Internal dust

dropbear · 09-12-2007, 09:19 AM

Hi All. I bought a Vivitar Series 1, 105mm macro from ebay boxed/sealed + unused. Today, I noticed that there seems to be a single speck of internal dust behind the front lens element. I'm worried that this might show up in my shots... does anybody have any experience with anything like this? Is there a particular test I can do to see if it will show up? Is it possible to get it cleaned?

I'd rather not send the lens back as it's unlikely that I'll find another one like it anytime soon...

Cheers,

Paul

roy · 09-12-2007, 10:29 AM

don't worry about it. this lens ....

still shoots this.

**Ahab** · 09-12-2007, 10:36 AM

Wow, Roy! I would have never guessed. Great shot, it grabbed me right away.

roy · 09-12-2007, 11:35 AM

like i said, don't woory about it. from the looks of my 105mm it seems that the filter ring on this lens can be taken off by loosening 3 screws that you get to by sliding the lens hood forward. it might also release the the front element. if not then you'll need a spanner wrench to remove the 1st element. shouldn't be too hard. DO NOT remove the screws, just loosen them. you'd never get them back in if you take them off completely.

dropbear · 09-12-2007, 11:55 AM

Thanks Roy, I think I'll take your advice and not to worry about it. Great shot above, by the way.

Cheers,

Paul

mopar_man · 09-12-2007, 01:17 PM

That's a rough looking element on that lens. Without seeing that, I would say that one single speck inside your lens isn't going to matter. I have several lenses with more than one piece of dust internally and have never noticed it. I'd be more worried about dust on the sensor then on/in the lens.

AVANT · 09-12-2007, 03:42 PM

A tiny spec won't matter. Yes it's blocking light, but remember the sensor is receiving light information from multiple directions. It's not "this one point on lens leads to this one pixel on my camera" because that's not the object the len is focused on

Fritz · 09-12-2007, 05:33 PM

I didn't know lenses came without dust inside.

But seriously, a few specs shouldn't cause a noticeable problem with your picture quality. I posted a similar question about a small scratch that was inside my Vivitar 105mm f2.5. One of the responders posted this link.

Vintage Folding Cameras

Put it in perspective for me. Things apparently have to be really bad before it will be noticed.

roy · 09-12-2007, 05:41 PM

Things apparently have to be really bad before it will be noticed

look at the damage on the lens i posted. i've shot hundreds of other shots just as good as the one i posted. i just sold some poor soul this lens that's posts to this board and he,s tickled pink about it. actually it does better now because i took a marksalot and blacked out the worse of the damage.

oh, one speck of dust = i pixel on the the sensor?? not on your life..

roy · 09-12-2007, 05:42 PM

Things apparently have to be really bad before it will be noticed

look at the damage on the lens i posted. i've shot hundreds of other shots just as good as the one i posted. i just sold some poor soul this lens that's posts to this board and he,s tickled pink about it. actually it does better now because i took a marksalot and blacked out the worse of the damage.

oh, one speck of dust = i pixel on the the sensor?? not on your life..

dropbear · 09-12-2007, 06:36 PM

Thanks for all the replies guys. However, I've now got another problem. I was taking some test shots against a white wall with small apertures to see if I could spot the dust on the lens... It seems now that my sensor has quite a lot of dust on it. I don't think I've ever used my camera with an aperture as small as f/16 prior to this, so I guess it could be possible that it's been like this since I bought it about a month and a half ago..???

The dust removal function on my K100D Super body isn't helping. I've looked at the sensor with a flashlight and am unable to see any dust particles. Is this normal or is it usually possible to see the dust?

What do you think is the best way to go about cleaning this (Preferably without voiding my warranty)? Should I get it cleaned professionally, or do you think I'll be able to remove this with a blower? Also, if I was to get it cleaned professionally (not by Pentax) I assume this would void my warranty... but will Pentax know

?

By the way the Pentax website is awful, I'm unable to find any information about service centres located in Ireland, if there is one...

Cheers,

Paul

George Lama · 09-12-2007, 09:27 PM

There are lots of cleaning methods and products you can use, although if you're not comfortable messing around with your DSLR's "eyeball" then by all means take it in to someone.

I doubt a cursory sensor cleaning would qualify as a warranty-breaker. As long as they don't use the wrong chemicals/methods that is.

It's not that difficult to do as long as you have the right materials and info, such as the proper swabs and cleaning solution.

I found this website a while back and it does have some good generic how-to info on how to clean a camera's sensor (generic site, not camera focused - no pun intended).
Cleaning Digital Cameras - Introduction

roy · 09-13-2007, 05:41 AM

here's what you need. this is very easy to do. please read Frogroast's post first because it's about the best site i've seen.

https://www.micro-tools.com/store/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=E2-KIT4-F

little laker · 09-13-2007, 09:18 AM

That looks like a nice affordable kit Roy,
I'll have to order 1 soon for the times that my sensor gets bad.

dropbear, I had a similar problem with my K100, and after not being able to find the dust I snapped on a different lens.
The dust disappeared.

I looked at the bottom of the lens, and had a few specks on it. Just blowing it off cured my problem.
It would appear that although the outer element can be full of dust the inner element can't be

dropbear · 09-13-2007, 05:38 PM

Thanks for the replies everybody. I'll probably pick up some cleaning kit at the weekend (and let you know how it goes). It'll probably cost about twice the price as the link to the kit you post roy... such is the way in Dublin

09-12-2007, 09:19 AM	#1
dropbear New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dublin, ie Posts: 24	Internal dust Hi All. I bought a Vivitar Series 1, 105mm macro from ebay boxed/sealed + unused. Today, I noticed that there seems to be a single speck of internal dust behind the front lens element. I'm worried that this might show up in my shots... does anybody have any experience with anything like this? Is there a particular test I can do to see if it will show up? Is it possible to get it cleaned? I'd rather not send the lens back as it's unlikely that I'll find another one like it anytime soon... Cheers, Paul

09-12-2007, 06:36 PM	#11
dropbear New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dublin, ie Posts: 24 Original Poster	Thanks for all the replies guys. However, I've now got another problem. I was taking some test shots against a white wall with small apertures to see if I could spot the dust on the lens... It seems now that my sensor has quite a lot of dust on it. I don't think I've ever used my camera with an aperture as small as f/16 prior to this, so I guess it could be possible that it's been like this since I bought it about a month and a half ago..??? The dust removal function on my K100D Super body isn't helping. I've looked at the sensor with a flashlight and am unable to see any dust particles. Is this normal or is it usually possible to see the dust? What do you think is the best way to go about cleaning this (Preferably without voiding my warranty)? Should I get it cleaned professionally, or do you think I'll be able to remove this with a blower? Also, if I was to get it cleaned professionally (not by Pentax) I assume this would void my warranty... but will Pentax know ? By the way the Pentax website is awful, I'm unable to find any information about service centres located in Ireland, if there is one... Cheers, Paul Last edited by dropbear; 09-12-2007 at 06:47 PM.

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09-12-2007, 10:29 AM	#2
roy Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: D/FW area, Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,710	don't worry about it. this lens .... still shoots this.

09-12-2007, 10:36 AM	#3
Ahab Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Arnold, Md. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 762	Wow, Roy! I would have never guessed. Great shot, it grabbed me right away.

09-12-2007, 11:35 AM	#4
roy Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: D/FW area, Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,710	like i said, don't woory about it. from the looks of my 105mm it seems that the filter ring on this lens can be taken off by loosening 3 screws that you get to by sliding the lens hood forward. it might also release the the front element. if not then you'll need a spanner wrench to remove the 1st element. shouldn't be too hard. DO NOT remove the screws, just loosen them. you'd never get them back in if you take them off completely.

09-12-2007, 11:55 AM	#5
dropbear New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dublin, ie Posts: 24 Original Poster	Thanks Roy, I think I'll take your advice and not to worry about it. Great shot above, by the way. Cheers, Paul

09-12-2007, 01:17 PM	#6
mopar_man Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: SK, Canada Posts: 108	That's a rough looking element on that lens. Without seeing that, I would say that one single speck inside your lens isn't going to matter. I have several lenses with more than one piece of dust internally and have never noticed it. I'd be more worried about dust on the sensor then on/in the lens.

09-12-2007, 03:42 PM	#7
AVANT Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California Posts: 426	A tiny spec won't matter. Yes it's blocking light, but remember the sensor is receiving light information from multiple directions. It's not "this one point on lens leads to this one pixel on my camera" because that's not the object the len is focused on

09-12-2007, 05:33 PM	#8
Fritz Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tillamook, OR Posts: 1,222	I didn't know lenses came without dust inside. But seriously, a few specs shouldn't cause a noticeable problem with your picture quality. I posted a similar question about a small scratch that was inside my Vivitar 105mm f2.5. One of the responders posted this link. Vintage Folding Cameras Put it in perspective for me. Things apparently have to be really bad before it will be noticed.

09-12-2007, 05:41 PM	#9
roy Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: D/FW area, Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,710	Things apparently have to be really bad before it will be noticed look at the damage on the lens i posted. i've shot hundreds of other shots just as good as the one i posted. i just sold some poor soul this lens that's posts to this board and he,s tickled pink about it. actually it does better now because i took a marksalot and blacked out the worse of the damage. oh, one speck of dust = i pixel on the the sensor?? not on your life..

09-12-2007, 05:42 PM	#10
roy Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: D/FW area, Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,710	Things apparently have to be really bad before it will be noticed look at the damage on the lens i posted. i've shot hundreds of other shots just as good as the one i posted. i just sold some poor soul this lens that's posts to this board and he,s tickled pink about it. actually it does better now because i took a marksalot and blacked out the worse of the damage. oh, one speck of dust = i pixel on the the sensor?? not on your life..

09-12-2007, 09:27 PM	#12
George Lama Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Buffalo/Rochester, NY Photos: Albums Posts: 1,133	There are lots of cleaning methods and products you can use, although if you're not comfortable messing around with your DSLR's "eyeball" then by all means take it in to someone. I doubt a cursory sensor cleaning would qualify as a warranty-breaker. As long as they don't use the wrong chemicals/methods that is. It's not that difficult to do as long as you have the right materials and info, such as the proper swabs and cleaning solution. I found this website a while back and it does have some good generic how-to info on how to clean a camera's sensor (generic site, not camera focused - no pun intended). Cleaning Digital Cameras - Introduction

09-13-2007, 05:41 AM	#13
roy Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: D/FW area, Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,710	here's what you need. this is very easy to do. please read Frogroast's post first because it's about the best site i've seen. https://www.micro-tools.com/store/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=E2-KIT4-F

09-13-2007, 09:18 AM	#14
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	That looks like a nice affordable kit Roy, I'll have to order 1 soon for the times that my sensor gets bad. dropbear, I had a similar problem with my K100, and after not being able to find the dust I snapped on a different lens. The dust disappeared. I looked at the bottom of the lens, and had a few specks on it. Just blowing it off cured my problem. It would appear that although the outer element can be full of dust the inner element can't be

09-13-2007, 05:38 PM	#15
dropbear New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dublin, ie Posts: 24 Original Poster	Thanks for the replies everybody. I'll probably pick up some cleaning kit at the weekend (and let you know how it goes). It'll probably cost about twice the price as the link to the kit you post roy... such is the way in Dublin