Few dust related questions...

[Hawk]

Let me start with small backstory of my new a200.

When I've opened boxes I mounted my kit lens and shoot few test photos, including some landscapes. While reviewing them on computer there were three dust spots clearly visible on every landscape shot. I've cleaned sensor using blower as manual says and dust disappeared.

Few days later I got my Sigma 70-300 and changed lenses for the first time. I tried to do it as fast as I can, indoors. After that I took small trip. Again, dust appeared but only one spot and only on last 14 of about 60 photos. Again, blower did its job. After that I was happy for not seeing any dust for two weeks despite I was changing lenses many times including two times outdoors.

Yesterday I was using 300mm lens for almost whole day and switched to kit one just for last few photos. When I got back home I was puzzled. I counted over 14 dust spots on photos taken with kit lens while all photos from 300mm were perfectly clear. From where so much dust came, I've no idea. I've checked kit lens before mounting it and there was no visible dust on it. I was switching lens indoor so no wind and also no visible dust on lens or in air. Today I managed to remove most of dust with blower. Just few spots left and I can't get rid of them Some of them are either disappearing or appearing from photo to photo in various locations. I briefly looked inside camera and can't see any dust there even through magnifying glass...

Finally, my questions:

1. Is it normal that camera collects dust so easily and so often despite I'm changing lens indoors, in car etc. almost never outdoors and almost never in dusty conditions? Its my first DSLR so I simply don't know.
2. Is it safe to use "cleaning" option from menu and blower so often?
3. Up to how many spots you are ignoring dust in your cameras?
4. Should I ignore dust and just get rid of it in photo editing software?

[Javelin]

That hasn't been my experience with my A200. infact I only had to clean it once and the normal cleaning cycle took care of it. the a200 has .. 2500 shots on it so far and I change lenses pretty regularly in all conditions.

[David Kilpatrick]

You can use the cleaning option, but avoid the blower too often - you are more likely to blow more dust in there!

This does not sound typical. The reason dust may b appearing with the 18-70mm, and not the long tele, is the aperture and focal length. At 18mm dust be shown sharply at f8, at 30omm and f5.6 it would be invisible.

David

[Hawk]

I've teaken sky shot at 18mm f22 and then manipulated it in photoshop so every dust spot is clearly visible. There are so many of them! I'm glad that only 3 or 4 (darkest ones) are usually visible from which only one is in upper half (possible sky). I guess it was blower fault on one of previous cleaning and dust just didn't appeared on tele as David pointed. I've already contacted local Sony service and I'll give camera for cleaning when and if I'll be annoyed enough Anyway, I learned my lesson: keep blower away from your camera if possible. Thanks for your help.

[springm]

My A700 had some dust on the sensor right out of the factory. Following advice on a german minolta board, I used sensor film (http://www.sensorfilmcom) for cleaning, and was totally successful. Of course this is not for the faint at heart, but with some manual adroitness you should be able to perform the sensor cleaning without any problems.
Sensorfilm costs approx. 20 € which is not really cheap, on the other hand prices for eclipse or sensor swabs are not in the low price region either.

On my old 7D I tried to clean the sensor with alcohol from the pharmacy but never got rid of smear traces.

Regards - Markus

[David Kilpatrick]

I use Just's dust-Aid pads for Canon (you must use the special type labelled for Canon, which means all indium tin oxide coated sensor glasses). This adhesive pad lifts pretty much everything off the sensor very safely and quickly, no liquids and no blowing air into the camera.

But when in Spain, my A700 picked up loads of sensor dust, possibly during fireworks or during a wildlife park drive. I had to buy a Jessop Blower Brush and remove the bristles, and trust that it did not have powder in it. I blew it many times before using it. It worked well, and cleared all but a couple of large specks which I am having to retouch from images.

David

[marktuma]

On my A100 a Rocket Blower does the job most of the time. The couple of times I've had stubborn spots I have successfully used a SensorKlear from Lenspen to remove them.