Can someone pls tell me why there are spots?

[ordinaryless]

Hi all,

I'm using a powershot A-60. Funny thing is whenever i use flash to take pictures, there are often 'spots' appearing in my pictures. I dunno why, i tried cleaning the lens externally using lens cleaner but still the problem persists. Sometimes it appears fewer spots, sometimes more. Could there be stains 'inside' in lens or fungus growth?
The problem only comes when i use flash, otherwise, there is no prob. i only bought the camera for 2 months?


Regards,
Ordinaryless

 

[togu]

Send back for servicing?

 

[Kira]

Hehehehhe... Look like Mickey Mouse.....

Well a bit serious, they look like dust to me....

 

[Zerstorer]

I'm using a powershot A-60. Funny thing is whenever i use flash to take pictures, there are often 'spots' appearing in my pictures.

If the spots appear only when you use flash, its probably dust particles in the air that reflect the light.

 

[SuperRaY]

i second that tried and tested it's the dust that the flash lit up

 

[Newman]

Take a few shots of the same scene and compare. If the spots are in the same place in the shots, then you probably might have a dirty lens/ccd. If not, it's just dust reflecting your flash.

 

[Pr0t0type]

Canon A40 also suffers from this strange problem. :sweat:

 

[Newman]

But one thing makes me wonder....
Why in the world would you use the flash in the shot above? Esplanade not bright enough huh?

 

[sulhan]

Hiee...


This dots thingy dated back all the way from my Canon S10(3 yrs back). It look like its may be due to the following:
- Dust particles
- Mist
- water droplets

It seem to be affecting the canon digital cameras(P& S).
What you could do instead of using flash is to use along shutter speed with tripods.

Don't worry, too much about the dots. I have a photo taken in a back street in Tianjin China and gosh...it looks more like chicken pox......!!!!!

Reatook without flash with (slow shutter) and the dust disappear....


regards,
Sulhan

 

[jasonpgc]

If this is cause by the flash only.

I am looking from an Electrical point of view. The flash may be shooting at full power, thus drawing large amount of power from the battery. This may cause the supply to the CCD to be unstabled at that instance. The "Dust" may be generated by the sensors affected when the flash fires at full power.

To prove that this is the case, Place a black card in front of your lens. Set your camera to manual mode using the same exposure as the scene above. Take one picture with flash and one without. You should see a perfect black picture with some minor "Noise" in both pictures. If the "DUST" if still present with flash only and the lens covered, it may be cause by a electrical circult designing error.

 

[ordinaryless]

Hi all,

first of all, thank you all for reply. Im really quite suprised it's caused by the dust particles as many has mentioned. Never thought of that before. Those spots really get me on my nerves..Some spots that appear are very big, others that appear are smaller and many more. If dust particles is really the cause, then what is the solution to such a problem if flash is needed and long shutter speed is not advised to use? Reducing the power of the flash maybe helps huh? I can't use long shutter speed for my recent photoshoots because i'm taking pictures of 'non stationary' subjects.

Once again, thank you all for ya replies.

 

[ordinaryless]

If this is cause by the flash only.

I am looking from an Electrical point of view. The flash may be shooting at full power, thus drawing large amount of power from the battery. This may cause the supply to the CCD to be unstabled at that instance. The "Dust" may be generated by the sensors affected when the flash fires at full power.

To prove that this is the case, Place a black card in front of your lens. Set your camera to manual mode using the same exposure as the scene above. Take one picture with flash and one without. You should see a perfect black picture with some minor "Noise" in both pictures. If the "DUST" if still present with flash only and the lens covered, it may be cause by a electrical circult designing error.

thank you jason, i'll try that out and let you know..

 

[bornfree]

How is it ? What is the result of the test ? Is it cause by the dust or the electrical ?

thank you jason, i'll try that out and let you know..

 

[SianZronG]

i've had dusty encounter on my Olympus C-4000z and my Canon A100...

both have seen the flash dusts :bsmilie:

so i think it's common for cameras with small form factors to have such problems? just my thoughts... some of the dusty encounters really fill the whoile picutre up.... the the flash lits them up.. once i got irritated by them... haha.... but in the end all ended well after i changed to my E-10 no more dust.... weird :sweat:

 

[Zerstorer]

i've had dusty encounter on my Olympus C-4000z and my Canon A100...

both have seen the flash dusts :bsmilie:

so i think it's common for cameras with small form factors to have such problems? just my thoughts... some of the dusty encounters really fill the whoile picutre up.... the the flash lits them up.. once i got irritated by them... haha.... but in the end all ended well after i changed to my E-10 no more dust.... weird :sweat:

The reason why small compact cameras are prone to this effect is the same reason why they are prone to red-eye.

The flash is too close to the lens, when the flash fires, light is easily reflected back straight into the lens.

Those with a flash that is displaced away from the lens axis(or mounted externally) would be less prone to such effects.

 

[espn]

And I hope you haven't been scrubbing ur A60 lens :sweat:

 

[meng]

I'm not using flash, and sometimes i have this problem too....