Flying Saucers or Dust?

[cageyjay]

I figured I broke it already. :cry: Just bought a Rebel. (Three weeks ago.)

Looking at my images (doing a histogram stretch) I noticed a couple of flying saucers. Similar to what you see here.
http://www.pbase.com/image/23221346
Not my picture.
I cleaned it and they were gone - Obviously dust. :)
I worried I had burnt the sensor with the sun.

Question. How sensitive are these sensors?

I actually put aside my male principles and read the directions when I purchased the camera. When I came to the clearning the sensor part I figured, "Oh, yeh, once in a while, every 4000 miles or every 4 months." Should I expect to clean the sensor more? The problem is you don't notice the dust until after you've taken the Prize Winning Image! :evil: Or is this something agrivated by dry winter air of our frigid NE Minnesota and static charges on the sensor which normal is not a problem?

Ken

[mdr]

Pitty. Your picture might have been front page news... ;)

[Jon]

Hey, if the "flying saucers" were repeatable you could have sold the camera to the National Enquirer or the Star for photographing their "Aliens have [choose verb][choose individual | celebrity | relative type]." articles and bought a 1Ds Mk II with half a dozen L lenses. It'd save them a bundle in PhotoShop techs, even with their quality standards!

[Paul_O]

I basically just asked the same question on another thread!

As for me, I've never cleaned it after 14 months or so after regular switching between kit lens, 50mm and 75-300mm IS and never had to.

Paul

[cageyjay]

Oh, the flying saucers were repeatable. Same place. Every image. However a few puffs from a Gerber Nasal Aspirator drove them away. Who needs the Air Force when you've got Gerber to protect you!

[defordphoto]

However a few puffs from a Gerber Nasal Aspirator drove them away.

Ewwwwwww!

[Redbird_xo]

Flying saucers in an image might make you famous, boogers will not. :lol:

[cageyjay]

So, aside from propriety :o, do I need to worry where I point the lens? I realize the sun can burn out my retina. However, what about the image sensor?

[Jon]

Leaving a camera aimed at the sun too long has been known to burn a hole in the shutter. Once it got through there, I wouldn't imagine the sensor would have much longer to live.

[Mike Mars]

Pitty. Your picture might have been front page news... ;)

If I had had a camera (especially my 20D) when this happened, I would have been rich. :( (This was done with a D60 and PS and is a recreation of what I saw - NOT what I saw. Well to be precise, what I and many others saw. They, aliens, are here - not 'out there' or dust on a sensor.

http://www.pbase.com/shootist/image/39588166