17
votes
Cleaning the rear element of a lens?
You can absolutely clean the rear element as you've discussed - it's done exactly the same as the front element is cleaned.
Caution must be used because if, for example, a piece of grit were on the ...
- 1,760
13
votes
Accepted
Dust on Sensor After Many Cleanings DSLR
Unless you are working in a NASA grade "clean" room, no matter what method you use you will almost never get every single dust spot. Even if you do, by the time you put a lens back on the camera, more ...
- 175k
13
votes
Why isn't my DSLR's viewfinder showing focus correctly after removing it for cleaning?
Solved. I accidentally placed the focusing screen by flipping it on other side which made in focus objects blurry. I corrected it and it's back to normal now.
- 171
9
votes
What are these pixel-level discolored specks? How can I fix it?
I ran a few more tests. Here are the results:
No change to sensor:
f/2.8, 1/6", ISO 200
Blue specks (similar to the top speck in the sample pictures)
f/10, 2.0", ISO 200
White specks (similar to ...
- 317
8
votes
Is it OK to clean a DSLR's CMOS (with filter removed) with compressed air spray?
TLDR; Do this at your own risk!
The compressed gas is formed from a liquid propellant in the canister which under certain conditions can spray all over your very delicate electronics leading to short-...
- 9,539
6
votes
Dead bug on the inner side of the focusing glass — how can I get it out of there?
This is not a repair I would recommend trying for someone who is unfamiliar with camera repair. There's a lot of delicate work involved in getting the proper tools in and out of position to remove the ...
- 175k
6
votes
Is it OK to clean a DSLR's CMOS (with filter removed) with compressed air spray?
If it's only compressed air (and not compressed refrigerant that is used in typical "canned air" products), then ideally it is no different from using a rocket blower, other than different air ...
- 32.3k
6
votes
How to clean the mirror on an SLR without damaging it?
Just don't.
The coating on the surface of your camera's mirror is the most fragile piece of your entire camera that is accessible without taking the camera apart, probably followed closely by the ...
- 175k
6
votes
Can dirt on a camera's lens cause graininess, without causing large-scale blurring of the picture as a whole?
Dirt can never cause grain. It's more likely you are seeing digital noise. Switching to lower ISO should help.
- 1,396
6
votes
Accepted
Can dirt on a camera's lens cause graininess, without causing large-scale blurring of the picture as a whole?
Yes, it's possible — but it's more likely that that's just how it is. You can't expect miracles from a point and shoot camera, and fine detail with no noise when "pixel peeping" would be a miracle. ...
- 143k
6
votes
Accepted
Clean film negatives heavily contaminated with wet paper made negative cases
Soak in a tray or tube of water at room temperature. Add two teaspoons of Dawn dishwashing detergent per quart (liter). Soak for several hours and test the paper to film adherence. If not free, ...
- 38.7k
6
votes
Cleaning the rear element of a lens?
You can absolutely clean a rear element on a lens, much as you'd clean the front element. Exercise the same caution and you'll be fine.
The only danger with a microfiber cloth is that it should be ...
- 51.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Is there a way to remove fungus without dismantling the lens?
UV light will kill the fungus, so all you need to do is let the lens be exposed to sunlight for a few days. Be sure to remove any UV filter you might have attached to the front of the lens.
...
- 175k
5
votes
Accepted
Are self-cleaning sensors now standard?
Among digital cameras with interchangeable lenses, this is now an almost standard feature.
Let's look at DSLRs first, since you mention those explicitly. Among 105 DSLRs released since May 2005, only ...
- 103k
5
votes
Accepted
What are these streaks on lens element? How to remove?
Upon close inspection of the provided images, it appears that someone has tried to wipe the lens element with the wrong tool. This left light streaks on the surface of the element. From that ...
- 710
5
votes
Accepted
What's the problem causing this ring-shaped artifact in my image even though I have cleaned my lens?
Based on its shape and brightness profile (bright rim, dimmer center), and the fact it's in the same location on multiple frames, I believe this is a dust mote on the sensor.
If your camera has a ...
- 7,113
5
votes
Accepted
Does cleaning the camera sensor affect its autofocus capabilities?
On most DSLRs, focusing is done through a dedicated phase detect sensor which is separate from image sensor. As a result, autofocus is not impacted by anything you to do the imaging sensor.
This image ...
- 758
4
votes
Is it OK to clean a DSLR's CMOS (with filter removed) with compressed air spray?
NEVER.
All the other answers apparently missed that you've removed the IR/UV cut filter from on top of the sensor. All the standard cleaning methods assume this protective glass is in place. You are ...
- 51.4k
4
votes
Auto sensor cleaning - is the movement too fast to be visible?
It is imperceptible, either as direct movement or blur.
Source: I removed the lens from my Fujifilm X-series mirrorless camera and activated sensor cleaning. The rear LCD says "sensor cleaning", so I ...
- 143k
4
votes
Accepted
Is it dangerous to use Auto Sensor Cleaning with lens attached?
No. It's fine; I can't imagine why there might be a problem. Automatic sensor cleaning generally works by shaking the sensor a small amount at high frequency. This doesn't get anywhere near the lens (...
- 143k
4
votes
Accepted
How to remove scratches from LG mobile camera lens (with coating)?
From your photo it looks like someone added a plastic protection cover over the lens. Whether it was supposed to be temporary or permanent, I would just remove it, as it now yellowed and cracked. Just ...
- 12.2k
4
votes
What is the best liquid for washing old negatives?
Don't wash with water if you can avoid - use film cleaner available for cine film. Try Filmrenew - search web for supplier. Formaldehyde was removed from stabilizer years ago. It was replaced by a mix ...
- 38.7k
4
votes
I have made the lens dirtier than before cleaning it. How can I recover from this?
What you are seeing is the result of dust on your sensor, not on the lens.
Most modern Digital SLR and mirrorless cameras have a sensor self cleaning mode. Check your manual for instructions on how ...
- 12.2k
4
votes
Accepted
How to properly polish phone camera plastic cover?
The problem is, any clear piece of plastic or glass that is not FLAT to an extremely precise standard is going to act as a lens or prism of some sort, adding distortions and aberrations. Using a ...
- 7,182
4
votes
Accepted
How do I go about fixing this strange dark line blocking my Minolta XG-1's viewfinder?
Age and heat have detrimental effects on any lubrication or seals in a camera. Heat may have caused the the substance that hold the prism in place to soften allowing the substance or the prism to ...
- 3,606
4
votes
How to remove paper sticker on negatives?
That paper is for handling and filing (note the holes!) the negative strips. It's usually glued to the negatives with something like a narrow tesa film, you should be able to simply tear it of ...
- 7,151
3
votes
Why does fungus form in lenses, and how to get rid of it?
The belief that a lens with fungus can infect others nearby is nonsense. The spores that cause fungus to develop are in the air around us at all times, only "clean rooms" are likely to be free of ...
- 31
3
votes
Accepted
Lens cleaner got into my camera lens
Is there any way to get the stuff out from under my lens? I'm open to any ideas, even taking it apart.
A non-invasive method should be the first thing you try. I'd wrap the camera in a couple layers ...
- 31.7k
3
votes
What is the best way to clean the sensor on a interchangeable lens camera (mirrorless or digital SLR)?
There is no single "best" way to clean the sensor of a digital camera. To put it more precisely, which way is the "best" can depend on a number of variables. The most significant variable, by a fairly ...
- 175k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible