Dust on CCD - is it normal?

[fordy]

Hi there,

just bought a new A95 - and during my recent skiing holiday i was getting a small splodge in the same place on quite a few photos - Basically if the photo had a lot of blue sky and was very bright conditions (F-stopped to max), then the splodge appeared - ive checked the lense, and theres nothing on it - so can only assume there is a bit of dust on the CCD, hence why it only appears when stopped down to max (F8.0 i think) - Should i expect this on a new camera, or is it worth sending back?? Is there anyway of cleaning it? ( i know olympus use ultrasnoic waves to remove dust from their sensors, anytihng like that on the canon?)

Any help greatly appreciated.

Note - i had an A40 before, and this had the same problem - hence im wondering whether they are all like it, and its impossible for them to remove all the dust, or maybe its getting in as the lense moves in and out, and i should just live with it.

cheers

Chris

[Ezis666]

It`s not a dust, it`s noise!

[Moppie]

Can you post a sample picture?

I had an A40, and now have an A80, have never had any problems with "dust" spots on the CCD showing up on the image.

[fordy]

Its not noise.

here is a link to one of the pics

http://avatars.gentlyhosting.co.uk/3437.jpeg

On the right of the mountain, about half way up the mountain, in the sky - is a round dark spot. The lens was clean, and after cleaning it still appeared - but it only appears when on F8.0. Maybe im just unlucky. apparently olympus use ultrasonic waves to clean the dust off there CCDs, built into the camera - be nice if canon did the same.
Im not overly worried about it, as it only appears on a few photos, it has to be max F, and also there has to be a constant colour in the area of the dot, only then can you see it.

cheers

chris

[asfd]

I can't see your picture but might it be a lens flare? On such a camera they can be pretty like what you describe.

[fordy]

sorry, for some reason the link is not working, here is the pic attached. I dont think its lens flare, but id appreciate a second opinion

Ive cropped the pic to fit under 100K.


cheers

Chris

[d8168055]

it does look like a sploge... strange, when i had my digital rebel, it was a spec of dust on the CCD, but how can it have gotten into a pns camera like the a95?

[fordy]

I guess it finds its way in somehow - As the lens moves in and out on power up, it must suck in air behind the lens, i guess this goes through a small filter of somesort, but its easily possible for a bit of dust to either get in, ar had been in their at manufacture.

Apparently Olympus us ultrasonic waves accross the CCD to get rid of dust, this is built into the camera, so as soon as dust appears, you just run the 'clean' mode and bang - its gone.

I hope canon do something similar in future.

As previously said, it only shows on things like clears skys, and thankfully its easy in most paint packages to remove it - so im not going to bother sending it back and changing it - i might get another thats worse!!

Interesting though that no one else has suffereed from it, and ive had 2 cameras with it!!

cheers

Chris

[Kennymc]

Could it be dust on the lens it seems to have soft edges for sensor dust?...

[fordy]

I did check the lens, but i will check again and clean it properly just to make sure - i hope it is :)

[Kennymc]

IMHO if the dust was on the Sensor it should stop light reaching it so there should be black marks not diffused spots (digital being like slide film, under exposure creates saturated images)... I've had these types of marks appear on several ocassions in different areas on images due to dust on the lens and I have never had to clean my sensor for the two years I've had a 10D... I live by the sea and have changed lenses on the beach in windy conditions (not gale force) without any harm to the sensor...