This is not a request for help, or a complaint, necessarily; just relating something that is, in my experience, unusual and to a degree disquieting. I noticed some spots on my digital snapshots so I took a deep breath and cleaned off my sensor (not recommended, I know). After succeeding in this, and thoroughly cleaning my lenses, I noticed dust, or something, inside the lens, lying on the surface what appears to be the second element.
I’ve had a lot of zoom lenses over the last 30+ years, but I’ve never seen this. Anyone else? Is it a common problem?
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It’s pretty common to find bits of dust inside lenses. A couple spots of dust will have no effect on your images. If it really bothers you, you can have a service center clean the lens.
Thank you. That’s all I needed to know. I just needed some reassurance, I guess. I looked at my 70-300 and an ancient 35-135 that has kicked around for years on my Nikon FE and neither exhibit this phenomenon, at least not obviously.
Your dilemma reminds me of running with my Pops, the photog.
He had boatloads of great gear, and had met a guy in Phoenixville PA (NE of Philly)Dick Defresnewho would fix any camera gear, any time. He worked out of a 10 × 20 shed in the back yard of his house, and had every microscopic tool you could imagine, plus some that he made himself in his workshop, housed in a carriage house.
The guy would tear apart old Zeiss lenses, for example, like you and I would change a vacuum cleaner filter, put them back together like new, and charge a relative pittance for doing it. And a lot of the work he’d do while you watched, if you wanted to wait. Dad often took his work gear there (TV News gear stuff…Canon CP-16s, and the associated lenses) that he needed to get back into service ASAP.
I used to go with Dad when he took stuff there, and even though Dick had kids my ageincluding a very pretty daughter that set my teenage loins to quakingI was fascinated with all the cool stuff in his shed & workshop and the magic he worked with that stuff to be bothered with hanging out with the kids.
Most lenses, if you look at them with light coming through the back of them, will have a couple of dust specs, especially after a few years. One of my best lenses, a Mamiya RZ 210mm APO even has a small bubble in one of the rearmost elements. The only thing I would realy worry about is a LOT of dust or anything that looks like fungus.
PArdon for not being a guru about the whole subject, but…
Isn’t the difference between a "just OK lens" and a great lens the care taken by the manufacturer?
The science is pretty much a done deal.
The variables are written in the manufacturing and assembly, accuracy and care, right?
Tolerances, choice of materials, care in machining, acknowledgment of the longevity of the choices, etc…that’s what makes the difference between crap and god-gear, right?
I agree that just a couple of dust specs will have no material affect on your images. None. I once asked some Nikon tech guys about this and the consensus was words to the effect that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
As for dust on the sensor, sure, the camera manufacturers don’t want you to do it because of potential damage to the sensor — even though it is fairly safe if you use common sense and use the high-quality lint-free wipes dipped lightly in the right fluid, and wrapped over the right "paddle".
That said, in over well over two years, many lens swaps and, what, 14,000 exposures or so, I’ve never had to do more than very occasionally truck out my Giotto’s Rocket air-bulb blower and squeeze off a handful of carefully aimed air blasts after locking up the mirror.
Never blow on the sensor, or use canned air or an air compressor. And never leave the mirror box exposed any longer than it takes to quickly swap out a lens or screw on a body cap in a dust- and particulate-free environment.
I agree that just a couple of dust specs will have no material affect on your images. None. I once asked some Nikon tech guys about this and the consensus was words to the effect that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
As for dust on the sensor, sure, the camera manufacturers don’t want you to do it because of potential damage to the sensor (and they charge for doing a cleaning) — even though it is fairly safe if you use common sense and use the high-quality lint-free wipes dipped lightly in the right fluid, and wrapped over the right "paddle".
That said, in over well over two years, many lens swaps and, what, 14,000 exposures or so, I’ve never had to do more than very occasionally truck out my Giotto’s Rocket air-bulb blower and squeeze off a handful of carefully aimed air blasts after locking up the mirror.
Never blow on the sensor, or use canned air or an air compressor. And never leave the mirror box exposed any longer than it takes to quickly swap out a lens or screw on a body cap in a dust- and particulate-free environment.
Thanks to Phos for the anecdote and Neil and Peter for the info. I managed to clean the sensor element fine and the spots are gone. I was just concerned over loose tolerances that might have allowed stuff to get into the lens post-manufacture. One of the reasons I’ve stuck with Nikon through the years is their great "sturd", and I was concerned they might’ve slipped.
Any adjustable lens has components that move in and out when you focus and zoom. This action acts as a piston to pull or push outside air through the system, and no matter how well sealed, occasionally stuff will get in.
But basically, unless you continually work in a heavily dust-filled environment, not to worry.
Any adjustable lens has components that move in and out when you focus or zoom. This action acts as a piston to pull or push outside air through the system, and no matter how well sealed, occasionally stuff will get in.
But basically, unless you continually work in a heavily dust-filled environment, not to worry.
Time was that zoom lenses were more scarce, even looked down on. Now that’s just about all you get. And as you say any lens with a focussing capability would need for air to get in and out. Just hadn’t noticed this heretofore. Thanks again.
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