spot in viewfinder and picture, any suggestions ?

[saurabh]

Hi all,

Since yesterday I observed that when I look though the view finder I can see a spot in the lower left corner. When I click and take a picture I can see a spot in the middle of the picture. The same thing happens if I use a different lens i.e. I can see the spot simply in the view finder and also in the picture.

Any suggestions of what might have happened and any easy way of fixing it ?

Thanks,
Saurabh

[David Metsky]

What kind of camera do you have? Can you post an example image?

[saurabh]

The camera is Nikon D40. I'm attaching two images of (kind of) blank and white sheet I took. The spot can be seen in the center of the pictures.

Saurabh

[saurabh]

On the black one its kind of hard to see but if I turn up the brightness and contrast on my monitor I can see it.

Saurabh

[Csae]

That sorta spot just looks like dust on the sensor.

But for there to be dust on the sensor and the mirroir at the exact same spot is kinda rare. Might be something odd'er.

To be clear, i see spots in my viewfinder all the time, thats dust that settled on my focusing screen or my mirroir.

I also see spots on my pictures, thats dust that settled on my sensor.

But they are never at the exact same place, since its still different spots of dusts.

Both of which can be cleaned by a camera shop, or yourself if you know what your doing.

[jcon]

Its dust... and you can see two more spots in the upper right corner and another on the left hand side. Nothing major on a DSLR.

[K1W1]

There are two issues.

First as others have said you have dust on the sensor. That is what is showing up in the photos.

The spot you see in the viewfinder is either dust on the mirror or more likely dust in the viewing prism. You cannot see dust on the sensor by looking through the viewfinder.

When you clean the camera make sure that you visually check the mirror and also squirt clean air up into the prism area (at the top of the mirror near the hinge) to get any dust out of there.

[Csae]

also squirt clean air up into the prism area (at the top of the mirror near the hinge) to get any dust out of there.

Careful with the air you blow inside, my blower blew a bunch of additional dust in my camera once...

[saurabh]

Thanks guys that was helpful. I will check to see if cleaning is something I'm comfortable with else will take the camera to some camera shop.

And yes, I should have mentioned it earlier, the spot in the viewfinder and in the final image are at different locations. Also, yes, now that its been pointed out I do see that there are other spots too. I think I got stuck at the center spot when I saw it first.

Thanks.

[tim11]

Just remember the actual dust spot is diagonally opposite from where you see on the image. eg. If you see it at left top corner, that will be right bottom corner you should pay attention to.
I'd suggest you read the instruction and open the mirror lock up first and blow the hell out with a rocket blower. Just don't be clumsy and damage the sensitive stuff there.
I spent $80 once for a professional cleaner only to come home and find there was still a speck of dust there.
The spots you have there are very bad that it show even on wide aperture like F/5.6. I have some on my D80 but only show when I shoot at around F/18.