[shang]

hi, guys, i recently noticed that my pictures have dark spots as shown in the picture below. what could the reason be? and how can I get rid of it? it happens with different lenses.

thank you for any advice!

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Last edited by shang; 05-25-2010 at 10:44 PM.

[Dr_who]

its some sort of object on the sensor filter, or worse under it (which is very rare). you can purchase dust cleaning over the shelf or drop it off at a camera store that professionally cleans them. Did you try the camera's built in dust removal feature?

[shang]

yes, i tried build-in dust removal ten times but still cannot remove the spot.

[Adam]

It's a dust speck- you'll need a rocket blaster or a compressed air canister to get rid of it. Simply enable sensor cleaning mode and try to blow it away. Before you do that, though, try the built-in dust removal feature, as it tends to remove most larger specks.

Adam
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[shang]

if it is a dust on the sensor, then am i able to see it? thanks

[MoiVous]

if it is a dust on the sensor, then am i able to see it? thanks

You may or may not be able to see it - depending on size. You'll need to put the camera into its cleaning mode to open the shutter and lift the mirror but point it downward so you don't add new dust.

There are lots of threads about cleaning your sensor, but a few tips you will regularly find:

• Try a Dust Alert test - that will help localise it.
• Don't try and touch the sensor - a rocket blower is your best bet
• You can use the Pentax cleaner if it won't budge. Alternatively, get it commercially cleaned by a good camera store.

Cheers

[shang]

thank you, Chris.

i used the dust alert test, but the only dust it detected was not the dark spot... so does that mean maybe it is a bad sensor problem instead of dust?

[MoiVous]

thank you, Chris.

i used the dust alert test, but the only dust it detected was not the dark spot... so does that mean maybe it is a bad sensor problem instead of dust?

Not necessarily. Is there something on your lens (front or back or inside)? Strong light can help here. Try another lens if you can.

Good luck

[siva.ss.kumar]

May be a dumb question, but does this happen with all your lenses?

[mickeyobe]

if it is a dust on the sensor, then am i able to see it? thanks

shang,

You might be able to see it with a loupe or magnifying glass.

It can be easily removed from your picture in Photoshop using either the clone stamp or the healing brush.

Mickey

[shang]

thank you guys for all the input! yes, the problem happens with all my lenses, so i guess it's sensor's problem.

[GerryL]

Looks like dust on the sensor.
If a rocket blower doesn't work, then try putting the mirror up (as in sensor cleaning), then glean the sensor at an angle that you can see the surface shine with light reflected on it.
You know how pane glass shows some kind of reflection when viewed at an angle and you can see its surface sheen or how shiny it is..do that with the sensor and try to view its surface that way and if there is a spot that is not smooth or shiny as the rest of the surface of the sensor is, then that is where your dust is or where it is sticking!
This happened to me with my K100D super and that was how I determined where the dust was which I couldn't get out with the sensor shake of the camera nor the rocket blower.
I just wiped that dust off with lens cloth gently till the dust came off and that part of the sensor surface became as shiny as the other parts.
This is not to be done if you have no confidence in yourself since you would be touching the sensor..definitely not for the faint of heart.

[GerryL]

Here's how I did it: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/83050-those-without-dust-mapping.html

[Wheatfield]

Not necessarily. Is there something on your lens (front or back or inside)? Strong light can help here. Try another lens if you can.

Good luck

Just to put this horse to bed, dust on the lens will NEVER show up as a discreet black spot unless you are photographing the inside of the lens.

[p contor]

Per a previous thread on the same issue, if you're changing lenses a lot in a spring flower shoot or similar and get pollen in there it can stick. After a week long wildflower romp in death valley this spring it took pec pads and ethanol to get three bad spots off. But definitely try the blowers and/or vacuum first if it's just regular old dust. Another time I looked into the view finder only to see a bug crawling around in pretty good focus. Pulling off the lens and using the puffer there was nothing obvious that came out. Dust on the sensor after it died and started decomposing a week or so later.... lot'sa fun: Moral is, use your zooms and change lenses rarely and in the cleanest environment you can find.