DSLR Sensor Dust =96 A Big Problem?

By Richard Martin, NYI Contributing Editor

So you finally acquired your = dream=20 camera, a digital SLR, you fired up your computer, and you are now = gazing=20 lovingly at the scene you captured earlier. But wait! What are = those black=20 specks cluttering up your beautiful blue sky? Maybe they're little = birds=20 or distant airplanes you didn't notice when you took the picture. = But when=20 you view the photo at 100% in your image editor, they look like = gray=20 smudges or blobs. Think you had dirt on your lens? No my friend, = the dirt=20 is on your camera's sensor and happens most often when you change = lenses.

Actually, the dirt or dust is on a piece of glass in front of = the=20 sensor called the low-pass filter but we commonly refer to that = nasty=20 stuff as sensor dust. You can remove the dust from the image by = employing=20 various software tools (in Photoshop that means the Clone Stamp, = Healing=20 Brush, etc.) but software won't remove it from the sensor. And = that little=20 task comprises the rest of this article.

However, before proceeding, I must inject a disclaimer here. = Neither I=20 nor the New York Institute of Photography is advising anyone to = clean=20 their sensors themselves. You undertake this at your own risk. = Done=20 incorrectly or with the wrong tools and you might seriously damage = your=20 camera. But if you want to tackle this chore, here's an overview = of the=20 various products and strategies other photographers have used.

What about simply blowing = the dust off?=20 Fine but not with your breath! You don't want to complicate the = job by=20 adding saliva to the sensor. Nor do you want to use canned air = because=20 there's a good chance some of the propellant will land on the = sensor.=20 Giotto makes a excellent hand blower called the Rocket and the = largest=20 size produces a pretty strong stream of air. I have used it a few = times on=20 my DSLR's and it might possibly be the only tool you'll ever need. = The=20 only problem with blowers is you may simply move the dust around = the=20 camera's interior rather than remove it. However, many = photographers swear=20 by them.

But what if the dust is still on the sensor? Well, you have two = choices=20 at this point. One, send the camera off to a service center and = wait,=20 sometimes several weeks, for it to come back. You'll pay for the = cleaning=20 and occasionally you might find that the camera still has dust, = only it=20 has moved around somewhat. Two, get in there and clean it yourself = by=20 actually touching the sensor with one or more of the tools = available for=20 this purpose.

Basically, there are two = types of=20 cleaning tools =96 dry and wet. Dry ones include various brushes, = swabs, and=20 a few where you simply touch the place on the sensor where the = dust is=20 located. Here are some of the more common ones.

Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly: This is a=20 battery-powered brush that you spin to sort of electrostatically = charge=20 the bristles. The charge should attract any dust particles that = are on the=20 sensor. Spinning the brush also will expel any dust on the brush = but you=20 don't do this while the brush is touching the sensor, only before = and=20 after. The Arctic Butterfly, in its various incarnations, is one = of the=20 more popular tools out there.

Kinetronics SpeckGRABBER, = LensPen=20 SensorKlear, the Pentax Sensor Cleaning Kit and Visible Dust = Bright Vue=20 Sensor Loupe: While each of these products employ = different=20 materials; they are similar in how they are used. You basically = touch the=20 spot where an individual piece of dust is located and remove it. = Of=20 course, you have to be able to see exactly where the dust is and = that=20 brings us to magnifiers. Visible Dust makes a unique model called = the=20 Bright Vue Sensor Loupe that employs six LED's. The = multi-directional=20 illumination makes the dust relatively easy to see.=20

The only problem with any of the dry tools (and there are many = others)=20 relates to the nature of the junk on your sensor. Pollen grains = tend to be=20 moist and can be rather tenacious in sticking to the sensor. That = goes for=20 any contaminant that contains moisture. In this situation, you may = have to=20 go the wet cleaning route in order to remove the crud.

Eclipse Liquid = Cleaner: Eclipse=20 is a methanol compound that dries very quickly. Obviously you = don't just=20 pour it on the sensor (I hope that's obvious). Eclipse and other = liquids=20 are usually used with some sort of swab and you apply a SMALL = amount of=20 the liquid to the swab and then wipe the sensor. Eclipse E2 is a = slightly=20 different formulation intended for cameras that feature tin oxide = sensors,=20 such as the Sony Alphas, the Pentax K10D, and others.

Many of these products are rather expensive so you might be = tempted to=20 look for cheap alternatives. I'll just mention a few.

Isopropyl Alcohol: Well, the 90% formulation = would dry=20 quickly and have a low water content. Used in conjunction with the = aforementioned swabs, it should work.

Windex: This common household glass cleaner is = tempting. The low-pass filter is made of glass so=85. But I'm a = bit=20 leery.

Q-Tips: I don't think so. Even the = medical-grade type=20 might leave fibers behind.

Scotch Tape: Don't even think about this one. = It might=20 remove the dust particles from the sensor but it will almost = certainly=20 leave some nasty adhesive behind.

Many people will be = reluctant to touch=20 their DSLR's sensor with anything and I don't blame them. It's a = scary=20 process. Anyone who doesn't have a steady hand and good eyesight = probably=20 shouldn't attempt it. But getting back to the title of this = article =96 how=20 big a problem IS sensor dust? Unless you routinely shoot at small = aperture=20 settings (like f/16 or f/22), you may never see it even if it's = there.=20 Likewise, photos that lack broad expanses of single tones, like = blue sky.=20 But there are things you can do to limit the opportunity for dust = to get=20 in there. One, turn off your camera before you change lenses. The=20 electrical charge on the sensor that exists when the camera is on = can=20 attract dust. Try to avoid changing lenses in windy, dusty = environments.=20 Some photographers simply insert both the camera and lenses in a = plastic=20 bag before doing the changing. Alternatively, you might simply = hold the=20 body with the lens mount pointing down. A couple of my colleagues = suggest=20 this approach.

What is my personal strategy? Glad you asked. Currently, I use = two=20 camera bodies (looking to get a third body), each with a different = prime=20 lens that is sort of permanently attached. In short, I don't = change lenses=20 at all. I favor prime lenses over zooms (that's a subject for = another=20 time) so changing focal lengths is simply a matter of changing = bodies. For=20 location shooting, I typically have one body around my neck and = the other=20 over my shoulder. It may sound cumbersome but I'm used to it, = having=20 employed this approach for many years, long before DSLR's existed. = My=20 motive really has little to do with the sensor dust issue.

I realize that owning several camera bodies may not be = economical for=20 many students. For that reason, buying a DSLR with a single = wide-range=20 zoom lens may be the best option, at least in the beginning. = Eventually,=20 however, you will want to use more than one lens. After all, lens=20 interchangeability is one of the features you buy an SLR (digital = or film)=20 to have.

So suppose you do wind up with a couple of little dust spots = visible in=20 your image. No need to panic. You can always spot them out in your = image=20 editor, as I mentioned earlier. Not much fun if the photo is of = someone's=20 face but since we usually use wide aperture settings for such = shots, any=20 dust probably won't be visible.

My final word on this subject is simply this =96 don't get = stressed out=20 over sensor dust. It's not as big a deal as some people make out,=20 especially those with some product to sell. Anyway, a few current = DSLR=20 models feature some sort of cleaning technology built into the = camera. How=20 effective they are is a big question but clearly this is the = direction=20 that DSLR development is going. Only time will tell whether sensor = dust=20 will become a thing of the past.

As a wedding photographer, NYI Student Advisor Rachel = Neville has a=20 different perspective on sensor cleaning, so don't miss her = article=20 "Sensor = Dust =96=20 A Different Opinion for Portrait and Wedding Photographers"=20

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DSLR Sensor Dust =96 A Big Problem?

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DSLR Sensor Dust =96 A Big Problem?

Interested in photography?Check out our courses.

The = Complete Course=20 in Professional Photography

Adobe = Photoshop for=20 Photographers

NYIP Short = Course:=20 Fundamentals of Digital Photography

Interested in photography?
Check out our courses.