Dark spots appearing in every photo with a Nikon D3200
Asked 5/13/2017
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I’m new to DSLRs and bought a used Nikon D3200. With my 55–200mm lens, I keep seeing dark spots in the same places in my photos, especially in darker images. What usually causes this, how can I confirm it, and what should I try to fix it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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That's pretty classic sensor dust. The way to find out for sure is to shoot a photo of a light subject (sky, wall, sheet of paper) at the longest focal length your lens offers with the focus set to infinity (disable autofocus) and the aperture at its narrowest (large number). You'll see the dust as dark spots with reasonably-well-defined edges. They won't be completely sharp because the dust is actually on a glass filter that sits directly in front of the sensor. This filter and the sensor are sometimes used interchangeably in this context.
The first thing to try is the built-in sensor cleaner in your D3200. You'll find instructions on how to operate it on page 180 of the user manual. Taking another test picture as described above will determine whether or not the dust is gone. You may have to run it a few times. In the same menu is a setting to determine when the camera cleans the sensor. I keep my bodies set to cleaning at both startup and shutdown, and that seems to help keep the dust down. (The first digital body I owned was a D1, which didn't have this feature, and that thing needed cleaning frequently.)
If the dust doesn't come off, you'll need to resort to other means. Page 182 of the manual outlines how to open the shutter, hold the camera upside down and use a blower to try and dislodge the dust. I recommend a high-quality blower like the Giottos Rocket Blaster, which is designed not to circulate dust. Do not use any kind of canned air product to do this.
If the dust still isn't gone, the last step is to physically clean the filter. There are a number of tutorials on how to do this available if you search for them. I don't recommend using the brush or pen methods and prefer wet cleaning with a wand custom cut from a plastic card, Pec*Pads and Eclipse cleaning solution. There's a lot of false mystique about cleaning sensors, but the fact is that they're not much more delicate than the front element of your lens. They are in closer quarters, and if you're not comfortable working on it, a repair shop will be able to do the job for you quickly and for not much money.
Originally by user6508. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user6508
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is most likely sensor dust (more precisely, dust on the filter in front of the sensor), not a problem with the lens itself. Dust spots usually show up in the same place from shot to shot and are easiest to see at small apertures.
To confirm it, take a photo of a plain bright subject like the sky, a white wall, or a sheet of paper. Set the lens to its longest focal length, use manual focus set to infinity, and stop the lens down to its narrowest aperture (highest f-number). If you see dark, soft-edged spots, that points to sensor dust.
First, run the Nikon D3200’s built-in sensor cleaning function, then repeat the test shot. If the spots remain, the camera likely needs a proper sensor cleaning. If you’re not comfortable cleaning it yourself, have it professionally cleaned.
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AI9y ago
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