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'Moisture spots' on D7000 sensor?
#1
Just noticed 'spots' today on a photo, then checked others & took some test pics

Spots in same place on all shots... Phoned shop where I bought the camera, they said (without looking) these are probably 'moisture spots'. Anyone know if they are? Pics [url="http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/16205779_pxu6o"]here[/url]

IanCD
#2
Not sure if it is moisture or dust (usually the latter). Have you tried to use sensor cleaning from the setup menu? What's the setting of sensor cleaning on startup/shutdown, is it disabled?



-- Markus
Editor
opticallimits.com

#3
Looks just like the sensor dirt on my Canon 5D.



I don't know if it's dust or oily deposits, but most of mine goes away when I do 'manual cleaning' and give the sensor a good blow out with a hand blower. Unless you are a sensor swab freak or you don't actually take your camera out of the bag except in sterile environments, these marks are quite normal at f11 upwards. I've heard that some cameras come out of the factory with very dirty sensors, so maybe it's always been there and you never noticed it before.



If they don't go away after a good blow out you can get the sensor cleaned professionally and it should fix the problem.
#4
Thanks Markus, Pinhole

I tried the sensor cleaning... no effect. I've got cleaning disabled on startup / shutdown at moment.

Shop assistant was convinced it's moisture spots, but without seeing the pics - simply because sensor clean off hadn't worked.

Now that I think about it, I can only check back to light background photographs without spots which were taken just before I forgot to switch camera off before changing lens. Duh <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Sad' />

I was sitting on a bench near a small stream - there was no splashing as far as I can remember. Other than that, I can't think how it would have got moisture spots in there.

I'll phone Nikon service tomorrow... shop thought they might clean it free of charge once... or shop will do it for £45..!

Before I get to that, would you recommend trying blowing it out with compressed air..? (Although I don't have an AC adapter to lock the mirror up for cleaning if I'd need to).

Ian
#5
Don't use compressed air. Usually the propellants leave a greasy residue.

Buy something like a Giottos Rocket Air.
#6
[quote name='IanCD' timestamp='1300227406' post='6839']

I tried the sensor cleaning... no effect. I've got cleaning disabled on startup / shutdown at moment.[/quote]



There's no reason to disable this feature.



[quote name='IanCD' timestamp='1300227406' post='6839']

Now that I think about it, I can only check back to light background photographs without spots which were taken just before I forgot to switch camera off before changing lens. Duh <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Sad' />

I was sitting on a bench near a small stream - there was no splashing as far as I can remember. Other than that, I can't think how it would have got moisture spots in there.[/quote]



The sensor is well hidden behind mirror ans shutter, there's no way how moisture could have gotten on the sensor during a lens change.



As already said, usually those spots are dust, not moisture. And it's quite normal for a digital camera to selct dust spots over time. That's why automatic sensor cleaning is built in.



[quote name='IanCD' timestamp='1300227406' post='6839']

Before I get to that, would you recommend trying blowing it out with compressed air..? (Although I don't have an AC adapter to lock the mirror up for cleaning if I'd need to).

[/quote]



NEVER use compressed air. And all you need is a fully charged battery to lock the mirror, not an AC adapter.



-- Markus
Editor
opticallimits.com

#7
[quote name='IanCD' timestamp='1300227406' post='6839']

I was sitting on a bench near a small stream - there was no splashing as far as I can remember. Other than that, I can't think how it would have got moisture spots in there.

[/quote]



You have zero evidence for this being moisture, and the shop making that claim without even seing the pictures doesn't really inspire confidence in them. Now relax, everybody's got a few dust spots on the sensor once in a while. They normally easy to get rid of with a blower.
#8
[quote name='IanCD' timestamp='1300227406' post='6839']



I tried the sensor cleaning... no effect. I've got cleaning disabled on startup / shutdown at moment.

Shop assistant was convinced it's moisture spots, but without seeing the pics - simply because sensor clean off hadn't worked.

[/quote]



That might be the problem.

The built-in Sensor cleaning should always be set to on.

Because it shakes of dust quite well, while it is dry.

If dust stays too long on your sensor and gets humid (coming back in with the camera from a long trip in the cold - condensation) it can't be shaked of so easily.

You better have the sensor cleaned by someone in a shop if you have never done it before. Ask them, and they will show you how to do it.

Each time I change a lens, I switch the camera off and on (yeah I know, one should anyway), to make it shake of the dirt. And I have by far less problems with spot than compared to my old cam that doesn't has a dust shaker.
#9
Thanks for all the very helpful responses.

I phoned Nikon support as the shop advised, and Nikon have confirmed I need to send it to their service centre.

I'll leave the sensor cleaning on at startup & shut-down from now on..!

Really didn't take much use at all for this to happen..! <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Sad' />

Ian
#10
[quote name='IanCD' timestamp='1300296201' post='6877']

I'll leave the sensor cleaning on at startup & shut-down from now on..!

[/quote]



BTW, this will have no negative impact on your camera's startup time.

If you press the shutter release while the cleaning is still running, it will stop immediately and take the picture.
  


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