Sony Sensor Dust (Page 2): Dust is more prevalent in some places than in others. If is a fact of life. Many have learned good practices (as you are already seeing), pay attention to...

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Dust is more prevalent in some places than in others. If is a fact of life. Many have learned good practices (as you are already seeing), pay attention to those. If it is allowed to accumulate, kids, pets and you will stir it up evry time there is movement.

If your in home/in work environment has high inclination for static electricity buildup (like socks on carpet) it will tend to hold dust on your devices. In home, with A/C, Heating, or whole house ventilation, if that air flow is not filtered, well.... you are pulling in dust, pollen, spores, and the like into your home, onto your stuff (and breathing it as well). We use (high quality) Hepa air filters in the air handler, and change them on a regular schedule, often, as in approx. every 6 weeks in summertime, 2 months or so rest of year. During the winter months, when windows would be open at times, I close/keep closed the camera armoire. All of these things help mitigate.

I did really like Jerry's clean room pic!!! I worked around that type environment at times, hated the gear, but appreciated why!!

I check my gear on a semi-regular basis, and whenever I'm going to use a certain body and lens (or lenses) I check them/blower bulb to lens and caps, front and back, camera body face down bulb blower prior to use. The mention about lens caps (front/rear) is also true - think about where you put them when not attached....I always blow mine off/out prior to putting back on lens, or camera body.

This regimine has served me well, as I rarely have to actually clean a sensor, the bulb blower does the job, along with clean practices. Do thoroughly clean anything I buy used, new stuff, if needed.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

From my experience its just not a big deal and with a decent sized blower you can get rid of it at least with my a9 and a7RIII.

Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

StevenG wrote:

I read some reviews of the A7iii when it first came out indicating that sensor dust was an issue, as it is on most mirrorless cameras. Now I just watched a Tony Northrop video of the A7Riv, where he says sensor dust on the Sony is more prevalent than on most mirrorless cameras. And, he gets dust at the end of the day even if he doesn’t change lenses. I would like to know what other Sony owners think. And, if this is a problem, how often do you clean the sensor? Thanks.

Until a month ago I owned a Sony A9 and a Sony A7III and had no issues with dust. I shots a few thousand images with both and cleaned the sensors only once. I now own a Sony A7R4. I have been using it for about a month, changed lenses in windy, dusty weather over a dozen times and have yet to find any traces of dust on my sensor. I watched Tony Northrup's video and could not believe he was suggesting the sensor on his A7R4 gathered dust even when then lens was in place. I found his statement incredulous.

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

Jerrin1 wrote:

Until a month ago I owned a Sony A9 and a Sony A7I... (show quote)

Very reassuring! Thanks!

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

Nalu wrote:

From my experience its just not a big deal and with a decent sized blower you can get rid of it at least with my a9 and a7RIII.

Thank you!

dean100 Loc: New-Biden did steal 500,000+ votes in OH

jerryc41 wrote:

I have the a6000, and I've never seen dust as being a problem. Maybe I just live in a very clean environment.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

I have the a99ii and a7s...no problem at all. I have the a6000, I have only had to blow it off once in the 3 years of ownership. I also have the a7iii and a7Riii. Both picked up ocean spray when I wasn't very careful at the beach. Operator error. I sent them both back to Sony to be cleaned. That was several months ago and haven't had a problem since. I am definitely more careful now. As in a Jim Croche song, Don't spit into the wind and don't pull on superman's cape.

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

ORpilot wrote:

I have the a99ii and a7s...no problem at all. I have the a6000, I have only had to blow it off once in the 3 years of ownership. I also have the a7iii and a7Riii. Both picked up ocean spray when I wasn't very careful at the beach. Operator error. I sent them both back to Sony to be cleaned. That was several months ago and haven't had a problem since. I am definitely more careful now. As in a Jim Croche song, Don't spit into the wind and don't pull on superman's cape.

Thanks. That’s helpful!

Bike guy Loc: Atlanta

I got rid of my Sony a7ii for that reason and the terrible battery life. When I bought it I knew lenses would be expensive so I bought a Canon to emount adaptor and started purchasing Canon lenses.
Now I bought a Canon 80d and no more sensor spots and dead batteries.
Just my experience.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Bike guy wrote:

I got rid of my Sony a7ii for that reason and the terrible battery life. When I bought it I knew lenses would be expensive so I bought a Canon to emount adaptor and started purchasing Canon lenses.
Now I bought a Canon 80d and no more sensor spots and dead batteries.
Just my experience.

jackpinoh Loc: Kettering, OH 45419

MT Shooter wrote:

Wet cleaning an IBIS sensor is no different than any other sensor. Mirror lockup for cleaning features also dock the IBIS so there is no concern for damage during cleaning.

I watched a professional clean two of my mirrorless cameras that have IBIS. He turned the camera one while cleaning it to lock the IBIS. He used a dry air source (NOT canned air) before he used a wet paper brush.

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

jerryc41 wrote:

I have the a6000, and I've never seen dust as being a problem. Maybe I just live in a very clean environment.

That photo you posted looks like my living room!... The number 1 problem for any electronic device is dust, I think all DSLR's have an inherent design flaw (and I own three of them)... why should anyone have to subject their expensive DSLR's to the outside atmosphere every time they want to change their lens?

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Ched49 wrote:

That photo you posted looks like my living room!... The number 1 problem for any electronic device is dust, I think all DSLR's have an inherent design flaw (and I own three of them)... why should anyone have to subject their expensive DSLR's to the outside atmosphere every time they want to change their lens?

Yes, why is that ?

Not to worry. SLRs will soon all be gone.

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StevenG wrote:

I read some reviews of the A7iii when it first came out indicating that sensor dust was an issue, as it is on most mirrorless cameras. Now I just watched a Tony Northrop video of the A7Riv, where he says sensor dust on the Sony is more prevalent than on most mirrorless cameras. And, he gets dust at the end of the day even if he doesn’t change lenses. I would like to know what other Sony owners think. And, if this is a problem, how often do you clean the sensor? Thanks.

As soon as I quit watching Northrup and
other online idjits all my dust problems
completely went away. Try it. YMMV.

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Ched49 wrote:

In some cameras, the shutter stays open even
when it's turned off, one reason I will never
purchase a Nikon Z camera.

Glad to hear it. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.
I'm buying two of them, based on which online
advisers write in favor of it or write against it.