Have owned a D30, 10D (x2), 20D, 1D (x2), 30D, 350D, 1DMKII, 1DMKIIn, 40D, 1DMKIII (x2), and also 2 5Ds. My experiance ... the 5D was far worse at collecting dust in both the viewfinder (drives me crazier) and the sensor than any of the others. You have to clean the sensor on any DSLR, but crud in the viewfinder prism area can not be removed with a rocket blower. I tried doing this and it just got more crud in the viewfinder. Wouldn't consider another 5D due to the dust problems I experianced on both of my 5Ds, but I plan on buying a 5DII if it meets my needs.
I shot with a 5D for almost two years and never really had a dust issue with it. I did need to clean the sensor every few months but never had a problem with dust in the viewfinder. It's a fine camera and will produce some wonderful results so I wouldn't worry about the dust issue so much.
For those that are having a dust problem. Try cleaning without a rocket blower. The blower is only moving the dust, it isn't removing it from the camera. Unless the particles are removed from the camera they will find their way back to the sensor or viewfinder, Murphy's Law.
I use a static charged brush about once every 6 months and my dust problem is no longer an issue. Save the rocket blower for cleaning lenses and charging the brush on the road.
I had somewhat of a dust problem when I first got the 5D, but nowadays the problem is pretty much under control. I guess most of the dust / dirt was residual from the manufacturing proces.
Although I change lenses constantly, the amount of dust collected inside is small. Every couple of months I take the blower for the sensor, and an artic butterfly for the inside.
I agree with many that have posted. There is no dust issue over and above any other DSLR. I have only had to clean my sensor twice in 3 years and that was only because I initially used the wrong tool to do it the first time and put a smear on it. I don't fuss about a small amount of dust - I occassionally get some spots showing in sky's (I shoot landscape exclusively) but 30secs with the spot healer gets rid of them anyway.
The more you change lenses the more dust you are going to get on your sensor. How much dust you get depends on your environment and your lens-changing technique. I have been told to switch off your camera first, so as to reduce the amount of static electricity on the sensor. Turn your back towards the wind, have the camera pointing downwards, and change lenses quickly. But no matter how careful you are dust will eventually settle on your sensor. This is the nature of the beast - and that's why all new DSLRs have a self-cleaning sensor. The best cleaning device IMO is the Kinetics Spec Grabber Pro with light:
Jack M wrote:
For those that are having a dust problem. Try cleaning without a rocket blower. The blower is only moving the dust, it isn't removing it from the camera. Unless the particles are removed from the camera they will find their way back to the sensor or viewfinder, Murphy's Law.
I use a static charged brush about once every 6 months and my dust problem is no longer an issue. Save the rocket blower for cleaning lenses and charging the brush on the road.
The rocket blowers seem to swirl the dust right out of the camera body. If you put enough air in there, there is no way the dust is going to stay in the chamber. Just turn it upside down, shoot some air in there, and magically it disappears.
No more than other DSLRs. I bought an Xsi for my tele work, and made 2 lens changes in my truck, and came back with a small lsensor booger. So much for self cleaning. Just a fact of life.
Dust on sensor
About average for a FF -- after the initial cleanings (some bodies plagued by gunk from factory, excess grease, plastic shavings/particles that gets onto sensor early in ownership). If you have the option of buying a clean used body - I'd suggest that route instead; but ask about VF dirt (cleanable only by service center) when buying.
Dust/dirt/plastic grit inside VF
Nasty. Worst I've ever seen. VF is poorly sealed from underneath and can collect internal dust like a cat's litter box collects _____. Don't use a blower on sensor, keep sensor and mirror box free of gunk (air movement from mirror can get dirt up into prism), vacuum out camera bag, use a lens vs body cap (theory is that some plastic 'dust' is wear from plastic body caps, who knows...), etc.
VF dust - no effect on IQ obviously, but annoying - especially considering the it is primarily due to the lack of pennies worth of seals.
Let me tell a different story. I have noticed a significant increase in dust form my 300D to my 5D. Very significant. I have never owned a FF before the 5D, but it is definitely more of an increase than simply sensor area.
I have to clean it quite often, and most of my attempts make it worse. Blower gets hardly any dust off, and some new dust falls in. Static charged brushes pick up some dust and grease from the chamber and move them to the sensor. Full-Frame sized swabs do the same thing. I do not think that these problems are due to any inherent trait of the 5D, but rather my extraordinarily dirty/greasy chamber. Nonetheless, it is a very real issue, as any piece of dust that currently falls on my sensor is practically welded there, and wet cleanings barely get anything off. So I really think I need to clean the chamber, which should probably be the first thing you do too.
I have had my 5D for several months with no dust problems except in the VF, and I use primes which means I change lens fairly often. The camera came with VF dust and once I started using the camera I quickly learned to overlook it--doesn't affect anything.
I shoot Canon and Olympus, my 5D does have a dust problem compared to my Olympus DSLR's which have the best dustbuster IMO, I have owned E1, E500 and now E510 and E3, never once needed to clean the sensor in three years.
The 5D does collect dust more than many DSLR's IMO, but as many state here they don't let it bother them, as it doesn't bother me, I love the 5D quality so put up with it.
I got my 5D last month. Viewfinder dust bunnies appeared within ONE day, especially after using a rocket blower to get rid of a few factory-installed sensor bunnies. I sent the camera in to Canon who cleaned out the viewfinder. I get it back, change a few lenses VERY carefully (body face down, super quick, lens mount already rocket-blown) and the viewfinder is once again starting to fill with a few specs of dust. I do find that rocket blowing seems to increase them.
I'm sort-of a perfectionist when it comes to dust and grit etc, so the 5D really is a pain in the nads when it comes to this. I realize, though, that I should ignore it and focus on what I'm photographing!
I used to own a 40D before the 5D, and the 40D was nowhere near as prone to dust bunnies in the viewfinder. I did have some sensor dust I couldn't get rid of though, ironically! The 5D sensor dust blows right off. Not all bunnies are the same.
I have owned a lot of Canon dSLR models including multiple 5D's. For sure (at least for me), the 5D collects more dust (particularly in the viewfinder). However, I am typically shooting at F5.6 or larger, so it rarely becomes a serious issue. Not happy about the ugly viewfinder crud, but I am still very happy with my 5D...regardless of my dust issues.
Now my MKIII, I haven't had to clean it once and I have been using it constantly since July 07 with frequent lens changes... I have other issues with that body, but dust is certainly not one of them.
Dust isn't really a big deal with the 5D and is comparable to all digital SLR's out on the market now. I've had my 5D for 8 months now and I still haven't had a problem with dust. In actuality I haven't even cleaned it once since I got it.
