Nikon D1 and Dust

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I am interested to know if anybody else has experienced any problems with the D1. I was delighted with mine at first. The first photos I took with it were of a kayaking event and were purchased by a magazine. Up to A4 the image quality was great. The problems started when I took landscape photos on a tripod at f22. Pretty soon I was getting dots all over the image. These were easily traced to some dust which must have got in while changing lenses. The trouble is, how do you get ALL the dust off the filter/CCD? Some always remained and as soon as the lens was stopped down below about f10 the dots were visible in photos. Neither my retailer or Nikon UK could suggest a solution except to say that they did not really think that the D1 was intended for landscape photographers! I'm now back to using an F5 and scanning my transparencies until someone comes up with a digital camera based on a 35mm body that protects the film plane area (CCD) from dust.( Perhaps by a pellicle mirror a la Canon EOS RT/ EOS 1 RS). Phaseone recently announced that its backs were now available with intergral IR filters on top of the CCD rather than added to the lens BUT they advised caution, pointing out that the slightest mark/dust on the filter would appear in the image. Has anybody else had this problem? Has anybody else even used the D1 for landscapes or are Nikon right? (I missed the bit in all the hype where it said ...not for landscape photographers...

Keith Taylor

-- Keith Taylor (jktphoto@lineone.net), April 30, 2000

Answers

This problem won't be properly sorted until someone in the photographic industry tells the guys in the semiconductor industry that smaller is not better when it comes to CCD sensors. Small CCDs are always going to be prone to dust, and they give lens designers a big headache as well. That's my rant over with.

Try this: brush the surface with a clean sable artists brush (No.8) using a dragging, not flicking, action, then use an anti-static device like a "Zerostat" gun, and finish off with an air-jet device such as a Hurricane puffer. Hold the CCD surface facing downwards as much as possible while you do this, so that the dust tends to fall out of the camera body. This technique works well for getting dust down to a very low level. It works even better if you wet the brush with clean alcohol, but I wouldn't recommend applying any fluid to the CCD surface without approval from the manufacturers first.

Good Luck.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), May 02, 2000.


Keith, I am new to this site and browsing through all the items I found your problem. Rest assured you are not the only one suffering from spots and other alien like undesirable....and I am not a landscape photographer either, but I know exactly what you are going through. It is infuriating and should not be! What amazes me, is that you are talking about the much heralded D-1. I bought my digital camera two years ago...and as up till now...I felt pretty lonely..the camera-maker has never really acknowledged this (and other nasty problems) and I am conducting a losing battle with them, as I do not accept this "spot" status quo. A colleague of mine, landscape photographer recently called me and full of rapture told me that he is a proud owner of a D-1. I wonder if he will have the same problems as you. The previous answer to your query really sums it up, dust was overlooked by the camera and CCD-producers - there really seems to be no way around this problem - at the moment - but when you buy an expensive camera, you would expect that these problems would be ironed out. Just imagine buying a car and the engine continually misfires, but this is considered normal by the manufacturers.... The time I've spent "cleaning" spots off my digital pictures is in no relation and for this additional work, I cannot and will not invoice my clients. As stated, I am still "warring" with my camera-maker, I've noted your email-address and if some feasible solution comes up, I'll let you know. One other thing, in all of the digital camera test,I have never seen this problem mentioned....very strange. Maybe us photographers should band together, the more the better, so that we could finally get a positive response. If you are interested you can have a look at my "spot free" digital photos on: www.gannetvision.ch

Guy Bernhardt

-- Guy Bernhardt (info@gannetvision.ch), June 03, 2000.


I have experiance with digital camera backs (Leaf back) already for long time. Dust is always a problem. For "old" Leaf backs also condensation of the chip in winter.

You have to work "clean" and have a "clean" mentality in everything to prevent for dust. (No dusty camera-cases etc. do use lens-caps if your lenses are in the camera-case). Only in that way you can work "normal" A Leaf back you can easily take off and clean it. For a D1 it is more difficult because you have to go into the mirrors house. Be careful with fluids. It makes more sweeps than the illness with dust. Use e.g. Kodak lens-paper cleaners and maybe breathe to the CCD if Dust is hard to wipe away. Afterwards do use a photographic rubber air-bulb-brush or air-compressor.

-- Leon Obers (Leon.Obers@iae.nl), June 04, 2000.


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