How did I get dust on my sensor?

<p>I used a blower to get off a big piece of dust, but I was curious how it got on my sensor to begin with.</p>

<p>I was shooting an event and all of a sudden a dust spot appears and affects the rest of the pictures for the night. The last photo to not have the dust issue was taken only 4 seconds before I spot the dust for the first time.</p>

<p>Something was loose and somehow just got lodged inside the body and all of a suddent got stuck on the sensor? It seems so random . . .</p>

<p>Dust usually enters the sensor when you change lenses. Sometime the dust will land on the mirror or on one of the walls and eventually work it's way down onto the sensor.</p>

<p>Also, many zoom lenses suck air in and blow it out as you zoom. Dust can literally be vacuumed into the mirror box.</p>

<p>"How did I get dust on my sensor?"</p>

<p>You bought a camera. It's a fact of life.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info. I wasn't surprised by the fact that I had dust, but that the "dust" was like an eyelash on the sensor and thus visible at f/4. I was incredibly curious how it got there without the lens being removed.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I used a blower to get off a big piece of dust</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>I won't even use a blower anymore. As the rubber squeeze bulb ages, it has a tendency to flake off particles. You will find yourself blowing <strong>more</strong> dirt & dust onto the sensor.</p>

<p>Pete</p>

<p>not really. try blowing off the mirror and focusing screen as well as the back element of your lenses. using canned air is okay, so long as you are careful and keep it right side up :)</p>

<p>Don't used canned air to clean your sensor! Even when the cans are held upright they can and do sometimes spray propellent instead of air. If you think dust is hard to get off a sensor you don't even want to know how bad propellent is to clean off. I used canned air for years to power hobby spray guns when building small plastic models. Some of the propellents would stain and craze plastics, I wouldn't want that on my sensor. If your blower is getting old and blowing pieces of rubber buy a new one, Rocket blowers seem to work well.</p>

<p>Just saw this the other day. Haven't seen prices yet, no doubt it won't be cheap. Be sure to watch the demo video.<br /> http://www.delkin.com/products/sensorscope/</p>