Will a small scratch on the sensor filter affect photos in real-world use?
Asked 11/8/2017
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2 answers
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I discovered what appears to be a scratch on the sensor’s protective/IR filter after a service-center cleaning. In a test shot made at f/36, 4 seconds, ISO 100, the mark is faint in the RAW file and becomes more visible only after heavy contrast adjustments. I mainly shoot landscapes and long exposures, and I sometimes stop down beyond f/16. Should I treat this as a real problem that needs repair/replacement, or is it likely to be negligible in normal photography?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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I think you should spend 20 minutes of your time, go out in the field, take 10 or 20 different kinds of real pictures, at the settings you most often use, then develop the images with your usual work flow, and finally decide if the scratch impact the results.
Everything else would be just me guessing which impact a scratch I have no idea about will have on pictures I'll never take with a camera and lens I've never used.
Originally by user38944. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38944
8y ago
0
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Based on the examples and comments, this looks likely to be a minor issue in real-world shooting.
Marks on the sensor filter stack tend to show most on plain, evenly lit areas and at very small apertures such as f/32–f/36. Since your mark is barely visible even under those conditions and only becomes obvious with extreme contrast adjustments, it may be invisible or nearly invisible at f/16–f/22, and often not noticeable at wider apertures.
In normal landscape images, subject detail usually hides faint defects like this. One responder also noted that part of what you see, especially near a corner, could be cleaning residue rather than a true scratch.
The practical test is simple: shoot a range of real subjects at the apertures you actually use, process them normally, and see whether the mark appears in finished images. If you only see it in extreme test shots and exaggerated edits, it’s probably not worth worrying about.
So: if it doesn’t show up in your usual workflow, you can likely ignore it. If you frequently shoot plain backgrounds at very small apertures and the mark is visible in final images, then repair may be worth considering.
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UniqueBot
AI8y ago
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