[m8o]

just dont touch the prism or focusing screen or whatever is 'up' in there... now THAT causes a prob...sheesh

Oh.... I never would have thought that ; never heard that. so basically I screwed myself?! But wait a minute. You can change the focus screen. You have to touch it to change it, right?

[mickdann]

I have the senor-shake enabled so it operates each time the camera is powered-on - it has made a huge difference compared to my *ist DS.
I think it's the combination of the regular shake at start-up with the special coating that helps keep the dust off the sensor.

Mick

[amateur6]

Think about it this way. How fast can you realistically shake the sensor with those magnets right? (weight of the sensor vs power of the magnets). The only really effective dust removal option is Olympus' SSWF dust filter. Not only does it cover the ccd, but its designed to vibrate at high frequencies to shake off dust.

I don't think speed is the issue, considering that (I'm guessing here) those are the same magnets used for shake reduction -- which means that they're VERY fast.

I chose "no" in the poll because I have dust problems more often than I'd expect... but this IS my first digital SLR (tho' not my first SLR), so I don't have anything prior to compare it to.

FotoPete, you getting a kickback from Olympus for that plug?

[Richard Day]

It works fine if you don't expect miracles.

It doesn't do much if the dirt is well embedded. It's a preventative device rather than a full blow sensor cleaner!

I've found that after I cleaned the sensor thoroughly and have the dust removal activate every time I switch on, I've had no further accumulation.

[barrypendergast]

I upgraded from a *ist D to a K10. The dust problem on the *dist did not seem as bad as on the K10. Was surprised to see dust effects in the first 500 pics. I thought the sealing on this camera was supposed to be much better but I guess not. Is the a preferred way to change lenses? Have canera body facing down?

[Tom M]

Dust everywhere on the sensor when new. I finally caught up to it while pixel-peeping one day. I blew off the dust and within a few days I had more dust, did the same and yet again more dust a few days later.. All the while with DR system set at start up.

Finally, I decided to brush the sensor clean. When I did I noticed there was some fine speckle residue on the sensor, some soft dry brushing removed everything without harming the sensor and since then, I have had NO dust issues AND, the dust removal system actually works now!!

I suspect there was some mfg'ing residue left on the sensor and dust was actually sticking to it making the DR System useless as it's supposed to 'shake it off'.. Well, like I said, once the sensor was clean from the residue, dust now gets shaken off with no problems and the DR system works well.

[stewart_photo]

(snip) But wait a minute. You can change the focus screen. You have to touch it to change it, right?

Actually, no. Most replacement focusing screens come with a pair of tweezers to use when handling the screen. For those without tweezers, manufacturers usually recommend Latex gloves or something similar be worn.

stewart

[distudio]

Think about it this way. How fast can you realistically shake the sensor with those magnets right? (weight of the sensor vs power of the magnets). The only really effective dust removal option is Olympus' SSWF dust filter. Not only does it cover the ccd, but its designed to vibrate at high frequencies to shake off dust.

However, the Sony APS sensors seem to be well coated with an anti static compound and dust can be blown off relatively easily.

It's a different concept altogether, it's not the rate at which the sensor moves like in the Oly but how fast it stops in the case of the K10D DR system, the added mass should be an advantage.

[scottax1]

Read this and weep:

Review: Dust removal systems / sensor cleaning - Pixinfo.com



Scottax1

[Tom M]

I think there's a problem with mfg'ing residue being left on the sensor. It's just like I said earlier, once I cleaned the sensor of this residue, dust does not even stick to the sensor. I have had zero problems since cleaning the sensor.

[Chris S]

I have the dust removal function on my K10D set to "shake" every time I turn the camera on. After about 6 months of use, I have only had one instance where this didn't clear the visible dust off the sensor. In that case, I had a couple of big sticky blobs on the sensor (no idea what they were or where they came from) that a couple of shots with a blower removed. So, overall, I'm pleased with the dust removal function. As has already been pointed out, the dust removal function is an assist, not a total solution.

[neil]

It hasn't worked that well for me with the K10D. It's sufficient for maintaining cleanliness for about a month before I have to manualy clean the sensor with a brush.

The dust buster in my Olympus E1 is much, much, much better. I never had to touch the sensor in the E1.

[bymy141]

I noticed today some dust on the pictures taken.
Made a test shot of the (evening) sky, turned the camera on and off a couple of times.
See here the result.

Bert (K10D) owner.

[Asad_Masede]

I was fairly disappointed when I tried the DR feature the first few times, but after a firmware upgrade or two... now it seems to be working much better. Haven't had a dust spot in ages, at least one that the DR system couldn't remove.

Cheers,
-Asad

[pixelpruner]

i had a couple of specks on my sensor (after going to the somewhat dusty death valley), DR did nothing for about a month (activating on boot). popped the mirror today and gave it a few blows with the blower. guess what? no dust. I kinda think.. well whats the point in a dust removal system? The static coatings and such might prevent the dust sticking (which is worth spending money on), but when a quick gush of clean air does the trick, i dont see much point. It's not like shaking the sensor is going to prevent accumulation inside the camera.