# My mirror is a dust magnet



## hamlet (Nov 17, 2013)

My d3200 keeps attracting small particles of dust onto its mirror. I never take off my lens and i always keep a cloth ontop of it so dust won't gather on it when i'm not using it. I believe that this dust is caused by leaving it idle. Is there a dust free area i can create? How do you store your dslr?


Right now the only method of cleaning i have is the rocket air blower, i've ordered the dslr paint brush because its taking me hours to get one single dust particle out. It is supremely frustrating. Apox on thee you cursed camera from the very pits of hell! :madmad:


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## SCraig (Nov 17, 2013)

If you never take your lens off how do you blow it out?  Point the lens opening down when blowing it out so that dust falls out and doesn't just land somewhere else.  Dust on the mirror is meaningless, dust in other places is not so meaningless.

I quit worrying about dust on the mirror decades ago.  It's a bit annoying but it will move on it's own sooner or later.


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## hamlet (Nov 17, 2013)

SCraig said:


> If you never take your lens off how do you blow it out?  Point the lens opening down when blowing it out so that dust falls out and doesn't just land somewhere else.  Dust on the mirror is meaningless, dust in other places is not so meaningless.
> 
> I quit worrying about dust on the mirror decades ago.  It's a bit annoying but it will move on it's own sooner or later.


What i was referring to is that i never take it off unless i see dust in my viewfinder. I just cant stand the sight of the dust magnified hundredfolds.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 17, 2013)

SCraig said:


> If you never take your lens off how do you blow it out?



Ok, great... now there is a mental image that will likely haunt me till my dying day.. rotfl



> Point the lens opening down when blowing it out so that dust falls out and doesn't just land somewhere else.  Dust on the mirror is meaningless, dust in other places is not so meaningless.
> 
> I quit worrying about dust on the mirror decades ago.  It's a bit annoying but it will move on it's own sooner or later.



Gravity, she is a difficult task mistress to say the least.


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## PaulWog (Nov 17, 2013)

Don't keep your DSLR outside of a bag, and make sure the bag always remains closed (and make sure it's a dust-free bag). The camera isn't dust sealed, much less weather sealed.

I haven't had any dust issues with my D5200, although I think one of my lenses (35mm 1.8G) came with a spec of dust inside the actual lens itself... can't tell for sure... it needs warranty servicing anyway!


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## amolitor (Nov 17, 2013)

Don't worry about a bit of dust. It's gonna happen.

Dust and crap on the sensor? Spot it out in post until it gets to be too much, then buy a cleaning kit and clean the sensor.

Dust anywhere else? Don't even worry about it. It doesn't do much of anything to the pictures.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 17, 2013)

amolitor said:


> Don't worry about a bit of dust. It's gonna happen.
> 
> Dust and crap on the sensor? Spot it out in post until it gets to be too much, then buy a cleaning kit and clean the sensor.
> 
> Dust anywhere else? Don't even worry about it. It doesn't do much of anything to the pictures.



Ok, danger Will Robinson, danger.  I do not recommend that you clean your own sensor - and if your camera is still under warranty I would strongly advise against it because it will void your warranty faster than you can say Jack Robinson.  Having your sensor professionally cleaned by an authorized tech really isn't that expensive, and you avoid making a bad situation worse or even turning your camera into a brick.  So even if you did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night, I wouldn't advise it.


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## hamlet (Nov 17, 2013)

amolitor said:


> Don't worry about a bit of dust. It's gonna happen.
> 
> Dust and crap on the sensor? Spot it out in post until it gets to be too much, then buy a cleaning kit and clean the sensor.
> 
> Dust anywhere else? Don't even worry about it. It doesn't do much of anything to the pictures.



Very good.


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## hamlet (Nov 17, 2013)

PaulWog said:


> Don't keep your DSLR outside of a bag, and make sure the bag always remains closed (and make sure it's a dust-free bag). The camera isn't dust sealed, much less weather sealed.
> 
> I haven't had any dust issues with my D5200, although I think one of my lenses (35mm 1.8G) came with a spec of dust inside the actual lens itself... can't tell for sure... it needs warranty servicing anyway!



The bag caused me some sensor dust while i was outside the country.


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## amolitor (Nov 18, 2013)

Cleaning your own sensor is no big deal. It takes a few minutes.

Just don't try to improvise something, get a proper sensor cleaning kit.


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## manaheim (Nov 18, 2013)

It sounds like you leave the camera without a lens on it for extended periods of time?

And RAGS ARE DUSTY, btw... big time.

Your camera should only ever have a lens or a cap on it. No rags. Ever.  

As others said, point camera down when changing lenses. Be sure to change lenses in most settled environments possible. (in room, no moving air)


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## Braineack (Nov 18, 2013)

hamlet said:


> What i was referring to is that i never take it off unless i see dust in my viewfinder. I just cant stand the sight of the dust magnified hundredfolds.



That's not dust on the mirror, that's dust on the focusing screen.  Constantly blowing around in your camera actually CAUSES this...

an f/1.4 will fix it.


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## manaheim (Nov 18, 2013)

Braineack said:


> hamlet said:
> 
> 
> > What i was referring to is that i never take it off unless i see dust in my viewfinder. I just cant stand the sight of the dust magnified hundredfolds.
> ...



If he has a DSLR...


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## Braineack (Nov 18, 2013)

manaheim said:


> If he has a DSLR...



It was clearly established he has a D3200.


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## The_Traveler (Nov 18, 2013)

robbins.photo said:


> Ok, danger Will Robinson, danger.  I do not recommend that you clean your own sensor - and if your camera is still under warranty I would strongly advise against it because it will void your warranty faster than you can say Jack Robinson.  Having your sensor professionally cleaned by an authorized tech really isn't that expensive, and you avoid making a bad situation worse or even turning your camera into a brick.



Silly, alarmist and wrong.


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## Braineack (Nov 18, 2013)

Why are we cleaning the sensor to remove all the dust he forced under the focusing screen?


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## amolitor (Nov 18, 2013)

There was a flow of conversation that happened, and, as sometimes happens in conversations between human beings, the topic drifted slightly.

Luckily for you, it's all documented, you can go read the posts and follow along at home!


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## amolitor (Nov 18, 2013)

You're basically the only one who has a hardon about hamlet. I suggest that you stop reading hamlet's threads, since they seem to so annoy you.


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## manaheim (Nov 18, 2013)

Braineack said:


> manaheim said:
> 
> 
> > If he has a DSLR...
> ...



Speaking entirely as a member here and not as a moderator...

Um, my point was that if he has a DSLR there are a number of places that dust could be, including the mirror.

And we have NOT clearly established that it was on the sensor.

What we HAVE clearly established is that you either have a serious attitude problem, or are a VERY poor communicator.


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## The_Traveler (Nov 18, 2013)

amolitor said:


> You're basically the only one who has a hardon about hamlet. I suggest that you stop reading hamlet's threads, since they seem to so annoy you.



if you were talking to me, my point was directed at the quote given.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

The_Traveler said:


> robbins.photo said:
> 
> 
> > Ok, danger Will Robinson, danger. I do not recommend that you clean your own sensor - and if your camera is still under warranty I would strongly advise against it because it will void your warranty faster than you can say Jack Robinson. Having your sensor professionally cleaned by an authorized tech really isn't that expensive, and you avoid making a bad situation worse or even turning your camera into a brick.
> ...



Lew!  Your speaking to me again.  Wow.. an honor, really.  So, I know the Christmas thing is shot.. but tell you what, how about we let bygones be bygones.  Imagine it, you me and Derrel - Times Square, New Years Eve.  What do you say Slugger?  I'll bring the funny hats...


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## Braineack (Nov 18, 2013)

manaheim said:


> Braineack said:
> 
> 
> > manaheim said:
> ...



Understood, but if he's seeing dust through the viewfinder [and hasn't mentioned seeing any rendered in pictures] it's most likely not dust on the sensor or mirror but dust under the focusing screen, amiwrong?


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

manaheim said:


> Braineack said:
> 
> 
> > manaheim said:
> ...



I'm sorry, i should have mentioned that i took test shots to check if my sensor was dirty. My sensors is clean, only my viewfinder shows dust which leads me to believe that there is dust on the mirror. I've used the rocket air blower for an hour long, but its to no avail, even more dust has gathered on my mirror. But i will have to wait a couple of days before my sensor brush arrives in the mail so i can apply it to the mirror. If the dust doesn't disappear from my viewfinder, then it may very well be behind my viewfinder screen and i have to take SCraig's advise and learn to live with it. Perish the thought!


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## amolitor (Nov 18, 2013)

Learn to live with it now.

Mucking around inside your camera with brushes and so on, no matter if they're the right ones or not, isn't a good idea. You're letting more dust in, and every time you poke around in there you're taking a risk -- a small risk, if you're a careful worker, but a risk -- that you're going to break something. Only go in there and mess around if it's going to be worth it.


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

That sounds like every tiny voice in my head before i did something risky i regretted after the fact. Perhaps you are right, the more i let this get to me the worse this gets.


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## manaheim (Nov 18, 2013)

Send the whole cam out to be professionally cleaned and you'll be good. I do that every so often anyway.  Costs $75-125 or so and gets it all nice and snazzy.


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## Derrel (Nov 18, 2013)

Hamlet: Dust on the mirror is NOT visible through the caamera. I repeat, dust on the mirror is NOT visible through the camera. The front of the mirror cannot be seen by looking through the eyepiece, nor through Live View...not any way except by removing the lens and using your eyes to look at the mirror. And you know what? Mirrors do get a bit dirty. Do not attempt to clean the mirror, or it will be scratched by even the softest cleaning attempt. Mirror dust,mirror plastic evaporation coatings (ie thin,thin film from the outgassing of foams or plastics,etc) are NOT HARMFUL in any way, and do not impair the function of any SLR or d-slr.

Visible dust as seen when looking through the viewfinder is dust that is on the focusing screen, which is located above the mirror. The dust causes no harm, except mental aggravation, and you seem to be the type of person who is bothered by this type of ever-so-minor intrusion of the world into your camera. Dust on the viewfinder screen does not appear in the photos either--only sensor dust will appear in the photos.


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## Braineack (Nov 18, 2013)

hamlet said:


> ...then it may very well be behind my viewfinder screen and i have to take SCraig's advise and learn to live with it. Perish the thought!



or you lift the little metal tab holding the screen down, remove it, and clean it/behind it...


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

Derrel said:


> Hamlet: Dust on the mirror is NOT visible through the caamera. I repeat, dust on the mirror is NOT visible through the camera.



Could you go over the middle part again?

Lol


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

Braineack said:


> hamlet said:
> 
> 
> > ...then it may very well be behind my viewfinder screen and i have to take SCraig's advise and learn to live with it. Perish the thought!
> ...



So.. crowbar on that?  Or will the old hammer/screwdriver combo do the trick.. lol


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

Derrel said:


> Hamlet: Dust on the mirror is NOT visible through the caamera. I repeat, dust on the mirror is NOT visible through the camera. The front of the mirror cannot be seen by looking through the eyepiece, nor through Live View...not any way except by removing the lens and using your eyes to look at the mirror. And you know what? Mirrors do get a bit dirty. Do not attempt to clean the mirror, or it will be scratched by even the softest cleaning attempt. Mirror dust,mirror plastic evaporation coatings (ie thin,thin film from the outgassing of foams or plastics,etc) are NOT HARMFUL in any way, and do not impair the function of any SLR or d-slr.
> 
> Visible dust as seen when looking through the viewfinder is dust that is on the focusing screen, which is located above the mirror. The dust causes no harm, except mental aggravation, and you seem to be the type of person who is bothered by this type of ever-so-minor intrusion of the world into your camera. Dust on the viewfinder screen does not appear in the photos either--only sensor dust will appear in the photos.



What about this here: brush. will it scratch the mirror?


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## Derrel (Nov 18, 2013)

My own person experience says that YES, that brush will scratch the mirror. Quickly, and easily, it will scratch it up. I have tried cleaning several mirrors over the decades; I ended up scratching every single one. But the thing is, even cleaning the mirror makes basically ZERO improvement in the through the finder image. If you mess up the mirror's alignment, or knock it off of its carrier, then you're in for a very costly repair. Think of the mirror as the surface of *your own eyeball*. In other words, DO NOT brush it. Do not scrub it. Do not poke at it. Just simply leave it alone.


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

Consarn it! All right Derrel, thank you.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

Derrel said:


> My own person experience says that YES, that brush will scratch the mirror. Quickly, and easily, it will scratch it up. I have tried cleaning several mirrors over the decades; I ended up scratching every single one. But the thing is, even cleaning the mirror makes basically ZERO improvement in the through the finder image. If you mess up the mirror's alignment, or knock it off of its carrier, then you're in for a very costly repair. Think of the mirror as the surface of *your own eyeball*. In other words, DO NOT brush it. Do not scrub it. Do not poke at it. Just simply leave it alone.



Ok, so then sandblasting.. right out I assume? Lol

Oh and I forgot to double check with you first - you are free for New Years Eve right?


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

It seems that my very last attempt to clean the mirror yesterday has made my sensor dirty.


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## manicmike (Nov 18, 2013)

Bathe it in acid. That should help.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

hamlet said:


> It seems that my very last attempt to clean the mirror yesterday has made my sensor dirty.



And now we pause for a brief station identification break, where in I will be forced to slap my forehead.


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## manaheim (Nov 18, 2013)

Derrel said:


> Hamlet: Dust on the mirror is NOT visible through the caamera. I repeat, dust on the mirror is NOT visible through the camera. The front of the mirror cannot be seen by looking through the eyepiece, nor through Live View...not any way except by removing the lens and using your eyes to look at the mirror. And you know what? Mirrors do get a bit dirty. Do not attempt to clean the mirror, or it will be scratched by even the softest cleaning attempt. Mirror dust,mirror plastic evaporation coatings (ie thin,thin film from the outgassing of foams or plastics,etc) are NOT HARMFUL in any way, and do not impair the function of any SLR or d-slr.
> 
> Visible dust as seen when looking through the viewfinder is dust that is on the focusing screen, which is located above the mirror. The dust causes no harm, except mental aggravation, and you seem to be the type of person who is bothered by this type of ever-so-minor intrusion of the world into your camera. Dust on the viewfinder screen does not appear in the photos either--only sensor dust will appear in the photos.



Derrel I don't believe this is correct. I've had stuff on my mirror visible through the eyepiece.


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## Derrel (Nov 18, 2013)

manaheim said:
			
		

> Derrel I don't believe this is correct. I've had stuff on my mirror visible through the eyepiece.



I forgot....you have Super-Bunny vision and non-human capabilities! And PhotoWrangler, yes, New Year's is still an open date for me--looking mostly fore the biggest flat-screen TV tuned to the best bowl game, with the most deviled eggs and the most free booze!


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## astroNikon (Nov 18, 2013)

robbins.photo said:


> hamlet said:
> 
> 
> > It seems that my very last attempt to clean the mirror yesterday has made my sensor dirty.
> ...



But Is he talking about his camera.  Or something else ?


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

Derrel said:


> manaheim said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Well I'm still waiting to hear back from Lew but I was thinking Time Square, three amigos - I think this could work.. lol


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## manaheim (Nov 18, 2013)

Derrel said:


> manaheim said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Well... or it might just be the shmutz on my mirror was bigger than your average dust.  Dunno.


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

Now i have to clean the sensor. There is one big dust ball on it i cant get out with the rocket air.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

hamlet said:


> Now i have to clean the sensor. There is one big dust ball on it i cant get out with the rocket air.



Hamlet, let me make 2 recommendations for you.  One, take your camera to a camera shop or authorized dealer and have it professionally cleaned.  Don't try to mess around with this yourself.  Two, once you get your camera back, take it out and use it.. regularly.  Your a lot less likely to have to worry about dust build up if your camera is getting out of the bag and being used.  

Just my 2 cents worth of course, but I really really hope for once you'll take my advice.  Good luck.


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

This cleaning business is getting costly. I should have just bought a new dslr.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

hamlet said:


> This cleaning business is getting costly. I should have just bought a new dslr.



Will a good cleaning cost you around $100?  Probably.  Will cleaning it yourself most likely result in you having to spend 4 to 5 times that much on another camera?  Probably.  But I did what I could.  Good luck.


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

That's a lot of money to clean a d3200.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 18, 2013)

hamlet said:


> That's a lot of money to clean a d3200.



A lot less than buying a replacement.  But hey, your camera, your money.  You can take my advice or ignore me completely, I think you'll be a lot happier and get much better results spending the money to have it cleaned.  Then you'll pretty much have a new camera and probably won't have to worry about it for at least a couple of years.  Or you can ignore me, try to clean it yourself - keeping in mind you've already tried that and gone from having some dust supposedly on the mirror to actually getting dust on the sensor in the process, so I would think at this stage you yourself would be extremely leery of trying to do this on your own again considering the results you got the first time out, going from bad to worse.

But it's entirely up to you, it's not something I'm going to debate.  I gave you my best advice, not a thing in the world I can do should you decide to ignore me, as you pretty much have always done in the past.  So again, I'll just wish you luck.


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

All i tried was the rocket air thing.


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## kundalini (Nov 18, 2013)

Blow it and forget it.  

_That's what she did._

Post processing also works wonders.


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

Men much wiser than myself have suggested that.


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## hamlet (Nov 18, 2013)

There is much more dust on the sensor than i thought.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 19, 2013)

Well, you can try the camera's internal cleaning function - set the camera on a solid surface, base down, in the setup menu go to clean now and select ok.  Only do this once, don't try to repeat over and over again - and see if that helps.  Odds are good, it's going to need a professional cleaning.  But hey, I'm just an alarmist after all.  No need to listen to me..


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## hamlet (Nov 19, 2013)

I've tried all the careful stuff. I will have to wait until my cleaning kit arrives in the mail. If i'm going to learn to do it myself, then it might as well be on my entry level dslr.


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## robbins.photo (Nov 19, 2013)

hamlet said:


> I've tried all the careful stuff. I will have to wait until my cleaning kit arrives in the mail. If i'm going to learn to do it myself, then it might as well be on my entry level dslr.



Well, good luck with that I guess.


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## hamlet (Nov 19, 2013)

All that stuff was already on my sensor, that big black one was just newly added two days ago. I didn't shoot the test shot properly. 


First i will go with the dry method of a fine paint brush. If that doesn't work, then i will try the adition of the wet method by use of swabs.


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## hamlet (Nov 19, 2013)

I've calculated the cleaning costs if i have to only use two swabs. The cost runs up to $15 per cleaning, this is very economical.


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## C4n0n.Fan (Nov 19, 2013)

Exhale and breath the OCD tendencies away.


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## SCraig (Nov 19, 2013)

hamlet said:


> There is much more dust on the sensor than i thought.


Sigh ..... there is ALWAYS dust on the sensor or the mirror or the focusing screen or somewhere.  Always.  The only question is how much and is it visible in the final image.  I've cleaned mine one day and seen visible dust the next.  In fact there have been times that I've cleaned my sensor and managed to get more dust on it while cleaning it than it had in the first place.  It's a fact of life with DSLR's so get used to it and stop obsessing about it.  They are not completely sealed.  Each time you zoom a lens or remove a lens dust gets into the camera.

Cleaning a sensor assembly is easy but if you continue to obsess about it and try and keep every single speck of dust out then you are going to spend more time and money on cleaning than you did when you bought the camera, plus you are going to lose that battle since there is no way to prevent dust from getting in one.  I absolutely GUARANTEE that I could check any one of my cameras right this minute and find dust on the sensor.  So what?  It usually doesn't show up in the final images, and if it does I just clone it out.


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## hamlet (Nov 19, 2013)

Its a losing battle for sure. I know you are right SCraig, i'll just have to clean out the visible dust.


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## SCraig (Nov 19, 2013)

hamlet said:


> Its a losing battle for sure. I know you are right SCraig, i'll just have to clean out the visible dust.



I strongly suggest that you just stop worrying about it.  As I said, I absolutely guarantee that every one of my bodies have dust on the sensor assembly (actually it's the filter in front of the sensor) right this minute, but it doesn't matter a bit.  If I clean them it will be back in a few days.  If I then clean that it will, once again, be back in a few days.  I usually clean mine every few months or so and don't give it a second thought.


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## hamlet (Nov 19, 2013)

Thank you for your words of wisdom. I will clean my camera sparingly.


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## EIngerson (Nov 19, 2013)

Here's a step by step on how to clean the sensor on a Nikon. Items needed, Cast iron skillet, lint free cloth, cleaning solution, sensor brush/squeegy.

1, Put the cast iron skillet on a clean surface, for example your kitchen table.
2, cover the skillet with the lint free cloth.
3, take the cap of the camera body and attach it to the rear lens cap of a lens. (you don't want dust in the cover when you reattach it.)
4, lay out all your cleaning supplies along with the camera body on the lint free cloth that covers the pan
5, Now take the pan and all it's contents to the bathroom light it on fire, dump it in the toilet and pee on it because it's a Nikon.

You're welcome.


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2013)

EIngerson said:


> Here's a step by step on how to clean the sensor on a Nikon. Items needed, Cast iron skillet, lint free cloth, cleaning solution, sensor brush/squeegy.
> 
> 1, Put the cast iron skillet on a clean surface, for example your kitchen table.
> 2, cover the skillet with the lint free cloth.
> ...


You forgot a shopvac and a wire brush


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## Braineack (Nov 19, 2013)

Great thread, would read again.


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## hamlet (Nov 21, 2013)

My viewfinder still has two dust particles in it even after i cleaned the mirror. I think that the dust is inside the viewfinder.


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## gsgary (Nov 21, 2013)

hamlet said:


> My viewfinder still has two dust particles in it even after i cleaned the mirror. I think that the dust is inside the viewfinder.




So what, just get out and shoot, my cameras have been covered in mud as long as it still works who cares


Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2


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## hamlet (Nov 21, 2013)

I suppose. i'll heave it sent to be cleaned if it gets any more dirty.


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## gsgary (Nov 21, 2013)

hamlet said:


> I suppose. i'll heave it sent to be cleaned if it gets any more dirty.



Forget about it because it does not effect your photos

Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2


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## hamlet (Nov 21, 2013)

Do the more expensive dslr's also have this problem as my d3200?


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## SCraig (Nov 21, 2013)

hamlet said:


> My viewfinder still has two dust particles in it even after i cleaned the mirror. I think that the dust is inside the viewfinder.





hamlet said:


> I suppose. i'll heave it sent to be cleaned if it gets any more dirty.



It isn't worth the expense and effort.  Over time the dust will move around to different places in the pentaprism, just forget about it and move on.  My 35mm Olympus OM-2n has some lint in the pentaprism that has been there for decades.  That body has interchangeable viewing screens so all I have to do is release one clip, remove the viewing screen, and blow it out.  It's just not been worth the effort because if I do more will get in there.



hamlet said:


> Do the more expensive dslr's also have this problem as my d3200?



Yes.  As I have said before it is the nature of the beast with SLR's and DSLR's.  It will ALWAYS happen.  The only way to prevent it is to put your camera in a sealed plastic bag and never take it out again.  Just forget about it.

This is my last post in this thread.  It is really becoming tedious now.


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## Braineack (Nov 21, 2013)

hamlet said:


> My viewfinder still has two dust particles in it even after i cleaned the mirror. I think that the dust is inside the viewfinder.



Oh. Crazy! I totally thought that cleaning the mirror would have fixed the problem,  I'm sorry I said the following in this thread and lead you in teh wrong direction, troll:



Braineack said:


> That's not dust on the mirror, that's dust on the focusing screen.  Constantly blowing around in your camera actually CAUSES this...





Braineack said:


> Why are we cleaning the sensor to remove all the dust he forced under the focusing screen?





Braineack said:


> Understood, but if he's seeing dust through the viewfinder [and hasn't mentioned seeing any rendered in pictures] it's most likely not dust on the sensor or mirror but dust under the focusing screen, amiwrong?





Braineack said:


> hamlet said:
> 
> 
> > ...then it may very well be behind my viewfinder screen and i have to take SCraig's advise and learn to live with it. Perish the thought!
> ...



like come on dude.


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## hamlet (Nov 21, 2013)

SCraig said:


> hamlet said:
> 
> 
> > My viewfinder still has two dust particles in it even after i cleaned the mirror. I think that the dust is inside the viewfinder.
> ...



I'm sorry if i've asked it before. I just worry too much about these things. But i managed to clean my sensor almost completely. There is a little smudge that is barely visible that i can probably only get out with wet cleaning method. But so far everything is back to working standards.


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## hamlet (Nov 21, 2013)

Braineack said:


> hamlet said:
> 
> 
> > My viewfinder still has two dust particles in it even after i cleaned the mirror. I think that the dust is inside the viewfinder.
> ...



Thank you for the help.


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## SCraig (Nov 21, 2013)

hamlet said:


> I'm sorry if i've asked it before. *I just worry too much about these things.* But i managed to clean my sensor almost completely. There is a little smudge that is barely visible that i can probably only get out with wet cleaning method. But so far everything is back to working standards.



OK, one more post....

The bold part is the key.  You need to stop worrying about things you cannot control and worry about getting out and using what you have.  You are NEVER going to be able to use your camera and keep dust out.  Never.  It can NOT be done.  If you use it you WILL get dust into it and there is not one single thing you can do about it.  Get accustomed to the idea and learn to live with it or you are going to have a very disappointing photographic experience.

You basically have three choices, and which of them you choose to follow is entirely up to you:

1.  You can use your camera, get dust in it, ignore it most of the time and enjoy the time you spend taking photographs.  In this case you will begin to learn how to enjoy your equipment and the hobby you have chosen.

2.  You can use your camera, get dust in it, and spend every waking moment worrying about that single speck of dust and how to get it out.  In this case you will spend miserable hours fixating on the impossible job of trying to keep every single speck of dust out of your camera.

3.  You can seal your camera up in a plastic bag, put it on a shelf, and never take it out of the bag.  This will prevent dust from getting in, and is the only known way to prevents dust from getting in, however it makes a complete and utter waste of the time and money you have already spent.

Your call.  I'm finished now.


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## kathyt (Nov 21, 2013)

hamlet said:


> My viewfinder still has two dust particles in it even after i cleaned the mirror. I think that the dust is inside the viewfinder.


Yeah, great read.


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## The_Traveler (Nov 21, 2013)

I learned much more from my first few sexual adventures than I ever learned from reading books or watching movies.
I was nervous at first, but it's amazing how quickly one learns to integrate small bits of knowledge and experience when the occasion, and anything else, arises.


Except for the rapid advance mechanism, I imagine that it is close to the same for photography.


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## The_Traveler (Nov 21, 2013)

I would suggest more experience before more discussion but I don't know what the photographic equivalent is to 'get laid.'


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## kundalini (Nov 21, 2013)

The_Traveler said:


> I would suggest more experience before more discussion but I don't know what the photographic equivalent is to 'get laid.'


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## Seventen (Nov 23, 2013)

I used to worry about getting dust inside my Nikon d5100 but its pointless. I do astro-photography a lot and the camera is spending so much time with its lens off dust freely walks in and out as it pleases. I shoot rally events and its like standing inside a dust storm sometimes, these entry level cameras are not very weather proof and getting dust in constantly I have had the camera since march taken 18000 shutter cycles lens cap and lens left off a lot  and learnt to ignore the dust i can see inside and still have no visible signs of dust on the sensor.  I am sure if i try to move the dust the sensor will get covered.
Dont get me wrong here i treat my equipment with love and care but attaching my telescopes to the camera leaves it open and free to gather dust.


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## e69087 (Nov 26, 2013)

Hi all,
I would like to know whether industrious IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) 99% pure can be used to clean the DSLR camera sensor? Can it also be used to clean the camera mirror?
Thanks!


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