couple of spots like that. It shows only at small apertures (from F/9 and below) so it doesn't bother me much, but I should clean it.

You can buy also an enema that is cheaper than what you pay for photo gadget but is exactly the same thing.

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thirdsun

apertures and enemas???

Uh...where is this thread going?

Raghnar -ITA-

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mixedmedia

you must understand...Americans are very scatalogical

I think he means you can get one of these, an enema bulb, for just a few bucks:



Instead of the $10 bulb that manic linked to - which is essentially the same thing.

I'm still afraid to use either of them on my camera.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Grancey

Yes, but the one Manic linked to comes with a cool stand and an even cooler name....rocket blaster.

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fnaqzna

Buy a box of sensor swabs and the correct solution. Sometimes wet cleaning is the only option.

It's not a big deal. You just have to be careful. I usually clean my sensor a few times a year.

Cleaning Digital Sensors, Cleaning Digital Cameras - Photographic Solutions, Inc. - Digital & Photographic Cleaning Solutions