Dust or what?

[Bostjan]

Hello,

After a beautiful day out taking pictures (will post them soon), while looking at the photos on my PC, I noticed a relativelly small smudge on my pics
in upper right corner. This is visible in attached pic.
Can anyone please advise if this is dust that entered my K100 and landed on sensor or is it somethinc more serious? How can I clean it?
Thank You!
Bostjan

[rprii]

Looks like dust on the sensor . . . a few blasts from a rocket blower should do the trick.

[bc_the_path]

I have something similar, at about the same area (...and still there).

Things to do:
1. Mirror up
2. Blow (using a proper blower)
3. Blow more
4. Pray
5. If it does not go, try cleaning it with proper (read, expensive) wet-clean applets.
6. Repeat above
7. Pray
8. If it does not go, try remaining happy using the "clone" tool in your image manipulation software. This is shown to be better than praying only!

Good luck!

(If I was not trying to be serious, I would advise you to stop shooting the sky; but I will not!).

[LeoTaylor]

Looks like dust to me. There are several threads about the subject you can read. One recent forum is called:

What post-processing trick for visible sensor dust?

It discusses ways to remove spots from existing photos afterward. The pro-active method of choice is a squeeze bulb air blower. The popular model is the Giotto Rocket Blower, so named because it is shaped like a rocket.

Once you see my flat image on that thread you will know your sensor is relatively clean! I would not expose the sensor to clean one spot, I'd wait to you have a few to make it worthwhile. To expose the sensor for cleaning the K1x0D cameras have a mode in the Setup Menu to raise the mirror. Be carefull!

Bulent is right, photographs of the sky make the dust look worse.

[Bostjan]

Thank You all!
I'll see if it goes away by itself.
If not, I'll try to use clone tool (although not very happily)...
If it will persist, I will probably have to use the rocket blower.

Regards,
Bostjan

[davidosus]

I use VisibleDust's Sensor Brush - it works very effectively.

Yes, it's expensive, but so is having dust professionally removed. It pays for itself in no time.

This is the kit I have...

Digital Camera Sensor Cleaning with VisibleDust Products

[Bostjan]

Thanks Davidosus.
The kis does seem expensive...

Bostjan

[chedoy]

It is dust and there are probably more specks that won't show up unless you shoot blue skies at F11 or smaller.

A bulb blower will help move it somewhere else. This link had good info when I last looked.

Cleaning Digital Cameras - Introduction

Whatever you do, don't listen to the people who say adhesive tape works. That left goo on my sensor, worse than dust, and I had to go out and get wet cleaning supplies. However, it only cost me about $20 US for Eclipse lens cleaning fluid and PEC pads.




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