The Enemy: Digital SLRs' Dust

[Suhit Gupta]

http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,122413,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp

"Today's digital SLR cameras rely on an image sensor--CMOS or CCD--to capture the image. When the camera is on, both types of sensors carry an electrostatic charge that attracts dust and other airborne particles to the sensor (or more precisely, to the low-pass filter just above the sensor). If you change lenses at a beach, in a park--or anywhere except a filter-protected clean room--chances are you will be hit by dust at some point. Some experts even point to certain zoom lens designs as a source of dust: The push-pull of the zoom could cause dust to get inside the camera. The shape of the particulates caught inside your camera, and how they will affect your images will vary, depending upon the aperture and focal length you're using."

I have had my camera for a couple of years now and I will meticulously clean my lenses and even venture so far as to clean the mirror in the camera (very, very gently though) every so often. However, I have been really lucky so far to not have any dust on my camera sensor itself. But I know that dust is one of the biggest enemies for digital SLRs as there is the constant need to change lenses. What methods have you used to combat it?

[Suhit Gupta]

http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,122413,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp

"Today's digital SLR cameras rely on an image sensor--CMOS or CCD--to capture the image. When the camera is on, both types of sensors carry an electrostatic charge that attracts dust and other airborne particles to the sensor (or more precisely, to the low-pass filter just above the sensor). If you change lenses at a beach, in a park--or anywhere except a filter-protected clean room--chances are you will be hit by dust at some point. Some experts even point to certain zoom lens designs as a source of dust: The push-pull of the zoom could cause dust to get inside the camera. The shape of the particulates caught inside your camera, and how they will affect your images will vary, depending upon the aperture and focal length you're using."

I have had my camera for a couple of years now and I will meticulously clean my lenses and even venture so far as to clean the mirror in the camera (very, very gently though) every so often. However, I have been really lucky so far to not have any dust on my camera sensor itself. But I know that dust is one of the biggest enemies for digital SLRs as there is the constant need to change lenses. What methods have you used to combat it?

[marlof]

My method? I use an Olympus DSLR, with their built in dust buster. So far, so good.

[Bob12]

I use a Giotto Rocket Air blower. I've only had to use it one time and it was quite quick and easy. I do have a fairly significant speck of dust somewhere in the visual path of my Canon EOS-1D Mk II, but I haven't found it yet. It's not in the image path so I haven't gotten too serious about it.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

It's probably either on your mirror or on your focusing screen. Like you said, it doesn't affect your photos, and as long as it's not interfering with focusing or composing, you can leave it there.

[Bob12]

That's pretty much been my feeling. It's off to the far left side and I hardly notice it anymore.