catherine96821:
okay...I am convinced that this might be the problem.
My pictures are looking like they have a film on them compared to my older ones.
It's either take this on or get a new camera. Wonder what it costs to have a new sensor put on?
Anyway, thanks a bunch for the new links.
BTW...what is the worst case scenario?
yes, I change lenses a lot and have the fog up humidity issue....so here he speaks to the loss of contrast:
Ron Frank first pointed out that something was looking funny, "soft".
Ideally, I could find somebody to do it for me like a local technician...with the swabs I buy.
Putting a new sensor in a camera is not cost justified. The manufacture may choose to do so under warranty, but if you wanted it done the labor and parts will cost more than the camera is worth. Think of it this way, if your $10,000 car needs $12,000 worth of repair, it's totaled. If your camera needs a new sensor, it's totaled. It would also be foolish to put that kind of money into a camera when for less one can get a better, and more advanced model.
The best way I've found to determine if the sensor is dirty is to take off the lens, mount the camera on a tripod, and shoot at a white piece of paper. The dust spots will really show up. I do this between cleanings.
Sensor Swipes, pec-pads, and the Eclipse is likely the best solution for sensor cleaning I've seen. However I have not been paying attention to this subject for a while, and there are some new solutions like
THIS
This was a very hot topic about 4 years ago. Should I clean the sensor? Will it void the warranty? Will I damage it? What should I use? Manufactures denounced the idea of sensor cleaning, and many thought it was a bad idea. Thom Hogan used to use a modified Wendy's Knife to clean his sensors. My first tool was a custom cut (by me) rubbermaid Spatula with the pec pads, and eclipse. When Sensor Swipes first came out, I got one. It's basically a rubbermaid with the correct size, and angles. Now sensor cleaning is considered mandatory, and routine. Some manufactures have developed ways to help reduce the need of sensor cleaning, but SLR's mean an open environment, and dust WILL get on the sensor. Dust is not new to photography, think darkroom printing and spotting! It's just a fact of photography.
This is not rocket science. Just be careful, don't put too much pressure on the sensor, and don't be afraid if your first attempts don't do the job. Keep at it, and redo the procedure completely covering the entire sensor with each pass as instructed.
Catherine, another thought is that your camera's focus may have shifted. The topside shots you did while on Honeymoon did however look very sharp, but DSLR's can develop backfocus issues, or just plain malfunction especially in lower light, like on a dive. If you want advice on how to *test* this stuff PM me.
