Help Needed re dust spots

[DigiDiva]

I have started to get dust spots and black marks on my images. Have cleaned the lenses but know for sure its not them, as the marks are in the same place on every image, regardless of the lens I use.

I have cleaned the mirror and thats made no difference.

I'm scared to do anything else incase I damage the sensor. Have used an air aerosol gently but to no avail.

Anyone have any suggestions of where the dust/fluff might be and how to clean it?


STOP PRESS - Have sorted it - please ignore post.

[donoreo]

Never use aerosol air inside the camera. It may contain things you do not want in there. At most use an air blower (squeeze bulb).

[jet_kit]

OK Chris,

I spotted that you'd solved the problem, but you didn't tell us how. No matter.

You said you cleaned the mirror. This is not wise.

First of all, the cleanliness of the mirror will have no effect on your images at all, because it flips up, out of the way, when you fire the shutter (that's why the viewfinder blacks-out).

Secondly, the mirror is surface silvered. Not like the mirror in your bathroom which is silvered on the back and there's 4 or 5mm of glass between you and the silver-surface. On a camera mirror the silvering is on the front to avoid any distortions created by any glass in the light path. This silvering is VERY fragile and easily scratched. If you must clean it, do so with gentle puffs of air holding the camera upside down so any dust falls out of the camera. If it's very bad you can very gently stroke the surface with a camel-hair brush. It it's really bad, put it in the hands of a specialist.