On 23/3/07, Robert M., discombobulated, unleashed: >Besides a P&S digital camera I still have not purchased a digital SLR (I did >try a Canon D2000 and Nikon D1 for a while with disappointing results). The >biggest issue with digitized film/slides was the dust. I do have the funds >to purchase a 30D. Nevertheless, considering my past experience, I would be >willing to wait and pay for a D40/D35/D30n/. So your opinion is appreciated.
Dust. It's a problem. You change lenses, you're gonna get it. I shoot with a 1DmarkII which I got new (after a year with a D60) and various lenses, a couple of L's included. I change a lot. I tend to give the sensor a blow with canned air before an outing. My method is not used by a lot of people because it can lead to a damaged sensor and a costly replacement. However, I have experimented with the technique (detailed below) and it works for me. YMMV. When viewing digital results, dust usually appears on areas of continuous tone (as it always has done) like sky, so when printing up, I pay particular attention here at 100% and clone out any dust. There's always one or two spots - but nowhere near the amount that I used to get when scanning negs. Interestingly, I know some people with the Pentax K10D (with anti-dust shake thingy) and it appears that high frequency sensor vibrations designed to clear dust, don't always work! My feeling is that the more one looks for dust, the more one will find. I never look too hard ;-) Those canned-air details in full: 1. Camera switched off, lens or cap removed: mirror box blasted with air. (Ultra detail: canned air has a nasty habit of ejecting super-cooled propellant through the nozzle if you're not careful. A brand new can will do it, or an empty one that's been shaken or tilted. I hold nozzle near camera but pointing to side, a few pumps on trigger to observe nozzle and check it's just air coming out. So - 2 or 3 squirts to the side, 2 or 3 squirts into the camera, 2 or 3 squirts to the side, 2 or 3 squirts into the camera.) 2. Camera on, sensor cleaning mode on, sensor blasted with air (using above method). 3. Camera switched off (and so shutter closes, mirror back down), mirror box blasted with air again. 4. Rear of (intended) lenses blasted. 5. Er, that's it. You might guess that I like driving around corners very fast also. -- Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com _____________________________ * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
