Dust

I had heard about dust problems with dSLR's on the dpreview D70 forums, but I didn't realize how bad my problem was until I did some testing. I took some test shots, and was very surprised to find large quantities of dust on my D70's CCD. If you have a dSLR, and want to test it for dust, follow these steps.

1. Stop the lens down to it's smallest aperture (largest f-stop number)
2. Aim at a clear, blue sky (or blank, white wall)
3. Take the camera as far out of focus as possible
4. Take a picture

If you view the picture at full size and see weird, dark blotches all over the screen, you either have dust, or have spilled ink on your screen. If you're like me, you've done both. Luckily, you're not totally hosed. I did some research, and found that cleaning the CCD (or CMOS if you have a Canon camera) is remarkably easy, if you have the right tools. My research led me to the Copperhill Method.

I ordered the Ultimate dSLR care kit a couple days ago, and received it within two days. I was very impressed with the turnaround time. The instructions were very clear and thorough as well. My first attempt took about 3-5 minutes. I took another test shot, and was amazed at the difference before and after. Trust me, the dust splotches look even nastier at full resolution. Thankfully, the color gradient is due to the increased brightness of the sky, and not a ruined CCD as I first feared.

The kit was well worth the money, in my opinion. Not only did it take care of my pesky dust problem, the included lens care kit also removed a stubborn splotch from the rear element of my 18-70mm Nikkor lens. It's a great lens, but I'd rather have my 18-200 VR back. Unfortunately, I'm stuck using it until I get my new shipment.

Hopefully Ritz comes through on that one sooner rather than later.