Casual Dust Issues

Hello folks,

 

There's nothing really to discuss about (so it's casual:), I just wanted you

share - how often do you clean your sensors?

 

I've done it for a couple of times on my 30D since Dec2006 with an air blower

(Giottos Rocket). Maybe that's not enough for frequent usage outdoors?

 

P.S. What is the best way to figure out dust presence on the low-pass filter?

 

Thank you. Vsem Salut, Alibek

Shoot a uniform subject (sky, wall, a white card) at the smallest aperture stop on your lens (typically f22 or f32).

 

You'll see every dust spot pretty clearly.

I cleaned my sensor by blowing the dust off it about six months ago. If you don't notice dust on your sensor, why go looking for it? If it's not causing a problem it's not a problem. Now, if you're shooting sunsets or large swaths of even color, you're likely to see some dust and you may want to pursue cleaning it, but I have found even in these situations it's usually ok for me. As the last poster said, shoot an evenly lit single colored background using a small aperture, and the dust spots will become very apparent.

When I'm at an air-show, regatta or similar event, I find I need to clean my sensor every day. Usually a couple of passes with a Sensor Brush does the trick. My shooting is particularly dust sensitive, because much of what I do involves small apertures (and slow shutter speeds) with subjects against a uniform blue-sky background.

 

Cheers,

 

Geoff S.

There's no hard and fast rule on how often to clean - clean whenever it needs it. One thing: Be sure to look at your photos at 100% resolution. Those dust bunnies don't always show up right away in a graphics program when viewed at lower resolutions.

Dust comes mainly from changing lenses, and at that from dust on the lens itself. Lint, more than dust is a factor, and tends to cling to the sensor by static. Keep the rear elements, mount and lens cap clean and you will go a long time between sensor cleanings. It helps to vacuum the inside of you bag from time to time. Wear and tear on the fabric creates lint, and dirt tends to accumulate.

 

If you live or shoot in a dry, dusty environment, dust becomes a factor too. Fortunately, mineral dust is easy to remove with a blower or Sensor Brush . I had to clean my sensor every three days or so in southern Spain, compared to 3 months or longer in Chicago.

Thank you very much for answers.

 

I live in Eau Claire, WI. The weather is more like in Chicago, so probably I'm fine with it (by check-clean-rest:).

 

Due to sensor cleaning possibility, I suspect that DSLRs are more reliable than those with fixed lenses in use in harsh environment.