[photolady95]

I've run the sensor shaker option many times and will check to see if that may have removed the dust. I did set the shaker to operate on power up. Will take some sky shots soon and see if the problem is fixed. Thanks for your post!! Maybe a blower should go in my bag. Kind of nervous about touching the sensor to clean it.

By now there's probably too much dust for the shaker to remove it and you need the blower to do that. Just remember when changing lenses in the field to hold the camera down so dust doesn't get in.

[squareeyes]

Just a thought: If you have used your camera for years and that single spot is the only blemish you have ever had, You have done an exemplary job of keeping it clean.

My K-10 CAME with dust on the sensor and at least one tiny curly hair.

[Jan178]

Before breaking out a sensor cleaning kit, consider the following...In the over twelve years that I have been shooting Pentax digital (K10D in 2007 followed by a K-3 in 2014), I have never once had to touch my sensor with any wet or dry cleaning kit. The rocket blower has been enough with no risk to the sensor. Of course, YMMV


Steve

Yep, this. Just blow the dust off. If that doesn´t work, then into heavy stuff. Carefully, of course, touching your sensor with anything can go wrong, as i learned with attemps with DIY IR conversions and cleaning the sensors off fingerprints

[roadmaster]

I made a big mess of my sensor trying to clean it myself. There is still an "old time" camera shop in a nearby city that has a tech that comes in from time to time. He looked at my camera and said I messed it up, but he could fix it. He did a great job, cleaned everything for a very reasonable price. And now I'm thinking that the Pentax zoom I have is a really nice lens and do I have be changing the high end limited glass that I have. Just to avoid lens changing. That is silly, but that is how I feel. I will get over it and will be very careful when changing lenses in the future.

Thanks to all for the feedback!!

[ehrwien]

I will get over it and will be very careful when changing lenses in the future.

That's what I always do. I have the lens I want on the camera ready to mount when taking the other lens off, prioritise getting the lens on the camera over putting the cap on the other lens, try to hold the lens mount down when changing lenses whenever possible, try not to change lenses in a dusty or wet environment and minimize the time the mount on the camera is without a lens (not more than a few seconds at a time). I might be overly sensitive when changing lenses, but I can only remember having to use a rocket blower once to get some dust particles off the sensor in a few years now. My sensor might be due for another blowing now, but it could also be that I don't take the right pictures to accentuate any sensor dust.

[MarkJerling]

I made a big mess of my sensor trying to clean it myself. There is still an "old time" camera shop in a nearby city that has a tech that comes in from time to time. He looked at my camera and said I messed it up, but he could fix it. He did a great job, cleaned everything for a very reasonable price. And now I'm thinking that the Pentax zoom I have is a really nice lens and do I have be changing the high end limited glass that I have. Just to avoid lens changing. That is silly, but that is how I feel. I will get over it and will be very careful when changing lenses in the future.

Thanks to all for the feedback!!

How did you make a mess of it? Leaf blower? Waterblaster?

[roadmaster]

How did you make a mess of it? Leaf blower? Waterblaster?

Tried to clean with a synthetic swab and alcohol. Lots of streaks in addition to the spots I first had.

[MarkJerling]

Tried to clean with a synthetic swab and alcohol. Lots of streaks in addition to the spots I first had.

Aha! Glad to hear the shop got it sorted for you.