Neither birds, clouds, snow, nor a UFO

Some sensor cleaning kits include a scope for examining your sensor to make sure that it's dirty enough to clean. I didn't need one to tell me that all sorts of dust, hair and metal shavings had crept into the camera's innards and wreaked havoc. The fact that after seven years of camera usage, and countless lens changes I couldn't use a larger aperture than f4.5 without these specks showing up, announced that fact rather annoyingly.

This blip from eighteen months ago with all its great links made me think that I should try. Other blippers have done it successfully and safely so why did it take me so long to work up the courage? Because I'm a wuss, that's why. Last week it had reached such a critical level of filthiness that I didn't even bother to take this camera on my weekend trip.

A good professional cleaning isn't terribly expensive-$45-and they keep the camera for a week but there are countless videos and articles on how to do it safely and you know, I may be a wuss but I'm also a do-it-yourselfer. Needless to say, I am thrilled, THRILLED with the results even though there are a couple of tiny specks left. Will catch them on round two.

Boring picture but a year from now I'll remember the fear giving way to smug satisfaction and the fact that it was a beautiful blue-sky day.