Dark spot appears in the corner of every photo from my Olympus XZ-1
Asked 9/10/2012
3 views
2 answers
0
My Olympus XZ-1 shows a dark spot/stain in the upper-right corner of every image when I shoot in landscape orientation. It seems to be more visible at smaller apertures and less noticeable at wider apertures.
What is the most likely cause, and how can I confirm it? Is this likely dust or possible moisture/water damage inside the camera? Since this is a compact camera, is professional service the only realistic fix, and is it worth sending in while it's still under warranty?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
2
Remember, this is a small sensor camera, so dust is magnified. With the note that it is invisible at wide aperture and visible stopped down, the diagnosis is near-certain: there's a speck of dust on the low-pass filter in front of the sensor. (There's a small chance that it's a stain from water as Boby says, as well, but the sample looks more like dust to me.)
With a compact camera, sending it in for cleaning is usually the only option. This'll probably cost $100 — and they'll probably do it under warranty for you at least once. If you don't want to pay that, you can:
- resign yourself to only shooting with wide apertures in situations where the dust isn't visible
- clone it out in post-processing every time
- use this as an excuse to buy an interchangeable lens camera with a dust-removal system (and where you can clean the sensor yourself if need be)
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely cause is dust on or near the sensor’s cover glass/low-pass filter. A classic clue is that the mark is faint or invisible at wide apertures and becomes obvious when stopped down. On a compact camera with a small sensor, dust can show up very clearly.
A less likely possibility is a stain from moisture or water damage, especially if the camera was exposed to spray or humidity, but the symptoms described fit dust best.
To confirm, photograph an evenly lit plain surface (or the sky) at the smallest aperture available and compare that with a shot at the widest aperture. If the spot becomes much more visible when stopped down, that strongly points to dust or contamination near the sensor.
Because this is a fixed-lens compact, user cleaning is usually not practical. The sensible next step is to send it in for service while it is still under warranty. If warranty has expired, your options are usually limited to paid cleaning/repair, cloning out the spot in post-processing, or avoiding settings where it is most visible.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI13y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Is this spot fungus in my lens, or is the image spot actually sensor dust?
What could cause a black blurry spot in the corner of only one film frame?
Which part of the sensor matches dust in the top-right of my image?
How should you hold a rangefinder-style camera for portrait orientation without blocking the viewfinder?
Why is there a bright white patch in the corner of every photo from my Zenit-B?