Seeing spots

Mary Sparrow · 01-21-2005, 08:54 AM

I was just taking a picture of this to check it on my monitor before I finish it and there are spots all over it, like the lense is dirty. I cleaned the lense several times and to my naked eye the lens looks clean. When I look through the view finder I can see the spots and try to wipe them off from that direction and nothing happens. Does anyone have any thoughts on what the problem is? I have never seen this camera do this before.

Look at the dot over her (our left) right eye, then over on the right side of the paper, those are the most obvious then upon closer inspection there are many more small ones.

Holly Snyder · 01-21-2005, 10:00 AM

Hi Mary,

You must be using an SLR with a removable lens? You probably have some dust on the inner glass of your lens or on the mirror inside the camera. You can take it to a camera shop to clean it, or you can use a blower to blow the dust off the mirror, but it's extremely fragile, so I wouldn't do it if you're not sure about it. Or do you have a filter (daylight or other) on your lens? You could have some dust between that and the lens. I like to keep a daylight filter (essentially another piece of glass) screwed on the lens to protect it, particularly when it's used outside.

Holly

Mary Sparrow · 01-21-2005, 10:09 AM

Holly, no, it doesn't have a removable lens.

Holly Snyder · 01-21-2005, 10:48 AM

Is it a digital camera? You might have some dead pixels, although from your image it looks like dust. Try taking a photo with the lens cap on (all dark), and zoom in to the bad areas on your image, and see if it looks like squares (or pixels) are a different color than the surrounding area..

Mary Sparrow · 01-25-2005, 11:13 AM

Hi Holly, sorry it has taken a few days to get back to you.

I tried what you said, it made sense to me, but got a perfectly black screen...so I don't think it is that.

I then took a picture of my kids and didn't see the spots anymore so thought maybe it was gone. Unfortunately, I think the reason I didn't see it was because so much was going on in the picture. I again tried to take a picture of a WIP and the spots are there again. I can see them through the lense, I tried to clean the lense while looking through the viewfinder, I can see the spots, but the lense rag didn't move anything, it is almost like whatever it is is on the inside of the lense.

When I really stare at the lense in different light, I see a couple of places that possibly look like tiny scratches, the only thing that seems wierd to me is that they are small lines, not perfect circles like what is showing up on the pictures and in my view finder.

Yes, it is a digital camera. Im very frustrated, and worried that this is not a problem that can be fixed...or at the very least fixed for cheap.

Janel Maples · 01-26-2005, 07:02 PM

Mary,

Don't you have the Canon Digital Rebel? That lens is removable.

Keep us posted with what the problem is. I will watch closely because I have the same camera.

Mary Sparrow · 01-26-2005, 08:13 PM

No Janel, I have a fuji s602. But I am looking at the rebel, do you like it? Anything you don't like?

Mike McCarty · 01-26-2005, 08:44 PM

Mary,

I doubt that your camera is ruined. Check with your retail store for the nearest repair shop. All these stores must have a connection to repair shops. It probably just needs to be blown out from the inside.

Even if you get a new camera I would have this one repaired to use as a backup. If you plan to sell it you will probably be better served if it is repaired.

Mary Sparrow · 01-26-2005, 08:55 PM

Mike, I took the camera into the shop today. I live in a podunk town and it is amazing we have a camera shop at all.

He looked at it and said he didn't have a clue what the spots were. That I would need to send it off to fuji and it would take weeks and he had no clue what it would cost but doubted it would be less than 100 dollars. Well, I don't have several weeks to be without a camera. This camera also has two different options for media storage, one for a smart media card and one for a flash drive? I think that is what it is called, well, something is wrong with the flash drive as well. I just don't think it will be worth the time and effort. I bought the camera used, it served me very well for a year and a half, so I don't feel TOO slighted. But this is still making me angry, I was getting ready to order that full set of Great Americans..now I think the camera might take priority.

The camera shop is a canon dealer and is very much pushing that Rebel on me. But from everything I have read at dpreview, the d70 sounds nicer. However, I have to wonder, do I really need that much camera?

Mary Sparrow · 01-26-2005, 08:59 PM

Also, your suggestion to keep this camera for backup is a good idea. I doubt I could get much more than $100 for it "as is". It still takes good pictures....that is plus a few spots. But in a pinch it would do, even if it is nothing more than for birthday parties. There is so much going at those things, I doubt the spots would be noticed!