DUST: Does this rule out buying DSLR's?

John A. Stovall wrote:
If you aren't competent to clean a dSLR's sensor then you shouldn't
buy one.

That's a bit of overkill, innit?

No, just stating the obvious.

Well, that yardstick rules me out from having a DSLR as well, so I'll
have to disagree

Cheers,
Vandit

"VK" wrote in message
ups.com...

John A. Stovall wrote:
If you aren't competent to clean a dSLR's sensor then you shouldn't
buy one.

That's a bit of overkill, innit?

No, just stating the obvious.

Well, that yardstick rules me out from having a DSLR as well, so I'll
have to disagree



It would be really nice if the camera makers began
acknowledging the issue also.

For example, rather than my having to go out and
find just the right kind of rubber spatula, it would
be awfully nice if one of these came with the
camera, along with a small pack of PecWipes
and a tiny bottle of solvent.

Ah, but that would require Canon/Nikon et. al. to
actually admit that dust was an issue. Obviously,
they'd rather pretend that it's not. Ignoring the
issue gets them off the hook in terms of
product liability and warranty issues.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

In article ,
"rafe b" wrote:

It would be really nice if the camera makers began
acknowledging the issue also.

What issue?

Dust has always been a problem with cameras, it is nothing new.

A call to any camera company's tech support will give you
recommendations on how to best clean their products.

However they also know from long experience that users frequently
scratch lenses, filters, finders, mirrors, etc. when they do clean their
equipment.

Manufacturers want you do do as little cleaning as possible to DSLR
sensors so they have fewer problems with improper cleaning techniques.

Including cleaning implements with cameras in many cases will just
result in unnecessary contact with the sensor or it's cover glass.

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.

"Larry Lynch" wrote in message
.net...

It really depends on the inherant lazyness of the person using the
camera.

I have found that under bad conditions (REALLY DUSTY AIR) the DSLR may
need 10 to 20 seconds of maintenance each time you change the lens.. To
use a bulb blower to clear out the system.... An MAYBE, just Maybe two
or three minutes once in a while for a more complete cleaning, actually
cleaning the sensor takes a minute or two, and is VERY easy unless you
are so klutzy as to not be able to hold anything for a moment without
dropping it.

snip

Thanks very much Larry and to all the other photographers who have shared
their experiences with this issue, most interesting. I guess that a person
who is thinking of a buying a DSLR is a more serious photographer than the
average person, so the "lazyness" factor may not be such an issue with these
people as they will probably be willing to do all the necessary dust
maintenance to their DSLRs. I take the point also that, even if dust does
get on to the sensor in between maintenance sessions, you can usually edit
out any adverse effects with your imaging software. (But this may not be
practical for people who get their prints done "in bulk" commercially).

I was told recently that even a camera with a fixed lense can get dust "in
the works" if it is used in very dusty conditions. Apparently this can
happen as the lense zooms in and out, but I have doubts about this claim.
Even if this could happen, I don't suppose dust could get on to the sensor?
Can anyone comment on this please?

I agree with Randy Berbaum that you are not going to find a P&S camera that
has a 100+x optical zoom. But I guess one option is to have two good
cameras, one which has a fixed lense, like the Sony DSC-R1 covering 14.3mm
to 71.5mm (24 -120mm in 35mm equivalent), and a DSLR fitted with a telephoto
lense that covers say 70mm to 300mm (35mm equivalent). You could then just
grab whichever camera you wanted and never need to change lenses.

If I was to buy a DSLR, I would be inclined to pick an Olympus which has the
sensor dust filter, but are other manufacturers going to go down this track
also, this feature does seem to be a major advantage?

I guess I am correct in saying that it is only dust on the sensor that is
going to get into your picture, dust in other areas, such as on the mirror
is not quite so important?

Thanks again for your interesting comments.

Regards, Jim

"Bob Salomon" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"rafe b" wrote:

It would be really nice if the camera makers began
acknowledging the issue also.

What issue?

Playing dumb, Bob? Why?

Dust has always been a problem with cameras, it is nothing new.

But it's a very different issue with digicams, as you know.

A call to any camera company's tech support will give you
recommendations on how to best clean their products.

Feh. There should be a chapter or sub-chapter
about this in the user manual for any DSLR.

And something more than, "Refer to Canon-Authorized service center."

However they also know from long experience that users frequently
scratch lenses, filters, finders, mirrors, etc. when they do clean their
equipment.

Manufacturers want you do do as little cleaning as possible to DSLR
sensors so they have fewer problems with improper cleaning techniques.

Right. Spots on images are not their problem. Warranty
service is.

Including cleaning implements with cameras in many cases will just
result in unnecessary contact with the sensor or it's cover glass.


Well, thanks anyway, for so explicity stating the
manufacturer's side of the case.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

"Jim F B" wrote in message ...

I guess I am correct in saying that it is only dust on the sensor that is
going to get into your picture, dust in other areas, such as on the mirror
is not quite so important?


Dust on the mirror is far from the focal plane,
and in any case, during exposure, the mirror is
not in the optical path.

At worst, dust on the mirror will reduce the
contrast of the image in the viewfinder.

Dust elsewhere within the camera body is
only an issue insofar as it may find its way,
eventually, onto the surface of the imaging
chip or AA filter.

And even the dust on the filter will have a
varying effect, depending on the aperture
used -- and of course, the underlying image.

Almost all imaging chips have an AA filter
above them, so the dust isn't quite at the
focal plane. Matters would be far more
serious without an AA filter.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

How good is it ? Well, you never hear an
Olympus DSLR owner complain about dust, but you do hear owners of other
DLSR brands.

But one must consider how many Olympus DSLRs are out there compared to C and
N.

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 15:30:42 -0500, "rafe b" wrote:


"Bob Salomon" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"rafe b" wrote:

It would be really nice if the camera makers began
acknowledging the issue also.

What issue?

Playing dumb, Bob? Why?

Dust has always been a problem with cameras, it is nothing new.

But it's a very different issue with digicams, as you know.

A call to any camera company's tech support will give you
recommendations on how to best clean their products.

Feh. There should be a chapter or sub-chapter
about this in the user manual for any DSLR.

And something more than, "Refer to Canon-Authorized service center."

Under warranty? Not going to happen.

However they also know from long experience that users frequently
scratch lenses, filters, finders, mirrors, etc. when they do clean their
equipment.

Manufacturers want you do do as little cleaning as possible to DSLR
sensors so they have fewer problems with improper cleaning techniques.

Right. Spots on images are not their problem. Warranty
service is.

Normal wear and tear is not covered under the warranty. Dust is
considered normal wear and tear.

Including cleaning implements with cameras in many cases will just
result in unnecessary contact with the sensor or it's cover glass.


Well, thanks anyway, for so explicity stating the
manufacturer's side of the case.

If you were the manufacturer, would you want the user to be messing
around with the sensor, and expecting the warranty to cover his
mistakes?
Just because it's the manufacturer's side doesn't make it wrong.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com


--
Bill Funk
replace "g" with "a"

rafe b wrote:
Ah, but that would require Canon/Nikon et. al. to
actually admit that dust was an issue.

What issue? I regularly shoot in dusty conditions and switch my lenses
a lot - and as I mentioned earlier, dust has never been "issue", any
more than dust on my lenses has been an issue. I honestly dont get the
big fuss about sensor dust.

But then, I dont photograph blank walls at f22 or obsess about my gear
either - so that may have something to do with it.

Vandit

Denton wrote:
Since I have a new Rebel XT, I am thinking of making a dust free box,
with a pressurised intake that has a media filter to filter out dust.
Wonder how well it would work?
Something with pexiglass sides?
Ideas anyone?


I find that it's best to change lenses in an electronics 'clean room' that
has a high vacume dispersal system. Shouldn't take more than 2 to 3 hours to
change a lens. Need to work on a portable version.........

Come on now. I have an XT too and I've had to clean the sensor once in the
year I've had it. I change lenses all the time and I'm outdoors for the most
part. Don't go overboard worrying about dust. Get out and take pictures.

-Smitty