Sensor Dust

Sensor dust: Cause prevention is better than cure

Sensor dust is probably one of the worst nightmares of DSLR owners. Manufactures are trying hard to solve this problem with the introduction of “auto sensor cleaning” features in the newest bodies like the Canon EOS 40D or 450D.
Sensor dust will show in pictures as dark spots that will appear constantly at the same place and will be more pronounced at small apertures.

As of today there is no “dust free” solution for DSLR cameras yet, the sensor will accumulate dust over time and you can either learn to live with it or clean it regularly, however some precautions could considerably reduce this problem.

1. Change lenses carefully: The time when the camera is the most vulnerable to dust is when you are changing your lens. I won’t go as far as telling you not to change lenses on the field however I have took the habit to changes lenses in the car or in the bag which is usually a cleaner environment.


2. Clean the lens caps: When I don’t use them the lens caps sits usually in my pocket where they are likely to gather a lot of dust. I keep a blower at hand and clean the caps (specially the rear one) before using them.


3. Turn off your camera before changing lenses: A charged sensor will attract dust ask your TV screen !!


4. Face down: When not changing in the bag, I tend to keep the camera facing earth to avoid dust “falling in”