Dust visible in the viewfinder but not in photos on a Nikon D3100

Asked 9/11/2014

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2 answers

On my Nikon D3100, I can see prominent dust particles through the viewfinder across the frame, but they never appear in the photos. I’ve already tried cleaning what I can reach with a hand blower and carefully cleaning the mirror, lens, and the outside of the viewfinder, but the spots do not move or disappear. If the sensor is not the issue, where is this dust likely located, and how can it be removed?

nikon dust dslr cleaning viewfinder

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

2 Answers

on the focusing screen, probably. if you can't remove them, don't worry, they'll not show up on your photos.

if you dare, you can follow these instructions to remove it for cleaning.

Originally by user32110. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user32110

11y ago

AI Answer

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

If the spots are visible in the viewfinder but never show up in images, they’re most likely on the focusing screen rather than the sensor. Dust there can look very obvious when composing, but it does not affect the recorded photo.

If the dust doesn’t bother you much, the simplest answer is to leave it alone. If you want to clean it, the focusing screen is the likely part that needs attention. This is a delicate component, so be very careful—improper cleaning can scratch or damage it. A blower is safer than swabs or liquids. If you’re not comfortable removing or cleaning the focusing screen, it’s best handled by a camera service technician.

Dust visible in the viewfinder but not in photos on a Nikon D3100

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