EOS 7D Mark II & Others - Any guess as to what these things are?

[inkjunkie]

Whatever they are show up on several bodies & lenses. They happen frequently at one of the drag strips I shoot at. Often times they are in different parts of the image. I have seen them at another track I shoot at but only a couple of times in the 40k images or so I have shot there. All lenses and sensors are clean.

[Tiffany]

So that the Community can help you better, we will need to know which model camera and lens you have? Any other details you'd like to give will only help the Community better understand your issue.

[inkjunkie]

This particular image was taken with a 7D Mark II with a first gen 400 L 2.8. But they have appeared on all my bodies no matter which lens I use.

[amfoto1]

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@inkjunkie wrote:

This particular image was taken with a 7D Mark II with a first gen 400 L 2.8. But they have appeared on all my bodies no matter which lens I use.

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I find that hard to believe.

It is most likely spots on your camera's sensor, in which case they will appear in all images made with that particular camera, but they may be hard to see in some images and will not appear in images made with other cameras.

There is a more remote possibility that it's something on the rear element of the lens, in which case they will appear in all images made with that lens, regardless of the camera it's on. Usually things inside or on the front element of a lens will not show up in images. It takes something really large and very obvious. That's especially true with more powerful telephoto lenses. However, in some cases "stuff" inside a lens can cause flare that shows up in images.

What I notice in the image you posted is that those appear to be residue left behind by dried droplets. Could rain drops have gotten onto the sensor or the rear element of the lens? It's also possible for droplets of oil to get onto a sensor, perhaps lubrication thrown off from the camera's shutter.

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Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2), EOS M5, some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR

[deebatman316]

It looks like there is dust on the image sensor.

[inkjunkie]

Will check it.

[inkjunkie]

Just shot this at F16 on a white sheet of paper....looked at in in Camera Raw, there does appear to be some spots on the sensor that are very faint...will take the lens off later and take a look

[deebatman316]

I highly doubt multiple cameras are showing dust on the image sensor. Unless all of them have dust on the image sensors.

[amfoto1]

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@inkjunkie wrote:

Just shot this at F16 on a white sheet of paper....looked at in in Camera Raw, there does appear to be some spots on the sensor that are very faint...will take the lens off later and take a look

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I downloaded and inspected this image using the Lightroom spot removal tool trick and don't see much in the way of dust on the sensor. Yes, there are some minor spots... There always are! But they are quite small and unlikely to be visible in images.

It's certainly not like what's seen in your 1st image. Is it the same camera? Have you al;ready done a sensor cleaning on it?

***********

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2), EOS M5, some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR

[shadowsports]

A bright flashlight held at different angles should help you determine the source.  Through the lens, on sensor, etc.