where there’s smoke there’s forum fire
I don't know how I missed this or when it started but I just noticed that the images I've shot lately have three smallish pink dots, anyone know what could be causing this? I hope it's nothing major...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentschmidt/7519611616/in/photostream/
And 100% of the affected area...
Still looks like that rather focusing or not, so yeah, definitely has to be a sensor thing. :(
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Looks like dead pixels on the sensor, but to get them so close together and in a line like this is a little unusual.
Very very very small balloons?
How about letting us know what the camera body is SilenceBrokenTT, and then get this question into the thread for that camera....
This way we keep all the issues for the new stuff together.... D4 or D800?
Thanks
Sure thing... D7000, pretty damn early batch (bought it three days before they officially went on sale thanks to Best Buy not knowing it was allowed to be bought yet) so it's nearly 2 years old, if that makes any difference. Shows up on both 35 f/1.8 and my 24-70 f/2.8 so it's not the lens as someone on flickr thought.
How much are sensor replacements usually? And I don't even know where to go for that in South Korea (bought it in Texas).
That is rather weird. Just looked at the largest resolution on flickr and the dark spots below each pink bleb are all uniform in size. So it's likely a pixel issue. Why they would all be pink I have no idea.
I think I would clean the sensor. While I cannot exactly explain how a particle can make this spot, and it seems to be linear, which suggest either a scratch, very strange electrical (pixel) problem, or other, it never hurts to blow off the sensor. Then, I would shoot a white wall at about +2.0 ev, bracket ing down to - 2.0 ev. Then shoot in a dark room, underexposing the surface about -5-10 ev, just to get a black surface. If the pink spots are consistent, I would think it is the sensor. Also, when shooting the white wall, try f/16 and f/2.8, observing any differences.
A difference in f/stop image suggests a particle on the surface. A consistent pink spot no matter what would I think be a defect in the sensor. If it disappears on the real dark images, I am wondering if somehow there is something which picks up ambient light and creates the spots. This would be a very bizarre effect, however as there should not be a lot of light bouncing around.
Hope this works out. And, you did not say how many clicks on the camera, but maybe you could look at some of the very first you ever shot and see if anything like this was present. If so, you may have a case for some break in the repairs from Nikon.
Remove the UV filter from the lens and make the same picture, with the same light.
See if that helps. I had the same once with my 50mm f/1.4, only green and there were 4 of them. Now my lenses don't have UV filters anymore.
Like others suggested, this looks to me like a hot pixel problem although I've never seen them this pink or arranged in a perfect line like this or even look this identical to each other.
Try downloading the latest firmware updates (not the recent L update but the ones for the A & B firmware) and see if that solves your problem. I'm not sure how much it would cost to replace the entire sensor but I believe it's pretty expensive. Good luck.
Thanks for the help guys, really appreciate it. Sadly, after trying everything you've thought up for me to do the problem still exists. I had a filter on the 24-70, but not on the 35mm so it wasn't that. It does go away when shooting in the dark so it only gets picked up by how much light is being brought in on the sensor though, so it's gotta be that. :/
My current shutter count is 44675.
looks like a problem for Nikon to solve. Tell us what they say caused it.
I emailed them just now... giving as much info as I could, and included the example images. Hopefully I hear back sometime soon (although it is the weekend, so who knows).
Since they are even in size, color, and location, they may be "stuck pixels". Don't look like crosses when zoomed in so they most likely are not "hot pixels".
I had a similar problem but they were hot pixels, I used my built-in dust removal system twice in quick succession and that resolve it for me.
So here's a response I got today...
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Hello Brent, Thank you for the samples. Please send your camera in for an evaluation. For Nikon Service information, please see: Title: How do I get my Nikon product serviced? URL: http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/336 There is no need to call in advance for any approval or authorization; simply send the product in for evaluation with no accessories, unless part of the issue, and a photocopy of the receipt. Once logged in, service will send you a confirmation. Sorry for the problems you have had with your Nikon product; Nikon Service strives to evaluate and repair all items as quickly as possible. Regards, Buddhanjali G.
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I like how he didn't mention anything of a price... >_>
Anyone know the warranty time for a sensor/body? I can't seem to find the information anywhere for it and really don't think a camera less than two years old should be out of warranty already. I'm still in Korea for another 50 days, so I really don't want to send it over (I can easily edit out the dots) and think that I should just wait to take it myself into their El Segundo repair center to get it fixed since I've heard they have a quick turnaround if you bring it in yourself.
I did some fireworks shots with a D5000 two years ago using bulb mode and got three big coloured blocks on a couple of the images. It never happened again and when I kept the lens for use on a D90 they never occurred then either. That was a dark blue/black background.
Do yours appear on all backgrounds or on every shot of a white background?
I've found Nikon to be very fair on repairs so you may well get a pleasant surprise when they have evaluated it.
I think Nikon's warranty service period is 5 years- whether that covers sensors or shutters I have no idea.
Nikon's camera warranties are 1-2 years. Lenses are 5 years.
Short story: Went to Nikon's office in Seoul, told them problem, getting fixed for free.
Long story:
Hey guys, yesterday I took a trip down to Seoul to visit Nikon's Imaging Service Center at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). I went in blindly, not knowing for sure if this was a public office or not (huzzah lost in translationness) taking a short taxi ride from the Seoul Train Station.
Upon arrival to the building I had to ask what floor they were on (12) and I was on my way up. Right when the doors opened a gentleman was holding a Nikon so I asked where they were and he pointed me in the right direction. This floor is basically all of Nikon, from what I saw. Large signs/displays of their latest cameras and what not were everywhere. Found the office and walked in to immediately see a circular display of all their current DSLR's and cameras that you could try out for yourself. To the left is a case with 30 or so lenses you could try out. I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven, lol.
I went up to the counter and started to explain my problem. The lady was nice, but wasn't too well versed in the English language. She asked if I had a warranty, I said I'm not sure. I bought it in the States and am over here for the year with the US Army so that's why I couldn't take it back to the States and get it fixed. She took off my MB-D11, cap to my 35mm f/1.8, and memory cards and took it in the back. While waiting I started trying out the D4, D800/E and just checking out the lenses they had. Man, that 10.5 Fisheye is SMALL!
She came out a couple minutes later and had me write down my info. Told me it'd be about a week before I can pick it back up and handed me a receipt and business card if I had any questions. Asked how much and it turned out that it was still under warranty (or they were being nice since I was a foreigner) so no need to pay for the replacement. So pretty excited for that, lol.
Some pix I took with my iPhone (I'll take better ones when I get my camera back).
First sign that I was on the right floor...
D4 w/ 85 f/1.8
I want you... so bad.
Display where you can attatch the lenses to your own body to test them out, including the 10.5 fisheye, the PC-E NIKKOR 24mm f/3.5D ED and many more. No 800mm though, lol
Nikon V1 with the FT1 adapter along with the 80-400mm lens which pushes it out to a ridiculous length, anyone know what it'd be?
Official Nikon military photography backpack... I'll be purchasing this when I go back.
Leaving the offices I took a pic of the entrance.
Anywho, more (better) pix next week if you're all interested.
Really cool visit!
Glad you're getting your camera fixed. I've heard so many horror stories I', glad that things are working out for you.
I need to drop by Melville one of these days.
That military camo backpack is already outdated- the US isn't using the digital 8 bit camo anymore. :D
Oh, we still definitely are using the 8 bit ACU design. Overseas in Afghanistan we switched over to MultiCam, but back in the States it's still ACU with no set date on when MultiCam or some other design will take over as the everyday Garrison choice of camo.
Well I went back today to pick my baby up only to find out that they didn't do anything, yet still wanted to charge me about $8 US dollars for something they couldn't properly explain what they did. Turns out what they could explain was that it is a CCD issue, and that it'd cost roughly $400 to replace. It'd be free to replace had I bought it in country, since pretty much everywhere BUT the USA (where I bought mine) has a two-year warranty, but no. So I'm in a wash-out, claim some insurance thing and pay the $500 deductible, or get the CCD fixed. Blegh.
This is very sad, and I know in the US, one must send in a special warranty card for extended coverage or purchase this through the dealer. I suppose the insurance is good, but premiums are costly as well. Nikon has some public relations issues ongoing with the newer bodies and I hope they will think about these issues of warranty and be realistic about it provided a person has proper documentation.
Oh, the V1 with the 80-400mm is funny...about 1080mm equivalent. So the flash....must be about 2000 WS to get out that far, huh????
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