Dirt in my camera already....

22-07-2005, 23:34

Was at Chester Zoo today, and just happened to point the camera skyward while looking through the viewfinder (as you do), and noticed a little blemish.

At first I thought it was on the filter, so the lens pen/brush came out.
Still there.
Took the filter off and cleaned the lens and other side of the filter, still there.
Cleaned the viewfinder, still there.
Took the lens off, not on the back of the lens.
Had a look through the camera with the lens off, still there :'(
I had a look at the mirror, and it doesn't seem to be on there (not that I can see).

However, the thing is, it's not coming out on any of the shots, it's just bloody annoying when I see it smack bang on the rule of thirds juncture.

When I first saw it I honestly though it was a very tiny fly sat on my filter.

I would love to leave it there, but I just can't it is very very annoying, espeically now I know it's there. And to say this is a camera that I bought on Tuesday makes it a bit annoying. It could have been there since then, but I only noticed it today, so I'm not sure.

For the record, I haven't had the lens off since I got the camera. I bought it, came home, and put the lens on (while keeping the camera pointed down etc).
I tried turning "Shoot without card" on, then lowered the shot quality and put it in high speed mode, thinking if it is on the mirror, it would move it slightly. Not budged.
Still there, and still annoying, especially now I can see a similar mark (but much smaller) at the opposite edge of the viewfinder.

I'm not competent enough to even think about cleaning the sensor, but as I said anyway, it doesn't show up on my shots (took a few test shots, noting down points of where the mark should be, for reference).

Anyone else experienced this? Especially as an SLR noob in his first week :icon_redf

CT · 22-07-2005, 23:56

Bod, I think most people will have dust marks on a new camera if they look for them. If you return the camera, I'm sure the replacement will be the same. I've got a couple on my 20D since I bought it and I still haven't cleaned the sensor. The marks tend to appear in sky shots where it's easy to touch them out in PS.

The best way to find out is take a photo of a clear sky with a small aperture, which should really show up the dust. Self cleaning sensors are on the way, but for now it's a fact of life we have to live with.

CT · 23-07-2005, 00:03

Actually if you can see it in the viewfinder it's most likely on the focusing screen. If you look up above the mirror the screen forms the roof of the inside of the camera, you could try gently using a small soft brush on it to dislodge it. I'm not a fan of using puffer brushes, but you could try to dislodge it with one of those. Careful not to touch the mirror at all!

Bachs · 23-07-2005, 02:07

I've got what looks like a tiny hair visible in my viewfinder.
I eventually eliminated the lens, mirror and sensor.
Cleaning the focusing screen hasn't budged it so I'm presuming its on the inside face of the viewfinder itself.

I've got so used to it, I'd forgotten about it until I saw this thread.

I have to change lenses out in the open regularly ( I should have got a wider range lens for general use) so for me 'goobers' go with the territory but have always managed to shift them with a Giotto Rocket Blower.

23-07-2005, 09:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT

Careful not to touch the mirror at all!

Don't you mean the sensor?
I would have thought that the mirror isn't as critical? In that it doesn't form part of the shooting equipment (IE Lens > Sensor).

Anyway, I took the lens off last night, pointing the camera down and sort of craned my head, and glinting the light off the mirror, there are dusty bits on there, but nothing major (certainly not a sterile environment, but I don't think there was anything major there).

Talking to Steve last night, he (rightly) made me wary of going near the guts with my brush/lens pen, as it I don't want it or anything or dirt to get on the sensor.

That said, I am looking to get it done.

So I've narrowed out the lens, the outside of the viewfinder (as far as I can see anyway), the mirror. So it's either the inside of the VF, or on the mirror inside or the bit mentioned above (forgive the n00b SLR talk

)

If I hold my eye back from the eyepiece a little, it stays in exactly the same spot, WRT the whole area I can see. If I move my head around a little, it doesn't move at all, which if it was on the inside of the eyepiece, then I assume it would at least move slightly?

I understand dirt in the innards is a plausible hazard, given the nature of the whole SLR system, and how exposed it is inbetween lens changes etc.
That said, surely it's shouldn't be fair to expect the customer to 'accept' an amount of dirt in a brand new camera. Not an amount that shows up on shots anyway.
Paying £600 to over £1000 for a camera, I expect them to at least send it out from the factory sterile, or as near as possible.

Matty · 23-07-2005, 09:35

ive got a huge black blob on the mirror on mine, and its very very annoying, ive also got a white dot almost dead center of the screen, it might be a dead pixel or a bit of muck, i really dont know.

23-07-2005, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT

Actually if you can see it in the viewfinder it's most likely on the focusing screen. If you look up above the mirror the screen forms the roof of the inside of the camera, you could try gently using a small soft brush on it to dislodge it. I'm not a fan of using puffer brushes, but you could try to dislodge it with one of those. Careful not to touch the mirror at all!

CT - Hit Nail Head.

I had a look at the focusing screen, and spotted the little swine, so gingerly had a dab at moving it with my brush.
I seem to have shifted it, but looking now, I can see a few very very tiny bits now. Much less noticable than before, so I think I'll leave it at that for now. It certainly not as distracting as before, and as I only have a lenspen/brush I think I've exhausted my abilities.

Edit : I'm a tool

Gave it one last 'dab' and seemed to have made it worse.

CT · 23-07-2005, 10:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bod

Don't you mean the sensor?
I would have thought that the mirror isn't as critical? In that it doesn't form part of the shooting equipment (IE Lens > Sensor).

Well no mate I did mean be careful of the mirror. A lot of them are surface mirrored and they're very prone to scratching and easily marked. Apart from that it's alignment is critical so you don't want to be knocking it out of whack.

Also the sensor is covered by the closed shutter don't forget in normal circumstances and only uncovered during exposure (or sensor cleaning).

Are these marks in pretty sharp focus when you look through the viewfinder? If so it's certain in my view that it's muck on the focusing screen. The likelihood is that it's on the underside of the screen where you can clean it as I suggested, but it's also possible but less likely that it's on the inside of the screen - in which case you're snookered as the screen isn't user removeable as far as I can see.

Believe me mate I understand how annoying this is, muck on the screen drives me nuts, but I've never owned an SLR yet (and I must have had a dozen) that hasn't eventually ended up with crap on the screen. Top end SLRs have removeable screens which you can remove and clean for just this reason, although they need to be handled carefully or you can do more harm than good. It's best ignored as it has no effect on your shots, but as I said it drives me nuts too. Don't be tempted to blow inside the camera with your lips - if they're not dry you can make a terrible mess which wont disappear when it dries.

CT · 23-07-2005, 10:04

Cool mate! If you've a camera repair facility anywhere near you, they'll usually clean the screen for a couple of quid. Otherwise, I'd leave well alone.

CT · 23-07-2005, 10:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by EosD

ive got a huge black blob on the mirror on mine, and its very very annoying, ive also got a white dot almost dead center of the screen, it might be a dead pixel or a bit of muck, i really dont know.

Your white dot is probably muck Matty. There's no pixels involved - the focusing screen is just ground glass (or plastic even) on which the image is focused and you're looking at it through a prism which presents the image to you the right way up and the right way round, so it's purely optical.

KenCo1964 · 23-07-2005, 13:29

Don’t mean to sound harsh but, I’m not really surprised at all, the trouble I went through and not from just one shop, although same branch. In total it took approx 10 different cameras before only finding one with minimal dust on and resigning myself to the fact that it would need cleaned at some point anyway. The link http://www.thephotographyforums.com/...ead.php?t=1929
At least yours is not on the sensor but I would do the test.
If you purchased from Jessops they have a 30 day return policy and are quite willing to refund or exchange. (For another with dust on).
By the way I’m not slagging off Jessops in anyway as they have done everything they could and have, even left me with a camera while new stock came in. Being there as the new stock came in and handed a 350d straight from the van, testing in the shop still there was dust. So can’t really blame the shop.
Just very disappointing to have spent so much money, for the purpose of taking a picture to find it blemished.
Anyway that’s my rant for the day.
Ken.

24-07-2005, 09:13

Well, all is now sorted, and ALL the dirt has finally gone

Jessops couldn't have been more helpful

Regards

Matt · 24-07-2005, 09:38

Canon cameras get contaminated too easily.

The focusing screen is removeable, but by the time you get the thing back in the camera after cleaning it, it will end up dirtier.

Blower brushes, lens pens are not the ideal piece of cleaning kit to stick inside your camera. They will put more dirt in than they take out.