Cleaning Advice: D300

Hello, I have been using my D300 for 6 months now. Unlike my previous indoor shooting, I have been concentrating

on nature photography. I now have very noticble spots when I look through the viewfinder and when I print. I have

chaned lenses as a test and there appears to be no problem with a lens(es). I have multiple spots, two very dark,

and I don't know how to get rid of them on my own.

 

I have been using and changing lenses outdoors in windy conditions and I am guessing this is the reason for the

foreign matter. I have also purchased pluck and pull foam for a Pelican case and the darker spots may be small

pieces of the foam.

 

I am currently on vacation and would really like to get rid of these spots. Any sugestions are very appreciated. I'm

assuming they are on the camera mirror. Should you think otherwise, I would appreciate your advice. Any and all

help is most appreciated.

 

Thank you, once again,

 

Doug

 

PS At this momment I am in Oceanside California. If taking my camera to a repair person for cleaning is

recommended, does anyone know of a shop in this area? In three days i will be heading to Newpoer Beach.

First - check your owner's manual - there's a "Clean Image Sensor" section @ page 371. If that doesn't solve the problem, get yourself a Giotto rocket blower - remove your lens, and use the blower with the camera pointed down. Any foreign material should be removed. Failing these two options, there are other sensor cleaning products like Arctic Butterfly, and Copper Hill (a wet cleaning product). Check PN for other options.

If the spots are visible in the viewfinder then they may not be on the sensor. I'd try the built-in sensor cleaning mechanism before using a blower. Just go to the setup menu and select 'Clean Image Sensor' > Clean now.

Oceanside Photo and Optical is on Mission Ave. about a mile inland straight from the pier.

Check out Thom Hogan's page first<br />

<a href="http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm">Cleaning your Sensor</a><br />

<br />

This is if you need wet cleaning, which I do not think you do. Try Arctic

Butterfly instead<br />

<a href="http://www.momentcorp.com/review/arcticbutterfly.html">link 1</a> <br />

<a href="http://www.shuttertalk.com/articles/arcticbutterfly">link 2</a><br />

<a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/arctic-butterfly.shtml">

link 3</a><br /><br />

 

I used it maybe 3 times in total on my D300 and I never see any spots on my

images, even at f22. <br /><br />

 

The speck that is seen through the viewfinder is most likely on your focusing screen

(above the mirror). Use arctic<br />

butterfly and it will be gone. Try to avoid blowing air into your camera, at

least at the beginning.<br />

<br />

- sergey<br />

'I now have very noticble spots when I look through the viewfinder and when I print.'

 

These (viewfinder and print spots) will be entirely different spots. Nothing that you see through the viewfinder (assuming you don't mean the LCD screen on the back of the camera) will affect your images, unless it's on the lens (which you've already eliminated, and would in any case have to be pretty large and probably on the rear element to be visible in the finder). The mirror, prism and focussing screen are out of the image path when a photo is taken - only the sensor (with its surface filter) and lens are involved. To test for debris on the sensor, take a photo of (e.g.) a bright sky or white monitor screen at small aperture and examine the image, then (in order) try the built-in cleaning function, a Giottos Rocket blower (not a cheaper bulb, unless you already know it's OK for sensors and won't just add more dirt), and finally wet or professional cleaning.

I would add one more thing: the dust you're seeing cannot be on the mirror. Anything on the mirror will be so

completely out of focus in the viewfinder that you won't be able to see it. And as others have already pointed out,

dust on the mirror won't show up in your images (or on the LCD during live view).

Douglas, the same thing happened to me on my D300. The dust was visible on my viewfinder so the dust was not on the sensor. So, what I did was to setup the camera for cleaning and I used a Giotto blower, but instead of blowing the sensor, you have to blow the mirror above the sensor. Be careful not to touch it with the blower end but as soon as you blow that mirror ( which is the mirror related to the viewfinder ) the dust will go away. Make sure you identify first where the mirror is located and then blow it a couple of times. After that, blow your sensor again because the dust you just removed from the viewfinder mirror may fall on the sensor. I did that and the dirt went away. I also recommend you to try not to change lenses under windy conditions. If you want to clear your sensor, I will recommend the E2 solution + cotton swabs 2. Happy cleaning and good luck !!

Thom Hogan's sensor cleaning link as posted above provides the most sensible advice I've seen on this issue. I am

resolved at having to inspect the sensors of my D70 & D300 on a regular basis and clean them as needed. It's a

hassle but there's no getting away from it. This summer I've also been more careful of taking my camera from an

air conditioned environment to one that's hot and humid. In that circumstance, I'll put the camera in a 2 gallon

zip lock bag before I head out. This seems to be preventing the dust from becoming hard welded to the sensor and

thus much harder to remove.

 

Given that you're on vacation, the camera store that Ray mentioned just might, and I emphasize might, clean your

sensor on the spot for you. Any shop that's renting D300 bodies out will be used to cleaning them on a routine

basis. But that's with shop cameras. With yours, It's more likely they will insist on sending it out to a Nikon

Service Center to avoid potential warranty issues. Still, it's worth a try.

 

As for the do it yourself; get a rocket blower and a small head lamp for starters.That camera shop may also have

some of the more specific cleaning products like Sensor Swabs or the Visible Dust versions. Sensor Swabs now

sells a small package of pre-moistened swabs. Those might be available. Just be sure you have everything needed

to complete the job before you start. I can't emphasize that enough. Read up on cleaning process from Hogan's

site and then give it a go. I can say that having done it several times, the process does get easier. Good luck