Hello antiphony - Welcome to the Sony Forums

When you say that you have been 'blowing' into the camera, do you mean that you have blown into it yourself or have you been using a blowing tool. If you have just been doing it yourself, there is a chance that you have just been blowing the debris around and not removing the problem dirt. If you use a specialised blowing tool, you can direct a precise burst of air that will be more effective at removing these particles of dirt/dust.

Let me know if this works. If you are still having problems there are other possibilities involving a cleaning solution and other tools but it would be best to try this first as using a cleaning solution can get a little tricky due to the location or the sensor/mirror.

Thanks,

Simon

Very good advice, Si

I'd also add a point that's not always blindingly obvious: people should be very careful not to touch either the sensor chip itself OR the pellicle mirror in front of it, unless you're using the correct cleaning tools and solutions. BOTH are extremely delicate surfaces and if they get permanently marked a replacement can be very expensive!

Ok, as you were

Mick

It's interesting to note that the Sigma SD14, which has an IR filter mounted right behind the lens, apparently sealing the entire inner chamber, is reportedly no less prone to sensor dust than any other DSLR/T. This may be because dust is generated by the camera itself, as the shutter curtains gradually wear over time. However IMHO it's simply because people buy SD14s specifically to remove the filter and shoot IR photography

In effect, if you never change a lens, you'll never see significant sensor/mirror dust. For me, it's the single most compelling argument in favour of 'superzoom' 18-200 lenses. The corollary is, the more lenses you have and more often you change them, the more dust you'll get. This is dust entry problem #1, by a long chalk, and it's true of all camera systems.

In terms of SLT design, the priority has been to create an ultra-fast, multiple FPS body complete with live view. This led to an always-open, translucent-mirrored capture device which is, unfortunately, going to be unsealed by design. If you've ever tried to replace the IR filter on a SD14, you'll have been left wishing the darned thing would just flip up out of the way like a SLT

It may be refined over time, and you make a good point that better-sealing the sensor would make the SLT system one of the least-dust-prone there is. Meanwhile the only answer is to take care to avoid dust while the lens is off...

     • Dust off the camera and lens and power down the camera, before changing

     • Dust off the replacement lens before fitting

     • Avoid dry and draughty/windy places wherever possible, while changing

     • Practice super-fast lens changes

In short, if there's no crap in there, it won't get blown around. Which I have to say, is actually more likely when you have a big flappy mirror paddling around inside like a Japanese fan, every time you take a shot...

Cheers

Mick

You make a good point and I do agree, that the almost permanently-exposed sensor would logically be more prone to debris settling on it. I'm not sure it's a design flaw – which would imply an oversight – it seems to me to be more of a trade-off for the performance boost an exposed sensor permits. However I'd prefer to see the mirror make a better seal around its housing; I think this would make a much bigger difference than a closed shutter.

I suppose the point I was making was that, without proper care, dust is eventually going to find its way to the sensor on any system. I hear varying reports, but the majority seem to think the stationary mirror of the SLT setup ought to actually make the camera less prone to sensor dust than SLRs... this would definitely be the case with a better-sealed mirror, making the open shutter a moot point.

Interesting point, as I say. Sony people do read these threads and it's always good to get these issues aired.

Cheers

Mick