HELP! With Cleaning DSLR!

[Jay]

Every picture I take with my Nikon D50 I have a spec on all the pics on the left hand side (seen on pic below). I have 2 lens but "the spec" is still there on pics when both lenses are used. So it's inside the camera.

I bought a camera/lens cleaning kit from Jessops (cotton buds, paper, cloth and cleaning fluid inside) tried cleaning the mirror and the other side of the viewfinder but still no joy.

Do I.....

a) keep repeating over and over the above cleaning process?

or

b) take my camera into somewhere like Jessops and ask them to have a look at it?

Here's a pic...

Thanks

 

[BenWall]

Im starting to get this with my D40 too. Wish I had got a camera with a cleaning system now

 

[planetx]

The dirt is on your CCD ...not on your mirror.
If it was on your mirror it would not be on your images, the mirror is just used for viewing
If its in the same place every time....with various lense types than its guaranteed to be on the CCD
I spend half my life cleaning CCD'S at work as our kit usually ends up face down in the dirt most days.
If you can get hold of a can of compressed air from jessops etc that will do the job.
Make sure you don't shake the can prior to spraying the sensor, and ensure you keep the can upright.
Also try to tilt the camera facing down so that any dirt has a chance to drop out.
some might say ....all you are doing is blowing dust around....but it works for our kit.
1 can will last you ages.

 

[planetx]

1 more thing
If you imagine your CCD as the "photograph" that you have a speck on, it should help you spot whereabouts the dirt is....i.e top left etc
You will also have to have your camera set on "bulb" to ensure the mirror is up and out of the way.

 

[Jay]

^^^ Ok Thanks

 

[unofficialPete]

Deffo sensor dust, I've read the last thing to do is used compressed air, use with extreme caution. A Rocket blower may also do the job..

 

[Andi-B]

Never use liquid either... I stupidly left my DSLR in the car overnight once and it took me 4 hours to remove the water droplets that had built up from the temperature change off the CCD and the two lenses I'd left out.

Mine was easier to reach though, Nikon D40's have a shutter open option for things like dust, so I left it face down, in neutral room temp and let it dry naturally before carefully running a clean dry cotton wool bud over the CCD sensor to remove any leftover mess on the sensor.

Blown air is good, but less is better for camera cleaning, especially for the CCD and, if you've got a cleaning kit with the brush on the end of the blower, take it off (if it comes off) as these tend to scratch the CCD sensors.

 

[planetx]

Pete you might be right when it comes to personal kit.
Our stuff at work is battered....and to be honest it aint my money.
I think he will get it off ok with a swab etc....he was just looking in the wrong place.

 

[ukaskew]

Artic Butterflys are awesome, I got one after trying various products and it's really really good (in fact it was free with a magazine sub that actually cost about the same as buying one on its own!)

 

[GaryS]

1. Get some Eclipse Optic Cleaning fluid, a small plastic spatula and some PEC pads.
2. Attach PEC pad securely to the end of the spatula and fold to the width of the CCD
3. Camera in mirror lock up mode
4. A couple of drops of the cleaning fluid on the PEC pad
5. Wipe the CCD one way, turn the spatula 180 degrees and wipe back the other way.
6. Put the mirror back down. Take a test shot of the sky to see if the dust/marks have gone. If not then repeat the process.

Alternatively pay ~£30/40 for Jessops etc to do the same thing or get one of the Butterfly devices (they are quite expensive though).

Don't use compressed air, it doesn't work in my experience!

 

[unofficialPete]

1. Get some Eclipse Optic Cleaning fluid, a small plastic spatula and some PEC pads.
2. Attach PEC pad securely to the end of the spatula and fold to the width of the CCD
3. Camera in mirror lock up mode
4. A couple of drops of the cleaning fluid on the PEC pad
5. Wipe the CCD one way, turn the spatula 180 degrees and wipe back the other way.
6. Put the mirror back down. Take a test shot of the sky to see if the dust/marks have gone. If not then repeat the process.

Alternatively pay ~£30/40 for Jessops etc to do the same thing or get one of the Butterfly devices (they are quite expensive though).

Don't use compressed air, it doesn't work in my experience!

Is it that easy? I've already got pec-pads and Eclipse fluid for lens cleaning, what am I waiting for, here's my camera at f/32 as well :S

 

[planetx]

would never put any liquid on my own CCD.
moisture will wreck it.

 

[GaryS]

Is it that easy? I've already got pec-pads and Eclipse fluid for lens cleaning, what am I waiting for, here's my camera at f/32 as well :S

Yes, the biggest hurdle for most people is having the confidence to work with the mirror up as if it's released while you've got the spatula in there then you've got an expensive repair. However, most (all?) DSLR's have a mirror lock-up function so, unless you totally depress the shutter button, the mirror will stay locked-up.

It's a 30 second job.

While the cleaning stuff is a liquid you only need a couple of drops on the pad and it evaporates quickly. The CCD does not get covered in liquid and will not be wrecked.

btw you can buy spatula's with pads cut to the correct CCD size on them ready-made but they're quite expensive - around £30 for 10 I think.

 

[iPap]

Mirror lock up and a nice car of "Air Duster", spray accros the camera and not directly into the body or you will force the dirt/dust further in.

 

[Andi-B]

would never put any liquid on my own CCD.
moisture will wreck it.

Agree entirely, any sort of liquid regardless of if it evaporates, always leaves traces behind.

 

[McBunny]

id say just send it off to nikon to get them to service it they will clean it and also adjust things so its calibrated

 

[Andy.]

Wow! That is one dirty sensor!

 

[Leeds_VTO]

These work a treat as well,

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/?/photo/cleaning/giottos_rocket.html