TECH SUPPORT Keep that Sensor Clean! Q. Recently this black dot started to appear on my photos from my Canon EOS Rebel XTi. I assume it’s some kind of dust spot, but I don’t want to go digging around the inside of the camera without knowing what I’m doing. A. Several editors here looked at the sample images this reader sent to us, and we immediately suspected a dust blob on the sensor—or, to be correct, the glass plate in front of the sensor.
But rather than guess, we had Albanese bring his camera to the Popular Photography Test Lab, where Technical Editor Philip Ryan examined the sensor with a LensPen SensorKlear loupe. Sure enough, we found a pretty large piece (4–5mm) of matter that was also somewhat gunky—what we call, in technical jargon, schmutz. We were able to dislodge it with a handheld blower, but, as there was still residue on the sensor, we directed him to a camera repair shop to have it professionally cleaned. (We are wary of do-it-yourself cleaning in cases like this.)
To avoid this sort of mishap, always keep a lens or body cap on your DSLR. Keep a rear cap on any lens not mounted on a camera. Avoid changing lenses in any adverse conditions or near sloppy eaters, and try to keep the rear of the lens and front of the camera body tilted downward while changing a lens. Should you find dust on the sensor plate, use a blower to remove it. Don’t try to remove persistent schmutz yourself—let the camera maker’s customer service department or a camera repair shop do it. Do you have Tech Support Question? Post it on our Facebook Page. |
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