I don't know if it's me having bad lens changing habits or if it's a characteristic of the D700, but I seem to have really serious problems with dust spots all the time on my D700. I've had the sensor cleaned twice in the past year at $100 a pop and the sensor is again quite dirty. I am very conservative about when I interchange my lenses (a 17-35 and 28-70), trying to avoid open areas, windy conditions, etc., and I have the camera programmed to do a sensor cleaning on startup and shutdown. I also do a double clean manually immediately after I change lenses and i use my Giotto frequently as well, but it seems that I spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning up my images in post processing. Is anyone else having issues like this, or am I an unwitting slob when it comes to my changing techniques?

Thanks,
Russ

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I wouldn't consider Akron to be a hostile environment. For some reason, I am never plagued by the problem on any of my bodies and I turn auto cleaning off on my D300 and D700.

The Giotto frightens me. Mine developed a white dust on the outside, so I attempted to wash it off with warm water. Now this vile black junk gets on my hands every time I touch it.

How do you carry your equipment? Maybe you are victimized by static electricity.

Scott Chapin
Powder Springs, GA, USA
Nikonians Team Member

I have had my D700 for close to two years and change lenses frequently, often under less than optimal conditions. But I only had to clean the sensor once using the Giotto blower.
I always keep the self cleaning feature on and hold the camera pointing down when changing lenses. I also always turn off the camera to minimize electrostatic charges.
Is it possible that your lenses are shedding some debris that then end up on the sensor?

Tristan

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I think by a process of elimination that this may be the explanation, but I'm not sure how I can confirm this, as both lenses appear pretty much clean and intact to my visual inspection.

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How and where are you storing your lenses and lens caps? Odds are the lenses are grabbing dust when not on the camera (from somewhere) and transferring them to the sensor when attached.

My lenses are kept in my camera bag and are ALWAYS capped, except when I actually exchange them. I'm very OCD about making sure that the back caps are properly seated and tightened as well. I don't know the history of my lenses, though. They were bought used from KEH and Adorama. I don't have any general operational issues with either of them.

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You might try wiping the outside of your camera, lenses with a cloths dryer anti static sheet. Also remove all your gear from you bags and use you vacuum cleaner to suck the dust from your camera bag.

Some zoom lenses with are real air pumps when they focus or zoom.

Unlike film cameras where new recording surface is used for each image, digital reuses its recording surface.

Moose Peterson cleans his camera with each battery charge and cleans the lens mount interface on the camera and lens.

George
My Nikonian Galleries

>You might try wiping the outside of your camera, lenses with
>a cloths dryer anti static sheet. Also remove all your gear
>from you bags and use you vacuum cleaner to suck the dust from
>your camera bag.
>
>Some zoom lenses with are real air pumps when they focus or
>zoom.
>
>Unlike film cameras where new recording surface is used for
>each image, digital reuses its recording surface.
>
>Moose Peterson cleans his camera with each battery charge and
>cleans the lens mount interface on the camera and lens.

I thought dryer sheets didn't convey any anti-static properties until activated by significant heat? Mind you, a dryer sheet has enough surface tack to actually pick dust off the surface of the camera and lens bodies. Nothing like a clean lens and camera body before doing a lens change.

Zoom lenses pump dust into themselves for sure, depending on the design, but that dust can't find its way into the camera's mirror/sensor chamber.

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Howard Carson, Managing Editor
Kickstartnews Inc. - http://www.kickstartnews.com

Hi Russ.

When you have the sensor cleaned are you sure they are doing a good job? Most light dust can just be blown off the sensor by you. I have very little problem with my D700 in this regard even though I change lenses very frequently.

JIM

Russ this is very peculiar. I have had my D700 Since November 2008 and have never had it professionally cleaned, nor have I ever needed to do more than use a blower on the sensor. I change lenses often under all conditions. My main lens is a 35-70 push pull which would be the worst situation as it would pump, yet my sensor stays clean. I am not OCD about cleaning, but I do the following things. I always make sure the camera is off before I change lenses. I always point my camera down when doing so. I keep the end and front caps on my lenses in my bags, and I periodically vacuum out my camera bags, especially if I have been in dust environments. I have my D700 set to auto clean the sensor and I do use my blower periodically to blow out the chamber.

Bob Baldassano
My Nikonians Gallery

"Nikonians membership - My most important photographic investment, after the
camera"

Retirement is a gift of time - Don't waste it!

Jim - The folks who do my sensor cleaning are top-notch. They always provide me with before and after shots from the cleaning. It always comes back perfectly clean.

Bob - I haven't recently cleaned out my bag, so I'll definitely do this ASAP. As for changing technique, I'm reasonably sure that I am turning the camera off between changes - could I have overlooked that a couple of times in the heat of a moment - possibly. I have changed lenses with the body pointed up from time to time, so perhaps this may be contributing to my issues, so I'll definitely be more attentive to this in the future.

Rgards,

Russ

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Next time you think you have a dust have a dust problem. Maybe try changing lenses and once again do your test shot. Stupid me I fought a dust problem for a year or so w/ my D 200 and all of a sudden the dust problem went away and I realized that I had changed lenses. When examining my 18-200 I found that the outer ring had come loose and allowed a little dust to creep in to the lens. I carefully removed the ring exposing the outer lens, cleaned it and retightened it and bingo no more dust problems. I live in Baja Sur Mexico and want to tell you , we have dust. Just an idea.I've never had a problem w/my D700 but occasionally use the sensor cleaning feature.
Tom

Tireton

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I have to say that my D700 seems to be a dust-magnet as well. I follow the usual procedures as listed by my other Nikonians but still have problems with dust. However, after buying a cleaning system from Visible Dust and learning how to clean my own sensor, it's not really an issue any more. On a recent trip through the Four Corners area I inspected the sensor each night and cleaned as needed. Once you get the hang of it, it's not a big deal. I'd recommend that route.

[

Hi,

Can you tell me which of their cleaning products you use?

Thanks,

Peter

Peter
Canada

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I have had my D700 for almost two years (since it first came out), and so far no dust on the sensor. I have auto cleaning off, I just do this occasionally (every couple months) from the menu. But there is one thing I do: before every lens change, I take the rear cap of the new lens off, hold the lens mount downwards and blow it off from all sides, cleaning the mount and rear element. This is to avoid getting dust into the mirror chambers, and from there onto the sensor. I do this even in the field, sometimes to the ridicule of other photographers who get their lenses changed much faster, while I'm holding lens, camera and blower (one in each of my three hands ) and awkwardly perform my lens mount cleaning. But as I said: no dust so far. I also blow around the camera lens mount occasionally to remove any dust.

Tom
Bay Area Nikonian

http://www.tkphoto.me/

Thanks Tom.

Good suggestions.

JIM

Mine is a dust magnet as well. I use the rocket but there are lots of spots evident on my close up shots if I stop down.

There are a couple of spots that stay put but others seem to just move around when I use the rocket.

I have had the camera for about 10 months.

I didn't think it could be the lenses. I always keep them capped and frantically get the lenses changed in as short a time as possible but no use, the sensor is getting more dust all the time.

Peter
Canada

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"sometimes to the ridicule of other photographers"

I believe it is federal offense to ridicule other photographers techniques... Either that or it is just a sign of insecurity on the part of the ridiculer.

Luis Gonzalez
Everlasting Photography, Inc.

I find one problem is that the rear bayonet threads shave tiny flakes of plastic off the rear caps, especially if they are non-nikon caps, and these end up in the caps and on the lenses,
and presumably the sensor too. But still the auto-shake seems to do a good job for me.

markh

http://frozentime.se

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Moose Peterson has 4 video pod cast about cleaning dSLRs. One of his hints is to wipe the outside of the camera body and lens with a cloths dryer anti static sheet to remove any build up of static electricity from the body and lens. Remember the dSLR is an ungrounded electric device, so it is possible to have the electronics build up a static electricity charge. Also the rubber grips could develop a static electricity charge, like rubbing a hard rubber comb or balloon on your hair. Not enough of a charge to generate a spark, but certainly enough to attract dust and other small light items.

George
My Nikonian Galleries

It is easy to solve

Please keep Your camera alvays face down and Mother Earth help You to clean Your processor

A minor point I know, but if I need to change lens and the situation allows, I always give the rear of the lens a couple of blows with my Giotto Rocket before attaching. It's surprising how much dust can collect here and be transferred into the camera.

Regards
Mike

www.mbhphotography.co.uk

One thing I can't understand is why the 'inside' of the front lens cap has so many places for dust to settle in. They aren't easy to clean; at least without compressed air. In my opinion they would be better with a completely flat back.

Like you, I have problems with dust on my D700 sensor. My Giottos Rocket does a good job of moving the dust around but not in cleaning the sensor. But it is not hard to clean your sensor yourself. I use Type 3 Sensor Swabs with Eclipse liquid. These sensor swabs are not particularly cheap because they are manufactured in a clean room, but they work well after you get the hang of it. The manufacturing company's name is Photographic Solutions and has been around for quite a while. By the way, there are two liquids made for use with the sensor swabs: Eclipse is an exceptionally pure form of methyl alcohol. Nearly all of the water has been removed. This is what you should be using. Another liquid, recommended in the past for the D700 (but not now) is called E-2, which is a mixture of methyl and and ethyl alcohol and has a bit more residual alcohol. In my experience, it doesn't work as well.

You can find instructions for sensor cleaning using these products over the net. To expose the sensor (actually the high pass filter over the sensor), take off your lens, then go to the Set-up Menu and select "Lock up Mirror for Cleaning." After you press the shutter release, the sensor will be exposed. When you turn off the camera, the mirror will return to its normal position.

It's not that bad to do it yourself and far cheaper than spending $100 to have someone else do it.

Good luck.

Michael K.
Cape Cod, Mass.

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Hey Russ - good to see another Akron area photographer on the forums... drop me a line and we'll go shoot together some day.

I occasionally get a bit of dust on the sensor but usually it's an easy clean. A few times over the past couple of years I have had to wet clean, mostly due to certain assignments being so fast paced at times that you just don't have time to be dust cautious or you miss shots you need to get.

Even when time pressured I at least try to hold the camera face down when switching lenses.

Luis Gonzalez
Everlasting Photography, Inc.