[magkelly]

Question about the use of said blower. You put the mirror up via the menu, put the camera mount down and blow from straight up or from the side, or does it matter? I just got one of those and I'm about to attempt to clean my *ist but I'm not sure of the direction now after reading the post above. I didn't know you had to clean it mount down. That's not how I was shown by the guy who sold his camera to me. He just stuck the blower in and used it from the side while it was on a table, mirror up.

[Ivan Glisin]

You put the mirror up via the menu, put the camera mount down and blow from straight up or from the side, or does it matter?

Blowing dust with the mount down appears to be more logical. With the mount down after blowing I wait 10-15 sec for dust to fall down and out of the mirror box. With the mount facing up I guess more dust would just go back where it came from - not really what we want.

So: mirror up, camera down, blow, wait, turn off (mirror down). Just be careful not to hit the sensor (filter) with the blower, that's all, but you don't need to get really close. Practice with blower not going deeper into the mirror box then the lens mount.

I would recommend blowing dust from your lenses too. Each time I blow dust from my camera in preparation for a shoot, I blow dust from the rear element of the lens I am about to mount.

[kyteflyer]

Took shots at f/22 on white paper and discovered that the spot has now moved about and broken up somewhat (I have the sensor clean thingy set to activate when I turn on the camera...so I spose it moved it about or something). So now I have three spots of smaller dimension, but equal annoyance. One has been there all along, only I didn't notice it because of the first one being so big... and its not shifting.

Just charging up the battery for a mirror-up blow on the sensor (I have a smaller blower than the rocket blower, and the brush that's on the end of it actually detaches, so might be able to do something useful with blowing today, if its only a bit of dust) Looking at shots I did the night before, which were at a much larger aperture...the spots were not visible. No idea if they were even there, I probably introduced the dust myself on a lens change

[kyteflyer]

Update: After much sensor shake cleaning, and using my small blower on it, the original blot is gone. There remains two very small blots in locations I had not noticed, and they are both quite faded by comparison with the original. They are only visible at f/22, and annoyingly so with contrast boosted to heck. My first test shot after blowing was apparently clean, but I forgot that I needed MF and f/22. I think I can probably live with it, and when the rocket blower arrives I can give it a bit more "oomph" which will probably shift those remaining two bits of crud.

Fingers crossed. I'm heading out late arvo, early evening, to take similar shots as the other evening, unless, of course, it rains, which is predicted. At least in the house theres only two little spots which aren't visible at the apertures I usually shoot at.