Tea8 Loc: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

My, my, my fellow Hoggers. Here I am. It has been so so long. I swear I do lurk occasionally and read posts. I do miss you all, and I miss the time I used to have to go out and shoot with my camera. Anyway, let me get to my question.

As some of you may know/remember, I have a Nikon D5200 that I absolutely love. I've had it 5 or 6 years now, and am still completely happy with it.(A huge part of my love for it is that I can get it in red and I really hate there's not a camera body out there newer today that I can get in red. Although, that's probably best for my bank account. LOL) It has a self cleaning sensor which I thought I always had activated when I turned the camera off. So, I shot fireworks pictures on the 4th and everything seemed fine. A week and a half later we got together with some people out in the country to have another little celebration where we were also setting off fireworks. I, of course, took my camera to capture some pics. However, I noticed a spec of dust on my sensor as I was looking through the live screen on it. For me that was a complete first. I looked for the auto cleaning sensor function which was obviously turned off, and I am not entirely sure how it got that way or if I ever even had it set. The sensor cleaning option didn't help it any and conditions weren't ideal for capturing pics that night so I let it slide. When I knew I had dust I had to turn here and start looking at the numerous posts I knew we had about cleaning a sensor ourselves or having it done by a professional. I even got the bright idea that I could use one of those ear wax type bulbs to try and blow it off of there since I didn't have the rocket blower to help. (Yeah that didn't work and I smudged the sensor even worse) I also came across a couple of posts where it was mentioned to never use canned air on the sensor because you could damage it if you got it wet which canned air can sometimes do.

So, I decided to do the next thing and just let a professional handle it instead of trying to buy products myself to clean it and possibly damage the sensor. Well in my area there are only 2 places where they can kind of work on cameras. One is a dedicated repair shop and the other a camera store where they can do some mild on cameras. Well the dedicated repair shop is like a mile and a half from where I work. I called the place up and the guy told me it would be no problem to clean the sensor while I waited. I took my camera in the next morning before work. He agreed it was smudged and went to work on it. To my horror a couple of minutes later he pulled out canned air and sprayed in there. He worked on it a bit more and before he proclaimed to be done he used more canned air on it. I asked him a bit about it as he gave me my camera back and he said that canned air is the preferred method for cleaning a dirty sensor. Needing to get on to work I took my camera and left. When I got to work I hooked up a lens to my body in the car and then shot a couple of shots in my parking garage. The first couple I freaked because there was a big black spot almost in the center or the screen. Then I realized I was shooting through the windshield which was dirty. So I opened the door and took a couple of more. Guess what? Yep. The big black spot was still there. So, now I don't really know what to do. I haven't had the camera out since then to see if things have changed with it and I think part of me is extremely worried that something more could be wrong with my sensor now because this spot doesn't look like the dust spots/smudges I had before. So, do I take the camera back to this guy and let him look at it again? Would it be better for me to take it to the camera shop and have them look (where I probably won't be able to see what kind of products they'll use on it like I could with the repair guy) at it and clean it? Should I think about sending it to Nikon? I hate that I can't pull out my camera and shoot because I have a birthday coming up with a little trip planned and I want to shoot pics for that. Please help me hoggers. I've always trusted you all. Most of you have taught me most of what I know when it comes to this hobby and I could really use your guidance right now. If you've stuck with me this long THANK YOU!!

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

It really isnt that hard to clean it yourself. Im sure you ran the sensor cleaner again..... Next lock the mirror up and see if maybe he got a finger print on it.
Thats an easy fix. I cleaned my 5200 last year. I had no problem.....

Dave327 Loc: Duluth, GA. USA

Lens cleaning kits, swabs & cleaning fluid, are available at at Amazon, Adorama,B&H and Cameta. Check out Tony Northrop’s video on YouTube. Goes through it step by step. Kits are sold by sensor size.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

Take it back, you paid for his service, let him make it right. If he cannot fix the problem he caused, demand a refund for the work he did, then take the camera to the other place that may be able to repair it. If no one can repair it, send it to Nikon for an estimate, call before you send it. Best of luck.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Look, canned air is usable for cleaning but this Dude IS AN IDIOT. You need to use a wet cleaning kit made for a Dx camera's sensor. I use the VSGO wet wipe kit, which you can get on Amazon.

By all means, go back and tell the IDIOT that you are not pleased.

P.S.: Just a thought, is the smudge appearing on images, or is it just in the viewfinder?

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

What rgrenaderphoto and orrie smith said, +++++. Sensor cleaning is NOT rocket science, and if one does a little 'how to' research beforehand, and performs the cleaning logically and carefully, its pretty simple. Which is distinctly different than a simple-minded camera store clerk performing a task obviously outside their capability. (If the self-proclaimed 'repair-clerk' screwed up your sensor, he/she should be the one who pays for authorized Nikon repairs. Talk to the store owner. Squeaky wheel it until there's restitution. Or invest in land mines.)

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I took my camera (see my handle for a clue to the type of camera) to a Nikon Authorized sevice location for a cleaning. It had dust on the sensor which was clearly visible in a recent reference shot, verses the earlier ones. I also gave the reference shot to the repair facility. Long story short I got it back with crap on it. Not happy. Went back asked for the owner, showed him the ref shots before and after their cleaning. He was ashen faced said please wait. About 20 minutes later he returned the camera along with an apology. Reference shot after the 2nd cleaning verified no debris. I have not been back. I send my camera to NikonUSA it costs more.

You do take reference shots right? Save them with date_cameraName under /Reference_shots?

So your guy deserved a 2nd but no way a 3rd chance. In fact he owes you a refund.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Canned air (generic term) can be over 175 psi; Dust-off™️ is over 75 psi. Now my son has a 200 psi compressor on his truck and I had a 100 psi compressor. I used three staged regulators to get my air down to as low as 5 psi (feathering greenware and fine ceramics) and as high as 15 psi (priming or painting ceramics). My son has a homebuilt 5 stage regulator to drop his pressure to UNDER 1 psi, which he uses to apply makeup (powdered) to a step-nephew's (if there is such a thing) ventriloquism puppet (I called one a "dummy" once and got reamed out). I cannot imagine 1 psi, but the next time I'm at his house, I want to see if this is gentle enough for a camera. He says he can get it down to ~1/4 psi if necessary, but he can't even feel that.

My point is that anyone who uses 75+ psi to clean camera is stupid - and you can't fix stupid, not even with a baseball bat.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

Look at Visible Dust - in addition to a full range of camera cleaning products they also have (at least they did a number of instruction videos.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

If you don't want to do it yourself (it's helpful if you have an old DSLR to practice on), just send it in to Nikon.

Tea8 Loc: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! From the condition of the repair shop the guy who cleaned my camera was most likely the owner. It was in a shop combined in what used to be an old printing shop which I don't think does much if any printing these days. Seems like this guy or the couple of guys branched out into the repair business to keep a business going. And he actually didn't charge me for the cleaning he did on the sensor, but it kind of upset me that he would clean it that way and then act as if it were perfect. He didn't ask me if I wanted to try and take a couple of pics with it and check it or anything. I do have photos on the camera still of when I had the problem before and the photos I took in the parking garage at work that show the black spot in the same area on each photo. I might give the guy one more chance, if I want to deal with taking it with me again to work. If not I may try the camera store and see what they have to say about it. Thanks again!

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Skip the first guy.
You akready discovered you get what you pay for. Canned air is NOT the preferred method by most reputable people. The camera store might know better than to use canned air.

JW from PA

I just watched this tutorial on Sensor cleaning, hope it helps.
https://www.theschoolofphotography.com/freebies/how-to-clean-your-camera-sensor
Joe W.

agillot

i have used a small shop vac for a few years , since am in the wild switching lenses , dust is a common occurrence , got a small $ 30 shop vac , remove lense , [use it at the rear of lens also ] , hold hose a inch away , first with mirror down , then take a 2 sec or so shot ,repeat once more , dust gone .nobody at this site has never tried this , no guts no glory .too simple i guess .

agillot

dust is dust , vacuum it .