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If you read the article, do you still care about a few microscopic pieces of dust?


  • Total voters
    62

RadicalxEdward

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 8, 2011
448
13
A few days after picking up my sg256 iPhone X I too noticed a few really tiny specks of dust under the outer camera glass. At first I was starting to worry thinking I’d have to go through a bunch of exchanges to get it replaced and find one without that issue, (did this with dead pixels on an older iPhone) BUT after looking through threads on older iPhone releases I found this is a common “problem”.

Then I read this article and stopped caring. To sum it up, no lense is hermetically sealed and thus dust will always get in (despite the iphones dust rating) because they don’t assemble them in perfectly dust free rooms. The dust will come and go, all phones (all cameras in fact) will have it at some point whether you notice or not, and in all cases IT DOES NOT EFFECT ANYTHING BUT YOUR OCD.

For all of you worrying like I did, read this article and then go on with your life dust anxiety free.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/08/the-apocalypse-of-lens-dust/
 

donster28

macrumors 68000
Oct 5, 2006
1,722
805
Great White North
A few days after picking up my sg256 iPhone X I too noticed a few really tiny specks of dust under the outer camera glass. At first I was starting to worry thinking I’d have to go through a bunch of exchanges to get it replaced and find one without that issue, (did this with dead pixels on an older iPhone) BUT after looking through threads on older iPhone releases I found this is a common “problem”.

Then I read this article and stopped caring. To sum it up, no lense is hermetically sealed and thus dust will always get in (despite the iphones dust rating) because they don’t assemble them in perfectly dust free rooms. The dust will come and go, all phones (all cameras in fact) will have it at some point whether you notice or not, and in all cases IT DOES NOT EFFECT ANYTHING BUT YOUR OCD.

For all of you worrying like I did, read this article and then go on with your life dust anxiety free.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/08/the-apocalypse-of-lens-dust/
Never got dust inside my perfect 6+ camera assembly and it stayed dust free for 3 years.

The camera assembly on my iPhone X I have now is dust free, but only after exchanging ones that had dust inside...some already there and some got in there after a few minutes of use for no reason.

The iPhone X is supposed to be sealed from elements and if dust gets in the camera assembly then there must be something wrong.

There should be this choice in your poll:
Yes, because I care about the seal on my phone.
 

1rottenapple

macrumors 601
Apr 21, 2004
4,707
2,723
I had a weird shadow on my 7plus. Not sure what happened. Maybe water?? For dust I’d get it fixed under warranty. Who knows how the shadows got there but it got repaired at Apple. It’s noticeable on white background.
 

Ladybug

macrumors 68000
Apr 13, 2006
1,874
1,013
Which raises the question on the seal. If dust can get in after it was assembled, does that mean water can too?
 

acorntoy

macrumors 68020
May 25, 2010
2,014
2,246
I went through 5 iPhone 5’s and 1 4S due to dust in the camera lens. All showed a black spot (the dust) in pictures taken. On some phones it would have this problem from the start, on some the dust would be in the corner and out of the picture until it eventually moved. Apple does replace camera lenses that have dust in them. If your phone has dust in it your eligible for a replacement. I cannot see anything in my 8+ camera lens.
[doublepost=1511498048][/doublepost]
I had a weird shadow on my 7plus. Not sure what happened. Maybe water?? For dust I’d get it fixed under warranty. Who knows how the shadows got there but it got repaired at Apple. It’s noticeable on white background.

While taking a picture? If so that is how dust appears
 

1rottenapple

macrumors 601
Apr 21, 2004
4,707
2,723
Not sure if it was a dust but maybe a mark inside the glass of the camera. So I had this weird circular shadow on my pics. It showed up when I took a pic of a white or lightened background. Thankful it didn’t ruin my vacation pics. It showed up in the regular lens but when I switched to the 2x lens on my 7 Plus it wasn’t there. The genius guy was fascinated.
 

maka344

macrumors 68020
Nov 4, 2009
2,128
1,307
London, UK
It doesn't really matter but it shouldn't be there.

My advice, use it for 4-5 months and then call upon the dust for a warranty replacement - you'll get an Apple referee phone (like new) thats fresh and ding/scratch free.
 

1rottenapple

macrumors 601
Apr 21, 2004
4,707
2,723
Yah get it replaced under warranty. It shouldn’t be the case imho. I know I was annoyed when my maxed out 7plus had that issue.
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,491
A few days after picking up my sg256 iPhone X I too noticed a few really tiny specks of dust under the outer camera glass. At first I was starting to worry thinking I’d have to go through a bunch of exchanges to get it replaced and find one without that issue, (did this with dead pixels on an older iPhone) BUT after looking through threads on older iPhone releases I found this is a common “problem”.

Then I read this article and stopped caring. To sum it up, no lense is hermetically sealed and thus dust will always get in (despite the iphones dust rating) because they don’t assemble them in perfectly dust free rooms. The dust will come and go, all phones (all cameras in fact) will have it at some point whether you notice or not, and in all cases IT DOES NOT EFFECT ANYTHING BUT YOUR OCD.

For all of you worrying like I did, read this article and then go on with your life dust anxiety free.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/08/the-apocalypse-of-lens-dust/

The reality is this though, even Apple will happily exchange the iPhone out if there is dust embedded behind the lense cover. It Does not have to affect the quality of the photographs in order for it to be a defect. Because it's not a repairable feature in store, they to acknowledge it as a defect, so in the end, that's all that matters is Apple justifying the return.
 

AlunH

macrumors newbie
Nov 23, 2017
4
0
A few days after picking up my sg256 iPhone X I too noticed a few really tiny specks of dust under the outer camera glass. At first I was starting to worry thinking I’d have to go through a bunch of exchanges to get it replaced and find one without that issue, (did this with dead pixels on an older iPhone) BUT after looking through threads on older iPhone releases I found this is a common “problem”.

Then I read this article and stopped caring. To sum it up, no lense is hermetically sealed and thus dust will always get in (despite the iphones dust rating) because they don’t assemble them in perfectly dust free rooms. The dust will come and go, all phones (all cameras in fact) will have it at some point whether you notice or not, and in all cases IT DOES NOT EFFECT ANYTHING BUT YOUR OCD.

For all of you worrying like I did, read this article and then go on with your life dust anxiety free.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/08/the-apocalypse-of-lens-dust/

The article you posted does not take into account strong light falling on the front element of the lens, illuminating the dust particle and causing flare. It is only working on the principle that the lens is recording a properly lit subject whilst the lens (Of a Pro DSLR no less!) is properly shielded from stray light with a suitable lens hood. To assume that an iPhone camera lens can be regarded in the same way as a large pro SLR lens is like comparing Apples with Oranges (or perhaps with Canons in this case).

A small speck of dust, about 0.3mm across, will likely have no effect if found floating about on a 77mm front element. But place that same speck of dust on a 1.8mm wide iPhone lens and all of a sudden it has gone from being insignificant to covering nearly one sixth the diameter of the lens. Now let's make the dust particle white and then illuminate it with the light from a back-lit subject and see how much ghosting starts to appear in every single shot.

I didn't notice the dust inside my brand new iPhoneX. I noticed unwanted flare on a number of shots which i expected the iphone to handle. It was only after seeing the same ghosting in the same place on multiple shots that my suspicions were raised and i found out what was causing it when i tried to clean the lens only to discover a spec of dust which wouldn't move... because it was on the inside!

So I am sorry, but I have to disagree with your unscientific assumption that dust on a large pro SLR lens (with lens hood fitted) can in anyway be compared to the same size dust particles on a tiny little iPhone lens with nothing stopping that dust from being illuminated by stray light.

I have received a replacement phone (sans grit) and am happy to report that I no longer get the same ghosting on back lit shots. YMMV
 

michael31986

macrumors 601
Jul 11, 2008
4,578
704
The article you posted does not take into account strong light falling on the front element of the lens, illuminating the dust particle and causing flare. It is only working on the principle that the lens is recording a properly lit subject whilst the lens (Of a Pro DSLR no less!) is properly shielded from stray light with a suitable lens hood. To assume that an iPhone camera lens can be regarded in the same way as a large pro SLR lens is like comparing Apples with Oranges (or perhaps with Canons in this case).

A small speck of dust, about 0.3mm across, will likely have no effect if found floating about on a 77mm front element. But place that same speck of dust on a 1.8mm wide iPhone lens and all of a sudden it has gone from being insignificant to covering nearly one sixth the diameter of the lens. Now let's make the dust particle white and then illuminate it with the light from a back-lit subject and see how much ghosting starts to appear in every single shot.

I didn't notice the dust inside my brand new iPhoneX. I noticed unwanted flare on a number of shots which i expected the iphone to handle. It was only after seeing the same ghosting in the same place on multiple shots that my suspicions were raised and i found out what was causing it when i tried to clean the lens only to discover a spec of dust which wouldn't move... because it was on the inside!

So I am sorry, but I have to disagree with your unscientific assumption that dust on a large pro SLR lens (with lens hood fitted) can in anyway be compared to the same size dust particles on a tiny little iPhone lens with nothing stopping that dust from being illuminated by stray light.

I have received a replacement phone (sans grit) and am happy to report that I no longer get the same ghosting on back lit shots. YMMV
Did you take pics with both? I be curious how bad flare was.
 

rattler

macrumors regular
Jul 18, 2011
137
31
You’d also have to take into account that the iPhone’s sensor is far smaller than a DSLR’s and will have a much deeper depth of field. So any dust in the lens or on the sensor will be more focused than it would be on a larger camera.
 
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