Any Ideas On How To Remove Dust From An Image??

[elmo_2006]

Hello everyone...


As I was prepping my gear for our vacation trip tomorrow, I noticed that my Siggy 10-20 has a speck of dust or something deep within the lens. The dust is noticeable in the images if the aperture is dialed into f/16 and above. I tried everything in my power to rid my lens of such critter, but alas it seems that I have an unwelcome guest in my lens.


The idea of using a vacuum hose to forcibly remove said speck has come to mind, but I'm worried that the aperture blades may get damaged or worse, I'll suck out all the glass elements!


I guess I can manually remove the particle from the photos using software, but I'm wondering if there is some other option that is avail to me.


I performed the Dust Delete function against a white sheet of paper but I assume that would only help if I had dust on the sensor and not in the lens.


Any ideas???


Here is a sample of what I need to deal with (not the best I know - shot at 10mm at f/22, please mind the other so called dots and the blue thing is my blower - I SAY PARDON!)


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Thanks

[neuroanatomist]

I have to ask - are you certain the dust is in the lens? Generally speaking, a piece of dust in the lens will have no effect on the image, because of the repeated refraction of the light as it passes through the lens.


Sorry for the basic question, but have you tried shooting with a different lens (stopped down shooting a clean, white surface or a clear blue sky)? I suspect you're looking at dust on the sensor (there may be dust in the lens, but that's not causing the spot on the image).

[wickerprints]

If the spot shows up when that specific lens is mounted, but not when using other lenses, then it must be dust in the lens and not the sensor. Not many people realize this, but dust in the lens *can* show up on the image, depending on where it is located in the optical path, the focal length of the lens, the chosen f-number, and other factors. Essentially, when the DOF is very large, dust in the lens may be visible. Diffraction can even cause the spot to appear in the blur disks of the lens when taken wide open (but this is not what is happening in this case).


Do not attempt to vacuum the dust out. Not only will it fail to work, it may introduce more dust into the lens than you are trying to remove.


As for the Dust Delete function, it doesn

[elmo_2006]

Hi wickerprints...

If the spot shows up when that specific lens is mounted, but not when using other lenses, then it must be dust in the lens and not the sensor.

It does, this is the only lens that displays this *particle*. The image output and the location of the particle matches where I can see the object within the lens.

Finally, if it is truly bothersome to you, you can always have the lens disassembled and cleaned. But be aware that even if you do this, dust will eventually find its way back inside. So, unless the particle is exceptionally large (easily visible without the use of a flashlight), I doubt it is worthwhile to have it cleaned.

I can actually see the particle without the use of a flashlight but I prefer not to send it in especially as we leave tomorrow - []

[elmo_2006]

Update...


After further testing, it is in fact a dusty sensor. I tried with both the 24-105 and 70-200 and the particle shows up all in the same region. To make things worse, I attempted to manually clean via the blower, and now I

[neuroanatomist]

Short of the blower, I wouldn't recommend trying to clean your sensor with anything but a product specifically designed for sensor cleaning. Is there a major photo store anywhere near you (Henry's, Vistek)? They will likely have something to rescue you. Or, depending on when you leave tomorrow, you can possibly have something overnight shipped? I've gotten great results with theVisible Dust Arctic Butterfly 724 Super Bright..


Or, use the Dust Delete function. Or clone out the spots in post.


Good luck, and have a great trip!

[elmo_2006]

Hi Neuro..

I have to ask - are you certain the dust is in the lens? Generally speaking, a piece of dust in the lens will have no effect on the image, because of the repeated refraction of the light as it passes through the lens.


Sorry for the basic question, but have you tried shooting with a different lens (stopped down shooting a clean, white surface or a clear blue sky)? I suspect you're looking at dust on the sensor (there may be dust in the lens, but that's not causing the spot on the image).

.


The particle is definitely somewhere under the outer element and I can also see it from the inner side (the mounting side). I now a while back I got drenched by sea water so I'm thinking what I have here is a genuine sea salt crystal. As for my other lenses, no presence of dust only with the Siggy 10-20.

[neuroanatomist]

Bummer. []


Thanks for the explanation, wickerprints! It does make sense that with a deep DoF and a reasonably-sized particle under the front element (optically furthest principal focal point, similar to but opposite to where the image plane is projected), especially with a retrofocus lens, would show up in the image.