I use a Nikon D3000 most for photographing outdoor scenes.
But lately,I've been noticing some black marks on the top left of a picture. And then when I look into the lens, there are like some black dirt on the lens and smudges at the middle of the lens. I'm afraid that if I use some kind of lens cleaner cloth, the dirt will just spread all over the lens. So,are there any suggestions? What do you usually do when your lens get dirty?
That's dust or oil on the surface of your camera sensor, not dirt on the lens. It shows up more when you use a narrow aperture (large f-number), as you did in this photo.
To remove these you will need to clean the sensor, either yourself or by taking it to a local camera shop.
If you are lucky, the dirt may be loose, and can be removed by using a blower bulb, found at most camera shops or very cheaply on eBay. If the dirt is stuck to the sensor or it is oil from the shutter mechanism, you may have to use a wet cleaning swab -- this is more daunting for beginners to do at home, but not impossible if you read up on the subject first.
There is loads of information online regarding cleaning DSLR sensors -- a good place to start is probably here:
To clean the surface of a lens, I use a fine microfibre cloth or lens cleaning cloth, typically dry, but in extreme cases, with a few drops of water to make it damp. Modern lens coatings are pretty durable, but you should absolutely avoid using any harsh chemicals such as screen cleaners or household cleaners as these can damage the antireflective coating.
The anti-reflective coatings also make it difficult to get a smear-free finish, so patience is definitely required!
Dirt on the lens itself will not typically be visible in the photograph, but may result in a reduction in contrast or additional flare when shooting into bright light sources. Most zoom lenses will gather dust inside them naturally over time, as the zoom mechanism causes a slight vacuum to be briefly formed as the lens extends, sucking dust into the lens. This will also not have a significant affect on your photos unless it reaches extreme levels.
For a graphic example of how defects on the surface of the lens might have less of an effect on the photo than you think, you may find this post interesting!
Many cameras have a "remove dust" or "clean image sensor" option for dust on the sensor that will work if it is not too "sticky" and can be shaken loose. Typically there are options to "clean" at power up and/or power down, as well as a "clean now."
To follow up on Alex's last comment, spots on the lens itself would show up (if at all as he points out) in different places in the frame depending on aperture, whereas dust on the sensor will show up on the same place for every shot in the frame irrespective of the aperture.
i have a jessops cleaning kit which i reallly good it it has a cloth and brush leather padded cleaning things with a cleaning liquid to go on it :) thats a rubbish description but it is really good :)
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That's dust or oil on the surface of your camera sensor, not dirt on the lens. It shows up more when you use a narrow aperture (large f-number), as you did in this photo.
To remove these you will need to clean the sensor, either yourself or by taking it to a local camera shop.
If you are lucky, the dirt may be loose, and can be removed by using a blower bulb, found at most camera shops or very cheaply on eBay. If the dirt is stuck to the sensor or it is oil from the shutter mechanism, you may have to use a wet cleaning swab -- this is more daunting for beginners to do at home, but not impossible if you read up on the subject first.
There is loads of information online regarding cleaning DSLR sensors -- a good place to start is probably here:
http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm
To clean the surface of a lens, I use a fine microfibre cloth or lens cleaning cloth, typically dry, but in extreme cases, with a few drops of water to make it damp. Modern lens coatings are pretty durable, but you should absolutely avoid using any harsh chemicals such as screen cleaners or household cleaners as these can damage the antireflective coating.
The anti-reflective coatings also make it difficult to get a smear-free finish, so patience is definitely required!
Dirt on the lens itself will not typically be visible in the photograph, but may result in a reduction in contrast or additional flare when shooting into bright light sources. Most zoom lenses will gather dust inside them naturally over time, as the zoom mechanism causes a slight vacuum to be briefly formed as the lens extends, sucking dust into the lens. This will also not have a significant affect on your photos unless it reaches extreme levels.
For a graphic example of how defects on the surface of the lens might have less of an effect on the photo than you think, you may find this post interesting!
To follow up on Alex's last comment, spots on the lens itself would show up (if at all as he points out) in different places in the frame depending on aperture, whereas dust on the sensor will show up on the same place for every shot in the frame irrespective of the aperture.