jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

All it does is vibrate a bit to shake off any dust that's willing to be shaken off. It can't do any harm, and it will remove loose dust.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

You can set the camera to auto clean. It is a step in helping to keep very loose dirt from your sensor. But it will not clean smudges when they appear. Not ALL items are removed from the sensor with auto clean. If you see a smudge on your sensor the only way to get it off is to clean the sensor using the proper instruments.

agillot

i never used that feature , using a household vacuum cleaner hose end does the job .

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Yes both On and Off

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The only reason I can think of for not having the auto cleaning feature enabled would be if it delayed start up when you are trying to take a shot quickly.

I don't know how it works on Nikon, but I have it enabled on all my Canon and if I'm trying to shoot quickly, I can skip the cleaning cycle at start up simply by tapping the AF On or shutter release buttons.... That causes the camera to skip the cleaning cycle and immediately be able to shoot.

It works! In fact, I've avoided cameras without it (original Canon 5D was sometimes called a "dust magnet"). I used cameras without self-cleaning sensors for some years before it was a common feature. Often shooting in very dusty conditions, despite taking care I still had to do frequent cleanings. At one point I was shooting with three Canon 30D, which allowed me to set up each with different lenses and minimize lens changes during shoots. But even doing that I had to do manual cleanings at least every month or two.

Examples of dusty conditions I sometimes have to deal with:



Sometimes the dust is so thick it limits how long telephoto I can use, I can only shoot subjects that are closer.

Now with cameras that self-clean at start up and shut down, I need to do far, far fewer manual cleanings. Maybe once or twice a year!

I use telephotos a lot, often with fairly large aperture to blur down backgrounds. That inherently limits the appearance of sensor dust in images, too. If I were shooting landscapes with wide angle lenses and small apertures, I might have to do more frequent cleanings.

Colosij

I tried your method. It worked very well and showed that my sensor has many more spots that I thought it did.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

No.

Visit http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com and http://www.photosol.com for sensor cleaning information and tools.

The vibrator in the camera shakes dust onto sticky strips near the sensor, but won't get rid of the sticky bits of lube, the deteriorating mirror dampener foam, and Uncle Harry's sneeze snot overspray from when you were changing lenses. For that, you need a different tool or two (or three).

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

There is a chance that because you have not had it turned on that the whatever they are spots may be firmly attached such that the ultrasonic cleaning system will not be able to shake it loose. Try keeping the system on and check to see if the spots go away. If not, have your sensor cleaned and then keep the ultrasonic cleaner on. My cameras have gone though many lense changes for many years and still does not need to be cleaned. I attribute that totally to the ultrasonic cleaning process.

beagle mom

I gave my daughter-in-law a Nikon 85mm f1.8 for Christmas. She has noticed a fingerprint in the lens. Cannot find a camera shop within 30 miles. Any suggestions?

74images Loc: Los Angeles, California

Won't that do Damage to the Sensors?

74images

JD750 Loc: SoCal

In the lens or on the lens? Big difference. Usually fingerprints are on the lens. And they can be easily cleaned off. Easiest way is to first blow any dust off the lens, then “Huff” the lens and use a clean soft lint free cloth, and gently wipe the lens using a circular pattern. A microfiber cleaning cloth is ideal for cleaning the lens.

You can substitute lens cleaning fluid for the huff if you prefer but the huff is always available.

beagle mom

IN THE LENS itself. She cannot wipe it off

beagle mom

IN THE LENS itself. She cannot wipe it off. Shows on pics.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Send it back to Nikon.