Are tiny dust spots in a DSLR viewfinder normal if they don’t appear in photos?

Asked 5/8/2013

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I’ve noticed a few tiny black spots near the edges of my DSLR viewfinder after about a month of use. They don’t show up in images, so I assume they’re on the focusing screen, viewfinder glass, or prism area rather than on the sensor. Is this normal for a DSLR, and is there anything I should do about it?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

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Yes completely normal and nothing to worry about.

As you are aware all SLR / DSLR cameras have a prism / mirror / eyepiece, which can collect dust just as easily as any other part of your camera.

I can only assume that you do not keep your D7100 in a particularly sanitary conditions - as my D70, D300 and D800 have never suffered with viewfinder dust to a noticeable degree, I am not a clean-freak, but I always keep my camera body free of dust and in a closed camera bag.

The only thing that I would really worry about is the fact that there is now dust INSIDE your camera body, and if it continues to get in at the same rate, it will soon find its way to the sensor, which is where it will start to cause image quality issues.

Originally by user9999. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user9999

13y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes — a small amount of dust in a DSLR viewfinder is normal and usually nothing to worry about if it does not appear in your photos. Dust can settle on the focusing screen, mirror box, or viewfinder optics, and because those parts are not the sensor, it won’t affect image quality.

A simple check is to photograph a plain white wall at a small aperture like f/22. If you don’t see the spots in the image, the dust is not on the sensor.

If it bothers you, first clean the outside eyepiece glass. You can also try a bulb blower with the camera facing downward to dislodge loose dust. Avoid touching or rubbing the focusing screen, as it is delicate and easy to mark.

It’s also wise to keep the camera and lenses reasonably clean and stored in a closed bag, since dust inside the body can eventually reach the sensor. But a few tiny viewfinder specks are common, and many photographers simply live with them.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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