Will dust on my Canon Rebel T6 sensor affect image quality?
Asked 1/26/2019
3 views
2 answers
0
I’m new to photography and have a Canon Rebel T6. I noticed dust or debris in the sensor/mirror area and tested it by photographing a bright white surface at a very small aperture (around f/36). The spots are visible in that test, and I can also see some of them in a photo of the sky. I’ve also noticed some debris in the viewfinder. Will this affect image quality in normal shooting, and what should I do to clean it safely?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
2
This is not at all unusual for f/36 and at enhanced contrast, if you actively used your camera outside and frequently changed lenses for a while.
Apart from diffraction issues, this is another reason why apertures smaller than f/11 are unpopular in modern digital photography.
Contamination that just stops light in certain spots will be almost inconsequential to images shot at wider apertures, unless you are strongly relying on certain effects in the unsharp areas of the picture - eg, if you are working with massive bokeh balls, there is a possibility of the dust showing up in each of them.
There seem to be some translucent contamination spots (oil? dried sugar?), these could indeed cause image quality degradation since they might bend light somewhere it doesn't belong, rather than stop it.
If you actually had a single event where you know an unusual amount of dust got in (eg changing lenses while facing a dust cloud), use the knowledge of what kind of dust that was to find the best way of cleaning it - for example, if you know the dust is abrasive, take special precautions not to scratch the sensor. Sensor cleaning tutorials can be found plenty, if you are not confident doing it have a camera store do it but tell them about the situation you got the dust from.
Originally by user58185. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user58185
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—but mostly at very small apertures. Dust that shows up in a high-contrast test at f/36 is fairly normal, and it’s much less likely to affect photos at wider apertures like f/5.6 or even f/8. Small apertures make sensor dust much more visible, which is one reason very small apertures are used less often.
A few spots may be ordinary dust, while translucent marks could be something like oil or residue, which can have more impact than plain dust. Also check whether some of the debris is on the rear lens element rather than the sensor.
What to do:
- Don’t chase a perfectly spotless sensor; aim for “clean enough.”
- Start with a bulb blower to remove loose dust.
- If that doesn’t fix it, sensor wet cleaning may be needed.
- Be cautious with compressed air; many photographers avoid it.
- Dust in the viewfinder is separate from image quality and usually won’t appear in photos.
So: yes, the spots can affect image quality, but mainly in situations like your test shot or other small-aperture images such as bright skies.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How should I deal with suspected sensor dust in a Panasonic LX5 compact camera?
How risky is wet-cleaning a DSLR sensor, and is it hard to do safely?
Dark specks drifting in Live View bokeh on a Canon Rebel T7 — sensor dust or dust inside the lens?
How can I tell whether a stubborn mark on my camera sensor is dust or permanent damage?
I found dust on my camera sensor—should I clean it right away?