[RickL]

I am getting this on every picture that I take. I have tried using the dust removal tool, and also used a blower to try to get rid of anything...

This is on a K20D, and it's with all lens, so I expect it is on the sensor. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Wheatfield]

Clean your sensor.
Probably all it needs is to be blown off. Most of the people here swear by Rocket Blowers for sensor cleaning.
I just use a couple of gentle puffes of canned air. It seems to work, but it gives people the willies for some reason.

[RickL]

Thanks. I have tried a rocket blower without any luck. Maybe I just need to get a little more aggressive with it? I just noticed this yesterday, blew it off before going golfing today and see the same exact spots..

[daacon]

If the blower wont fix it ... I had a similiar issue local camera shop and $70.00 later (sensor and genral cleaning) it was all gone. It can be a DIY but I did not trust myself

[RickL]

If the blower wont fix it ... I had a similiar issue local camera shop and $70.00 later (sensor and genral cleaning) it was all gone. It can be a DIY but I did not trust myself

Thanks Dave. That's kinda what I'm thinking... I'll try the blower again, but don't want to damage anything important. I can get to a camera shop this weekend if I need to. I just don't understand how it happened. I've been very careful when it comes to changing lens, though I've done it a lot.

[Wheatfield]

I'd get a little more aggressive with the blower, these things aren't Humpty Dumpty, they can be blown on fairly hard.
If you are past your comfort level with your blower, it's wet cleaning time. I've never had to wet clean a sensor, the canned air always does it for me, so I'd probably take my camera in for cleaning if I had a dust smeg that wouldn't come off.

Dust happens, I don't think it matters how careful you are. Zooms seem to make it worse because often they drag air in and out of the camera body as you zoom.

[RickL]

I'd get a little more aggressive with the blower, these things aren't Humpty Dumpty, they can be blown on fairly hard.
If you are past your comfort level with your blower, it's wet cleaning time. I've never had to wet clean a sensor, the canned air always does it for me, so I'd probably take my camera in for cleaning if I had a dust smeg that wouldn't come off.

Dust happens, I don't think it matters how careful you are. Zooms seem to make it worse because often they drag air in and out of the camera body as you zoom.

Thanks. Most of what I use are zooms. I'll try the blower again, and I do have some canned air too, so I'll try that too. Again, appreciate the comments.

[nah]

I've had that problem on my K100D before where the spec wouldn't come off and it felt like sap was stuck on the sensor. I was on vacation, so foolishly, I took some alcohol and a cotton swap and tried to remove it. Let me say that the glass coating on the sensor is tough! I still didn't get it off but even with my rough handling there was no ill effect on the sensor or my pictures

Another thing, do you have the sensor clean/shake turned on every time the camera is powered on?

[RickL]

I've had that problem on my K100D before where the spec wouldn't come off and it felt like sap was stuck on the sensor. I was on vacation, so foolishly, I took some alcohol and a cotton swap and tried to remove it. Let me say that the glass coating on the sensor is tough! I still didn't get it off but even with my rough handling there was no ill effect on the sensor or my pictures

Another thing, do you have the sensor clean/shake turned on every time the camera is powered on?

Actually, no I don't. Didn't even know that was an option... I'll have to look into that, though the clean/shake doesn't seem to fix it now.

[hinman]

I did the cleaning myself. I wrote up two blog post for the cleaning with YouTube video's that I gather

• Sensor dust cleaning with Giottos Rocket Blower
  -- try the bigger blower first
  -- learn from the video
  -- use tripod with camera facing down
  -- keep the blower tip at a good distance like 1-2 inches away, don't ever get too close
  -- my preferred method for dust cleaning, solve 90% of my need
  -- please research on canned air, improper use may risk damaging components
  --
• Sensor cleaning the Wet Method with Curt Fargo
  -- read all documents before
  -- research and access the risk
  -- links provided in the blog to the cleaning toolkit that I bought from micro-tools
  -- I chose the economical one with Eclipse-E2 sensor solution that are safe for CMOS sensor on K20D, other models as in k10D/K200D may differ
  -- I chose the cheaper version with SensorWand and pec*pad,
  -- SensorWand can be re-used and pec*pad is cheap in a 100 sheets in the pacakge
  -- Sensor Swab will be more costly but they are pre-made for each sensor size
  -- I used rubber band (or simply tape) to wrap a single pec*pad sheet around the SensorWand
  -- Use this as a last resort as risk is involved, alternative is to Pentax Service

The collected videos are very helpful. It is kind of nerve wrecking for the first time. I have upgraded my rocket blower to be the bigger one and for the life of me, a sticky pollen or dust refuses to leave. And I finally researched and found Curt Fargo's company selling all sorts of wonderful cleaning stuff. His video is worth seeing.

Thanks,
Hin

[Wheatfield]

Thanks. Most of what I use are zooms. I'll try the blower again, and I do have some canned air too, so I'll try that too. Again, appreciate the comments.

As you can see in post #10, someone is stridently against canned air because you may damage something. Personally, I think the propect of damage is greater with a Rocket Blower simply because of how it has to be manipulated to work.
I'm more concerned about whacking a component with the blower tip than I am of spraying propellent onto a sensor.
Having said that, if you are going to use canned gas, be aware that it can spray propellant. It isn't all that cold coming out, genuine Dust-Off is tetrafluoroethane, which has a boiling temperature of -26ºC. However, liquid propellant may well be cold enough to damage the cover glass on the sensor (though I doubt it, I've used my DSLRs in far colder conditions).

If you are going to use canned gas, make sure to do a couple of test puffs away from the camera before you clean your sensor with it, and don't do more than short puffs to ensure you don't boil propellant into the nozzle. Long blasts of the stuff don't work well anyway, as the pressure drops quite rapidly in the can.

[hinman]

Wheatfield, I am no expert on this area. But if I hear some contradicting discussions, I rather give out the warning to forum members. I am no chemist but if not the proper type and mis-use of canned air, things can happen

• Precaution from CleaningDigitalCameras
  -- look for canned air
• Sensor cleaning - why not canned air? - Photo.net Nikon Forum

As for the blower, I already give out the warning to stay far from the chamber, what other precautions should we give. Every source that I learn from, the blower is the most effective dry method that is known to be safe. If I leave the blower tip with 1 to 2 inches from, I don't see the harm that you see.

In my opinion, a combination of blower with wet method does the job very well for me.

Thanks,
Hin

As you can see in post #10, someone is stridently against canned air because you may damage something. Personally, I think the propect of damage is greater with a Rocket Blower simply because of how it has to be manipulated to work.
I'm more concerned about whacking a component with the blower tip than I am of spraying propellent onto a sensor.
Having said that, if you are going to use canned gas, be aware that it can spray propellant. It isn't all that cold coming out, genuine Dust-Off is tetrafluoroethane, which has a boiling temperature of -26ºC. However, liquid propellant may well be cold enough to damage the cover glass on the sensor (though I doubt it, I've used my DSLRs in far colder conditions).

If you are going to use canned gas, make sure to do a couple of test puffs away from the camera before you clean your sensor with it, and don't do more than short puffs to ensure you don't boil propellant into the nozzle. Long blasts of the stuff don't work well anyway, as the pressure drops quite rapidly in the can.

[X Man]

Right on! I've gone in there with tons of stuff that would make most pass out. Windex and Q-Tips [Leaves lint] No Name Glass Cleaner and a microfiber cloth, works good... Lenspen, OK but the cleaning agent isn't very "clean", IMO.

Like you say, the key here is that, thankfully, on our Pentax cameras that IR/Filter Glass protecting the Sensor, is actually GLASS. I'd never be as crude with a Canon/Nikon, as they are MUCH more delicate.

Don't do what I do though, just in case < /disclaimer>

Regards,
Mike

I've had that problem on my K100D before where the spec wouldn't come off and it felt like sap was stuck on the sensor. I was on vacation, so foolishly, I took some alcohol and a cotton swap and tried to remove it. Let me say that the glass coating on the sensor is tough! I still didn't get it off but even with my rough handling there was no ill effect on the sensor or my pictures

Another thing, do you have the sensor clean/shake turned on every time the camera is powered on?

[asdf]

Right on! I've gone in there with tons of stuff that would make most pass out. Windex and Q-Tips [Leaves lint] No Name Glass Cleaner and a microfiber cloth, works good... Lenspen, OK but the cleaning agent isn't very "clean", IMO.

Like you say, the key here is that, thankfully, on our Pentax cameras that IR/Filter Glass protecting the Sensor, is actually GLASS. I'd never be as crude with a Canon/Nikon, as they are MUCH more delicate.

Don't do what I do though, just in case < /disclaimer>

Regards,
Mike

I usually spit in there and give a good rubbing with the corner of my shirt.

[Marc Sabatella]

I find that a blower does better if you can actually *see* the dust spot to be sure you're aiming right at it. So don't just open it up and blow in the general direction of the sensor - look carefully at the sensor in good light - with a magnifyng glass if necessary - then keep blowing right at it until it goes away. Sure, if it's stuck on with grease, that might not help, but at least it gives you the best chance. If after a minute of concentrated effort you still see the dust spot on the sensor, then I'd resort to trying direct contact. So far, for me, that has never been necessary - once I've been able to actually *find* the dust, I've always succeeded in removing it with a simple blower.