DSLR; dust on the CCD

[miguelito]

Hi there!

i'm thinking to upgrade to a DSLR, but I have one big concern...dust on the sensors...!

For potential buyers, this seems to be a big "turn off". I read a lot of "horror stories" posted in several forum about this issue.

What about your experiences with dirt on the sensors ? Does anyone know if technology is progressing so we can soon expect DSLR's that will not have the current problem of dust on the sensor? I believe that the Olympus E-300 has addressed this issue with the "built-in CCD cleaning". Is the Olympus solution really an adequate solution?

thanks

:confused:

[Rex914]

It's an issue, but not as bad as people make it. I wouldn't base my camera buying descision on this one issue. Base it on image quality, lens selection, ergonomics, and functionality. In other words, don't go for the E-300 just because it has the dust cleaning function. You'll mostly likely regret it.

[Rhys]

It's an issue, but not as bad as people make it. I wouldn't base my camera buying descision on this one issue. Base it on image quality, lens selection, ergonomics, and functionality. In other words, don't go for the E-300 just because it has the dust cleaning function. You'll mostly likely regret it.

I've seen some excellent pictures taken by norm in fujino with the e-300. It was on my list to look at but I have the XT and haven't seen dust yet.

[D70FAN]

I've seen some excellent pictures taken by norm in fujino with the e-300. It was on my list to look at but I have the XT and haven't seen dust yet.

If you shoot enough blue sky at smaller apertures the little fuzz-balls will show up eventually. They seem to come and go on my camera, so I just use Nikon Capture to do a software dust removal. Works great. And it's one of the many advantages of shooting in RAW.

Where the heck is Norm anyway?

[Norm in Fujino]

Where the heck is Norm anyway?

Thanks for thinking of me. Norm is currently digging out of a mountain of work :(
I'm supposed to be in summer vacation mode right now, but that just means time to do all that wonderful work I couldn't get done during the regular semester. Not fun. --Yes, the dust filter seems to work great.
I did put together a slide show for a local art fair recently tho. Here's one:

http://www2.gol.com/users/nhavens/resource/arawada007a.jpg

[D70FAN]

Thanks for thinking of me. Norm is currently digging out of a mountain of work :(
I'm supposed to be in summer vacation mode right now, but that just means time to do all that wonderful work I couldn't get done during the regular semester. Not fun. --Yes, the dust filter seems to work great.
I did put together a slide show for a local art fair recently tho. Here's one:


Thanks for checking in. Sorry about the excavation situation. From the picture it seems that the mountain(s) of work will take a while to whittle down.;)

We don't want to loose our eye on Japan. As well as one of our E-300 representatives. :D

[speaklightly]

Norm-

Thanks for sharing such a beautiful photo with us.

Sarah Joyce

[Norm in Fujino]

Thanks, Sarah. Hope I can drop in a bit more often.

[Chucko]

It's an issue, but not as bad as people make it. I wouldn't base my camera buying descision on this one issue. Base it on image quality, lens selection, ergonomics, and functionality. In other words, don't go for the E-300 just because it has the dust cleaning function. You'll mostly likely regret it.

Rex might be putting it a bit strong in the end, but I agree with the general drift of his comments. I have not yet found dust on the sensor to be a big deal for the kind of photography I do. And I have found a big blower bulb like the Hakuba to be adequate for routine cleaning so far. The time will come when I need to use a brush or a swab, and I won't worry about it, just like I don't worry about changing the oil on my car or sweeping the floor; I just do it.

[Rex914]

All I'm really saying is that the Olympus format is still very young and that the lens lineup is limited at this point. Yes you can buy Sigma and Tamron to your heart's content, and for some that only need one lens, it'll do the trick, but if you plan on expanding or if you have specific needs, the Olympus repertoire of lenses won't cut it quite yet. It needs time to expand and grow. It'd also help to see an E-2 down the line too to show Oly's continuing promise to deliver the goods on time.

[ReF]

that's a real nice shot there norm.

any dslr will give you way better pictures than a point and shoot so just get whatever you want. i have to agree that the oly line is a bit "young," compare it to how long all the other slr systems have been around. i wouldn't complain if i had one though.

as for dust on the sensor, it is a problem, but a very minor one. dust appearing in images can easily be cloned out in post processing. just check the sensor every once in a while so you don't end up having to clone several hundred pictures with dust in the same spot. but really, you're only going to see it in pictures where the dust is in the same spot as the sky or other flat detail-less areas, and only if you are using a high f-number.