A speck has appeared...

[ThurlFan]

on my S3 IS

Any suggestions? I'm on vacation in Charleston, SC and want to take lots more pictures, but it looks like I'm going to have to zoom out so the spot isn't in the desired composition and then crop it out. I was using the adapter that lets you use filters, and I was trying out a circular polarizing filter (partly cloudy with lots of light scatter). Late in the afternoon I noticed this spot (lower horizontal green line)

Back at the hotel, I took a picture of the front of the plain white refrigerator.

Looks to me like a speck of dust or lint has glommed on to the sensonr. Any advice? I've got three more days of vacation and I'd like to take a ton more pictures. Since this is a P&S I can't just crack it open and try an emergency cleaning of the sensor. Bummin' hard in the old South

 

[ukcatfan]

It is very hard to get dust on your sensor with a p&s, but it is not impossible. Double check that it is not something on your lens. Then take a shot at the smallest aperture of a blue sky that is out of focus. That should bring a clear shot of the dust if it is there.

 

[ThurlFan]

Thanks, I'll give that a tryif we get some clear sky - supposed to rain all day today. BTW, the speck is clearly defined when I look through the viewfinder up until I half-press the shutter release to focus on something. Perhaps that's another hint that it's not on the sensor? I did wipe the lens gently with a lenscloth with no apparent result.

 

[ThurlFan]

f2.7 1/1600

f8.0 1/1000

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Thanks, I'll give that a tryif we get some clear sky - supposed to rain all day today. BTW, the speck is clearly defined when I look through the viewfinder up until I half-press the shutter release to focus on something. Perhaps that's another hint that it's not on the sensor? I did wipe the lens gently with a lenscloth with no apparent result.

Can you see it through the viewfinder or just on the LCD screen? If you can see it through an optical viewfinder, it is definitely not on the sensor.

I can think of three scenarios for spots:

1) You can see it on the viewfinder but not the picture. That spot is on the viewfinder (or on the pentaprism or mirror if it is an SLR).

2) You can see if on the picture but not in the viewfinder. That spot is on the sensor.

3) You can see it on both the viewfinder and the picture. That spot is on the lens.

 

[ThurlFan]

Looks like scenario 3. Can see in the viewfinder, on the LCD, and in the pictures I take. I've tried to clean the front of the lens, without accomplishing anything. Fortunately, I have friends that can recommend a reputable shop to help me when I get back.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Frantasmic]

Are you using a UV filter? If you are, and you may have forgotten, you need to take the filter off and clean front and back of that as well as the front of the original lens.

 

[ThurlFan]

Are you using a UV filter? If you are, and you may have forgotten, you need to take the filter off and clean front and back of that as well as the front of the original lens.

I have taken off the adapter and am not using any filters.

 

[ukcatfan]

Looks like scenario 3. Can see in the viewfinder, on the LCD, and in the pictures I take. I've tried to clean the front of the lens, without accomplishing anything. Fortunately, I have friends that can recommend a reputable shop to help me when I get back.

Thanks for the input!

The problem with this is that the "S" series are not true optical viewfinders. They are mini LCDs. The opposite could then apply. If you see the speck in the viewfinder then it can be on the sensor.