DUST

[jgredline]

<p>Hi folks...While sitting at the park watching a nice new pond by my house, I found myself bored and going through the menu of my K20D and came across this dust alert gizmo and so I ran it and this is what I found. Now what the heck is this? I just finished going over many images from today and there is not a spec of dust that I could see, Now granted, I am blind as a bat, but still..this is somewhat disturbing..I think.</p>

<p><img src="http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/jgredline/DUSTa.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[frank_b._baiamonte]

<p>Funny thing, I found that same menu item a couple of days ago, and ran the action just like you did. Mine did not look quite as much like a street map as yours does, but it was equally filled with random lines. Only after doing it did I bother to read the manual, which pretty clearly suggests that the camera be pointed at an evenly color light surface like a blank white wall. Mine was, of course, pointed down towards my feet under the desk I was sitting at. Yours looks like it may have been pointed at the ducks in the pond.</p>

[jgredline]

<p>Frank, Actually I did not think about that. The manual? Who would have thought :-)<br>

I did not even realize I took a picture. I don't recall what I was pointing it at but will have to do it again.<br>

Thanks a bunch</p>

[personalphotos]

<p>I use this feature all the time. Javier I think you're looking at the pretty ladies too much and not your manual.<br>

You need to do the test at a clear blue, cloudless sky or a clean, flat white wall/ceiling with even light. Looks to me like there was something in the field of view that had some contrast and showed up as dirt. Try it again as I suggested and I bet you'll see a couple of small specs but nothing like the above mess.</p>

[shaloot]

<p>this feature could now be the start of abstract photography!</p>

<p>Pentax - Be Abstract!</p>

[stemked]

<p>...or a new tool for psychoanalysis.</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>You should submit this to the critique forum and see what happens. 7/7! Maximus!</p>

[trw]

<p>Possibly a railing? </p>

[rparmar]

<p>Nice BIF shot! A bit high contrast for my liking though.</p>

[jgredline]

<p>turns out this was one of my finest images ever ;-D</p>

[morgan lee]

<p>A long time ago in the history of Pentax when the K10D was crowned the best expert DSLR in the world by TIPA, the way to check for dust on a sensor was to photograph a white computer screen (a blank page in PhotoShop for example) with the aperture closed as far down as it would go.</p>

<p>I highly recommend against this. It made me so neurotic that I switched to film.</p>

[revolver]

<p>there is nothing more annoying about digital than the damn dust spots on the sensor. It seems like no matter how much I think I have cleaned it theres always that damn spot on some pictures....</p>

[jgredline]

<p>I bought a sensor cleaning kit and have gotten quite good at it. The trick was to buy a real cleaning kit.</p>

[raybrizzi]

<p>This could be an interesting gallery. I only have a k10d though. It looks like the plan for a housing development.<br>

<br /> My dust experience was interesting. I would get spots in a lot of pictures that would come and go. Never used a brush or cleaner. But I went out and bought a big ass blower with a bulb about 4 inches for the next time. The camera saw it and got nervous and I haven't seen a dust spot since.</p>