46 replies to this topic

[les]

Hello all,

I now have the dreaded "dust in lens" issue... (Yes, I realize that it has little or no effect on image quality.) Has anyone with this problem gotten theirs serviced? Is this even covered by the warranty?

Thanks in advance.

Les

[candide]

That's disconcerting news. This problem is cropping up far too often. Fujifilm should issue a recall to address this issue. There's no excuse for the lens not being better sealed.

[Arjay]

Like any camera, the X100 has an autofocus system that moves the lens back and forth to acquire focus. In order to move, the lens is mounted in a barrel w/ a clearing around it. Since the moving optics create a suction action a bit like a pump, it doesn't come as a surprise that the camera can suck in dust. That's normal, and can only be avoided if you stick a filter in front of the lens. On most other cameras, this wouldn't help. But luckily it works with the X100 because the filter screws onto the outer, stationary lens barrel.

Don't be surprised if Fuji one day will start charging money to take dust out of your camera - the pumping action isn't a design flaw, but a very normal thing. Practically all DSLRs and many P&S cameras have the same problem.

[cdawg]

Are you SURE it's dust in the lens? After hearing reports about dust in the lens, I got worried and checked my camera. And sure enough, at first it LOOKED like there was a big piece of dust! But after a while I figured out that it was just the reflection of the lamp on my room ceiling. No matter from which angle you look at your x100's lens, it seems like it will ALWAYS reflect the light source in your room, making it look like a piece of dust. It's weird how it really does look like dust. But if you move your hand over the lens to shade it, it may disappear. At least that was the case for me.

[les]

I wish it were just a reflection... (I was initially fooled by that as well.) No, I'm talking about a real dust flake, which showed up after only a week's use. Regret not having a filter on...

Will initiate a service call/email with Fuji Service.

Are you SURE it's dust in the lens? After hearing reports about dust in the lens, I got worried and checked my camera. And sure enough, at first it LOOKED like there was a big piece of dust! But after a while I figured out that it was just the reflection of the lamp on my room ceiling. No matter from which angle you look at your x100's lens, it seems like it will ALWAYS reflect the light source in your room, making it look like a piece of dust. It's weird how it really does look like dust. But if you move your hand over the lens to shade it, it may disappear. At least that was the case for me.

[ericm]

That's disconcerting news. This problem is cropping up far too often. Fujifilm should issue a recall to address this issue. There's no excuse for the lens not being better sealed.

Is the X100 advertised as being sealed? I wasn't aware of that. That would add substantially to the cost.

[AM*shoots*SF]

Yeah, I think I have a small one too. Screw it, I'm not gonna worry about it. The camera is for using it, not preserving it!

As for filters, it seems like plus/minus. Yes, a filter will prevent dust. But I hate putting ANY unnecessary element between the lens and the picture. It also makes the barrel a bit bigger/more protruding, and doesnt look as clean and compact. For street photography, smaller/simpler looking is always better. I'll probably continue using it as is.

[viramati]

I read somewhere that they said it didn't need to be sealed as the lens is not interchangeable!!

[hunz]

Can you post a photo of the dust you are seeing?

[Roi-GQ]

I just checked mine, and I am 100% sure that there was not just one, and also a tiny spot looks like a curve fur or stuff like that... now I'm really unhappy and disappointed with that.
I can take the theory of lens after some certain time of using get some small amount of dust inside, but the camera is a new stuff which I purchased just a month, and this seems a little bit unacceptable.

[hunz]

Can you post a photo of the dust you are seeing?

[reprazent]

Dust is something that cannot be avoided... be it in your lens or viewfinder.

[Jim Myers]

Dust is something that cannot be avoided... be it in your lens or viewfinder.

My viewfinder has had a piece of dust since day one. No big deal. My car's w/s has a small rock chip too. No big deal.

[reprazent]

Yeah, i'm just baffled by some X100 owners who think that their camera is dustproof or has some kind of magical shield.

[picgear]

A fixed lens camera should be at least dust proof. My 8 years old Canon point-and-shot does not have any dust in the view finder and lens, and it is a 3X zoom.

[bk2]

Just asking....... I don't have my X100 yet (coming!), but I've heard others mention the dust in the VF. People are saying it seems to be coming from the loose front window. What if you took a bit of clear bathroom silicone sealer and very carefully ran it around the inside between the front VF window and the metal body with a Q-tip. Taking care only to get it in the corner.

Would that void the warranty? What else to consider?

Or is this just crazy talk?

[AM*shoots*SF]

^ yeah, I'm surprised by the gap in the front VF window. I was able to slide a piece of paper (to clean the edges a bit) and it went on in.

If you're gonna entertain that silicon idea, you're going to need something MUCH finer and more precise than a q-tip! Not sure id mess with it. Once you get beyond your first scratch, dust particle, etc. You'll start treating it as a tool for a job and not a precious work of art!

[hunz]

Silicone? -- you gotta be jok'in. that stuff will gloop up 25% of your VF! LOL

[AM*shoots*SF]

I wish it were just a reflection... (I was initially fooled by that as well.) No, I'm talking about a real dust flake, which showed up after only a week's use. Regret not having a filter on...

Will initiate a service call/email with Fuji Service.

So I was wondering if the OP or anyone else talked to Fuji service about dust in the lens. I have a piece in there too, and trying to decide what to do.

I decided to add a uv filter. 1-If dust got in so quick, this will only get worse. 2- if for some reason a hard object hits the lens, you could be screwed big time (as lens isn interchangeable). It just sounds like the benefits outweigh the negatives. However, I'm not getting a screw on filter. I just ordered a 32mm GGS stick on filter (see acmaxx lens armor thread under accessories). For me it was important not to extend the length of this short lens. I shoot street, and Fuji put alot of effort to minimize barrel length; I don't want to increase that at all. The GGS protector was $15 from amazon. If it sticks on well, I think it's a smart move- like getting a screen protector. Cheap and a no brainer IMO. I'll write about my experiences on the GGS product in the other thread.

But don't forget to comment on Fuji service/dust in lens issue here! Personally, even if Fuji offered to remove the dust gratis, I'm not sure it's worth the effort. There is the risk of shipping camera back/forth. They have to remove the black leatherette (will service put a new one on as well as original factory)? And, it just never seems like a good idea to start screwing around mechanically with a perfectly functioning camera. Thats what my intuition says!

[deerfaced]

where/how does it stick?

surely that won't solve your dust problem... or am I being daft?

[AM*shoots*SF]

It sticks in front of the lens, on the plastic ridges of the barrel. It would prevent dust, etc from going in.

[Arjay]

I decided to add a uv filter. 1-If dust got in so quick, this will only get worse. 2- if for some reason a hard object hits the lens, you could be screwed big time (as lens isn interchangeable). It just sounds like the benefits outweigh the negatives. However, I'm not getting a screw on filter. I just ordered a 32mm GGS stick on filter (see acmaxx lens armor thread under accessories). For me it was important not to extend the length of this short lens. I shoot street, and Fuji put alot of effort to minimize barrel length; I don't want to increase that at all. The GGS protector was $15 from amazon. If it sticks on well, I think it's a smart move- like getting a screen protector. Cheap and a no brainer IMO.

While this filter will remove the risk of having dust on the font lense's front surface, this protector does not solve the problem of the lens sucking in dust to settle on one of the inner lens surfaces. If you really want to avoid having dust inside the lens, then you have to use the Fuji (or equivalent third-party) adapter together with some 49mm thread filter. This is the only way to seall off the little gap between the lens barrel (the moving part) and the outer part of the lens.

[AM*shoots*SF]

Array- you're right about that. Do you think the dust gets in due to the vacuum created? Lots of p&s' have moving barrels for their zooms, and I don't here of many dust problems with them. But irrespective, the biggest reason to get this filter is to protect lens incase anything physically hits lens.

[Arjay]

Do you think the dust gets in due to the vacuum created? Lots of p&s' have moving barrels for their zooms, and I don't here of many dust problems with them.

Yes, the barrel movement acts like a pump, and inevitably can suck in dust particles.

The reason why this problem isn't very visible with your average P&S camera is the fact that many of them do not have a diaphrapm subsystem that can close down to small (large number) apertures, so that these dust particles will not become too visible. I could also imagine another possibility: Their sensors might be encased in an internal sub-enclosure that has its optical interface away from the focal plane, so that it's hard to get a focused image of any debris since it can only get as far as the optical interface.

[AM*shoots*SF]

Ok, thanks for that.

The dust particle I noticed is right behind the glass lens. There are several glass pieces in the lens. I think the biggest concern is NOT getting dust on the sensor, as that will block receptors and show up on your photos. So I'm wondering what the likelihood ofthe duet getting on the sensor, as it's at the front of the glass, and seemingly, needs to work it's way through 6+ elements to te sensor. I guess I can live with a bit of dust, as long as it's not chronic nor getting on the sensor. Perhaps only time will tell!

[picgear]

While this filter will remove the risk of having dust on the font lense's front surface, this protector does not solve the problem of the lens sucking in dust to settle on one of the inner lens surfaces. If you really want to avoid having dust inside the lens, then you have to use the Fuji (or equivalent third-party) adapter together with some 49mm thread filter. This is the only way to seall off the little gap between the lens barrel (the moving part) and the outer part of the lens.

This will NOT completely resolve the problem. Look around the camera carefully, there are way too many places that can get dust in, specifically through the battery/SD compartment, area around VF eye cup..

[capturedbits]

This will NOT completely resolve the problem. Look around the camera carefully, there are way too many places that can get dust in, specifically through the battery/SD compartment, area around VF eye cup..

My chips are on a 49mm extension and filter slowing the entry of dust. If my lens assembly, viewfinder, and battery compartment all gather a bunch of dust, it still won't likely affect image creation at all. Heck, *scratches* on a lens rarely affect an image in practice. There is much proof of this on the internet. So only time (too late!) will tell if the X100 actually has a dust issue or not.

[AM*shoots*SF]

See my new thread: GGS 32mm stick on uv filter

[Arjay]

This will NOT completely resolve the problem. Look around the camera carefully, there are way too many places that can get dust in, specifically through the battery/SD compartment, area around VF eye cup.

Yeah, any opening can be a potential entry point for dust. So, if dust enters in the battery compartment or through the diopter adjustment clearing, where will it be? Somewhere on the cameras mainboard, or somewhere in the VF, but probably not on the image sensor. OTOH, you're right, I'd probably put my X100 into some kind of scubadiving bag/box if I were to use it visiting the Burning Man festival ...

[SLRist]

If it's not showing up in your images, I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it. A high quality protective filter is the best option to keep dust away from the moving inner barrel of the lens. I'm using the B+W 007 multi-coated, and it's superb.

I'd rather have a protective filter mounted and be confident to use my camera than keep it hidden away because I was worried about damaging the lens. Apart from the odd (almost unnoticeable) flare issue with bright lights, there aren't many negatives. It also precludes the need to use a lens cap.