IT HAD TO HAPPEN SOMETIME !

Dust alert feature ? I'm all ears. I've looked in the K10 manual but can't find anything about it !?

DERYN

Dust dislodged when changing lenses ? Just tried my kits lens at 50mm, dust spot still there !

DERYN

This doesn't exist on the K10d. Only on the K20d.

You can mimic the dust alert feature yourself. Set camera to the smallest possible aperture, add +2 EV, defocus the lens, and take a picture of something bright e.g. the sky! Examining the shots in PP (whack the contrast up to make it easier) should identify any dust spots.

Flip the image horizontally so you get the same view you will get when you are cleaning the sensor.

If you find there are spots with one lens and not the other, I guess there must be dust on or in the lens itself - although I wouldn't have expected this to show up on any images at normal aperture settings and focus distances.

Deryn, invest in an Arctic butterfly brush, you really won't regret it.

You could try getting the dust removal system to do a couple of extra shakes of course, just to see if that helps, but otherwise a brush or the Pentax pads are the way to go.

If you opt for the Eclipse system make sure you get the right fluid as the original Eclipse fluid will damage the sensor coating.

Okay done the dust test, definately around 5/6 spots !
So I'm in the UK, which Arctic butterfly kit is best and where do I order it from ?

thanks guys.

DERYN

That is the correct answer.

Just get the basic one unless you see the need to spend more. Sorry, I don't know where. Got mine free with a magazine subscription.

There is the copperhill alternative which seems a bit more basic to me and I think you do manually what the arctic butterfly does with batteries at half the cost.

I have one but as yet a rocket blower has been just fine and I don't resort to changing lenses in a bag either. I'll change lens 3 times in ten minutes just being careful and sensible.

I wouldn't get too paranoid about it. Just sort the problem when it arises. I have the dust shake system set to fire each time I turn on the camera.

Mike

I have found the K20D is much better than the K100DS for dust. I guess the weather sealing really does something, even though it shouldn't make a difference when changing lenses. All I know is, I've needed to clean the sensor only once in six months. I too leave the cleaning option on, so the sensor gets a shake every time I start up the beast.

The 'copperhill alternative' ?

I have always had my shake system to work each time I switch it on also.

Dslr's are becoming a costly experience for me ! May just cash in !

DERYN

This is what I bought but as I say I haven't had to use it yet.

not so dusty

It's simple and if you google around you'll see some people rate it.

The arctic butterfly is really quite expensive and I think is based on tehe same principle. You're not really meant to touch the sensor as I understand it just charge the brush and then 'wipe' any dust onto the parchment provided.

There you go an excuse to go to the states and save 20 quid.

Mike

Rocket blowers are the worst thing you could ever use on a DLSR it also blows the dust in everywhere, I chucked mine after the first time I used it and the dust is still inside the prism but doesn't affect the photos.

Hi guys, well, a butterfly is out of the question, finances won't allow !

I took my camera along to a reputable photographer and camera dealer. He doesn't use the butterfly himself so he tried first with a more powerful blower than I have. No luck ! Then he tried some brushes. No luck ! Then he tried swabs. And still I have dust spots !!! I bought swabs to have a try myself later today.

So up to now £17 spent and £10 on petrol. (our nearest dealer is miles away and so 2 trips is quite a way to go there and back.)

The answer ? find the money for the butterfly ? clone every photo ?
sell the camera ?

( a slightly ruffled ) DERYN

Hold the front page guys !

I've been looking at the photos of the dust spots after each attempt at cleaning and if my eyes aren't decieving me the spots are fading after each attempt ! If it were dust I would expect them to move around rather than stay in one spot, AND fade ! Rightly or wrongly I've swabbed a few times and low and behold, GONE ! Okay in the far left hand corner is a tiny dust speck but the rest is clear.

By checking my photos from the weekend I can pinpoint exactly when the spots appeared. They appeared after a lens swap while photographing gun shots ! (the shots weren't aimed at me) There was a display of old guns being shot at a game fair and to get a good photo I had to stand slightly downwind from the shooters, only 12ft away, with ear plugs of course. Could the marks actually have been some kind of airborn residue ?

DERYN

Pollen would be my guess - horrible sticky stuff and quite possibly driven up by the shooting.