Some advice please

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by Boddie

Some of the photos I took at the weekend with a digi slr, of the sky no less, have marks on the image. very small but enough to annoy me. lens seemed to be clean. any ideas and best way to rectify the image please

Most Digi SLRs have some dust on the senso most of the time

If you want to see how bad it is just point camera at a white wall and focus manually on infinity and you will see it all!

It only is a problem when it is large or on large areas of sky, when small bits become obvious.

A hand blower removes most it.
Never use an aerosol can blower as they contain propellants whic can muck up the sensor, well the glass over the the sensor.

If that doesn't work buy one of th expensive brushes that can be charged to attract the dust, and finally if that doesn't work buy a wet cleaning kit - or get it done professionally.

As others have said cloning with some software will get rid of most problems, but I would have thought that cheaper programmes thatn Photoshop cs would also have this feature.

[RichBrew]

There are cheaper software programs than CS that features a clone tool. Adobe Photoshop Elements, often bundled with printers, scanners and cameras will have a clone tool. Photoshop CS and CS2 are far and above what the majority of photographers need. There are excellent tutorials for this software to be found on the web.

[bigdave]

Originally Posted by Boddie

Some of the photos I took at the weekend with a digi slr, of the sky no less, have marks on the image. very small but enough to annoy me. lens seemed to be clean. any ideas and best way to rectify the image please

I had (still do) a Fuji 6900Z which developed loads of small black marks and streaks in one area of the prints.Cleaning did not work ,so contacted Fuji and eventually reached a real person.He asked for e-mail samples and the outcome was fuji arranged collection and changed the sensor and other stuff (tekkie ).The camera was still under warranty,software will solve the problem but it might get worse.Why should you buy extra software for an expensive camera?If it is under warranty check with manufacturer and get them to sort it.The software are good for other stuff but not for rectifying camera faults,why should you waste time cloning etc?

[Alan]

I've never had to clean my sensor! I change my lenses regularly, but rarely if ever, have had to clone dust marks out of an image.

I was talking about this with Roger this morning. Is it possible that the more you clean the sensor, with say the cleaning agents you get, the more you have to clean it!

I mean is the cleaning stuff sovent based? If it is, solvents and similar chemicals usually leave a residue of some sort. Isn't it possible that the dust would cling to this?

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Beryl

How and what with did you clean it boddie?. I gat a sort of dorb in my sky which is anoying but it won't go by cleaning the lens or with the blower
Beryl

If it won't move with the blower, it's time to clean it by other means. I use a product called digi-pads, you can get them from Warehouseexpress. You'll also need the cleaning fluid, also from there.
It's not difficult, go into your camera menu and select the option to clean the sensor, this will lock up the mirror. Put literally two drops of fluid on the digi-pad, and make one gentle swipe over the sensor screen. That's all there is to it. You only use the pad the once! Don't be tempted to use it again..It will look fine, but once it's contaminated it's not worth the risk.
I also use these to clean my viewing mirror, when dust gets in there.
There are other products, this method works well for me, and isn't too expensive.

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Alan

I've never had to clean my sensor! I change my lenses regularly, but rarely if ever, have had to clone dust marks out of an image.

I was talking about this with Roger this morning. Is it possible that the more you clean the sensor, with say the cleaning agents you get, the more you have to clean it!

I mean is the cleaning stuff sovent based? If it is, solvents and similar chemicals usually leave a residue of some sort. Isn't it possible that the dust would cling to this?

Your just lucky Alan!
I've had to clean mine twice with the cleaning fluid, and often with the blower.
I change the lenses often, and out in the open when conditions aren't ideal. I always keep the camera pointing downwards, but I still get dust on the sensor.
One point, until you start using something like F13.0, you'll not notice it. F8, or F10 simply doesn't show the dust. Start using Macro at F13. or above, and there it is in all it's horrendous detail!

[Alan]

Originally Posted by glsammy

Your just lucky Alan!
I've had to clean mine twice with the cleaning fluid, and often with the blower.
I change the lenses often, and out in the open when conditions aren't ideal. I always keep the camera pointing downwards, but I still get dust on the sensor.
One point, until you start using something like F13.0, you'll not notice it. F8, or F10 simply doesn't show the dust. Start using Macro at F13. or above, and there it is in all it's horrendous detail!

Fair point Graham.

I shoot at F22 regularly though - with landscape stuff mostly I admit. With macro I usually stop down to at least F11 - F16 for tripod work, and F8 - F11 for handheld (often with fill-in flash). I don't own any sensor cleaning stuff, but I'm sure I will in the future.

All I'll say is don't fix what isn't broken!

.....so I'll wait till it breaks

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Alan

Fair point Graham.

I shoot at F22 regularly though - with landscape stuff mostly I admit. With macro I usually stop down to at least F11 - F16 for tripod work, and F8 - F11 for handheld (often with fill-in flash). I don't own any sensor cleaning stuff, but I'm sure I will in the future.

All I'll say is don't fix what isn't broken!

.....so I'll wait till it breaks

Your dead right there Alan! I only started cleaning mine when I noticed more dust marks than the flock of birds I was trying to take a picture of.

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by bigdave

The camera was still under warranty,software will solve the problem but it might get worse.Why should you buy extra software for an expensive camera?If it is under warranty check with manufacturer and get them to sort it.The software are good for other stuff but not for rectifying camera faults,why should you waste time cloning etc?

The problem with DSLR'S is that the sensor screen is open, unlike your Fuji, so the warranty doesn't cover cleaning the sensor.
It's about time Canon and Nikon and the others caught up with the likes of Olympus, which have sensor cleaning built in.

[RichBrew]

With all due respect, bigdave, the problem they are referring to afflicts DSLR's, and it's not a camera fault. Changing lenses exposes the mirror box to the atmosphere, and from time to time foreign bodies find their way onto the sensor array, which then shows up on images. Cleaning the sensor is the short term solution (Beware, though. This can be problematic) whereas using the clone tool is totally without risk.