Is my sensor dirty?

[miller00]

I can't tell if the white spots are from dust or something else? Help Please!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/Miller00/dirty.jpg

[poloman]

Yes... I think your sensor is dirty.
You may also have UFOs at your place. :)
The white spots look like dried liquid on your sensor.

[Rubi Jane]

You sensor is dirty. Clean it and see if the white spots go away.

[Zonieart]

Lots of dust. It needs a good hit from a rocket blower.

[Glenn NK]

Umm, actually it's filthy.;)

[miller00]

Okay I just wanted to make sure, because I have only ever had dark spots..

[PhotosGuy]

I don't think so. EXIF:
# Lens F-Number/F-Stop = 5/1 = F5
# Flash = Flash fired, compulsory flash mode

f/5 shouldn't be enough to show dust bunnies. Your flash is lighting dust in the air.

Some personal views on Sensor cleaning. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=184448)

[Glenn NK]

There are at least seven black blobs which seem to be dust.

I wonder if they would show up at f/16?

[ThomasOwenM]

I don't think so. EXIF:
# Lens F-Number/F-Stop = 5/1 = F5
# Flash = Flash fired, compulsory flash mode

f/5 shouldn't be enough to show dust bunnies. Your flash is lighting dust in the air.

Some personal views on Sensor cleaning. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=184448)

I agree, f/5 isn't narrow enough to show you your dust. Take another shot with your aperture as narrow as your lens permits. If you have a choice of lenses, use the one that goes narrowest. f/20 or 22 works great if your lens will do it. Then use manual focus and take an out of focus shot of a plain blank screen (an empty Word document at full screen works great). Then clean your sensor and take the same type of shot again so that you can see if you got all the dust.

If you've been shooting for a while without cleaning your sensor, you almost certainly have some dust, especially if you've changed lenses.

[Cody21]

I simply just aim my lens to the open blue (or overcast) sky and shut my aperture down to f/22 or f/36 ... any dirt on my sensor is soooo apparent. If I shoot at say f/4 (wide open), as Frank indicated, I don't see the issues as much. I have a Sensor cleaning "kit" arriving today. Will start with the rocket blower, check it again. Go to the static-charged brush, check again. And if necessary, the 'liquid solution & pad', and check again.

[primoz]

Nah... just auto focus doesn't work. These are out of focus sea gulls flying around :)
Ok seriously.... yes it's dirty. Since it's shoot at f5.0, then it's pretty bad... (same problem from week ago, and I noticed it too late (http://www.photo.si/photo_show.php?imn=spo_skijump_20080315nw_0421.jpg )). If it would be shoot at f22, then it would be critical. But in your case... clean it.

[primoz]

This should be some helluva dusty place then :) You can't really see normal dust in air this way... even with flash. But on the other side... I had "nice" snowflakes once shooting sport climbing with flash, when there was bunch of magnesium in the air. But there was so much of it in air, you could actually see it. I don't think something like this would be possible outside. But I can be wrong :)

[Cody21]

If it would be shoot at f22, then it wouldn't be that critical.


This is not my experience. When I shut down my aperture to f/22 - or f/36, the "dirt" becomes much clearer in my pictures. When I open it up to f/5 or f/4, it blurs the dirt more and it is less obvious. I just tested this and that's what I'm seeing.

[Bill Roberts]

Have you got another shot showing the "dust" in the same place? That would at least tie it down to either a dirty sensor or airborne particles. If it was airborn it's unlikely to be in *exactly* the same place, if it is then it's much more likely to be on the sensor.

[primoz]

Eh sorry... I meant to write it would be critical, not it wouldn't be. Sorry and I fixed it :) With f22 dirt is more visible not less.

[daniyel]

Whee. I think I might wait for a wet clean on mine. I have the Giottos rocket blower and cleaned out my sensor a bit today. I find it interesting that a lot of the dust was on the top left corner. Not a perfect cleaning, but much better. :) Not like I shoot past f/11 a lot. ;)

Here's a before & after @f/22:
http://oyvey.benartzi.org/pictures/canon/before_after.jpg

[Cody21]

Eh sorry... I meant to write it would be critical, not it wouldn't be. Sorry and I fixed it :) With f22 dirt is more visible not less.

No worries.. :-) Just making sure that I was clear on the issue.