Acquire reference data for the Image Dust Off option in NX Studio. Image Dust Off processes NEF (RAW) pictures to mitigate effects caused by dust adhering in front of the camera image sensor. For more information, refer to NX Studio’s online help. Image Dust Off cannot be used with small or medium-sized NEF (RAW) images.

Image Dust Off ref photo is available only when a CPU lens is mounted on the camera. A non-DX lens with a focal length of at least 50 mm is recommended. When using a zoom lens, zoom all the way in.

  1. Choose a start option.

    Highlight one of the following options and press J. To exit without acquiring image dust off data, press G.

    • Start: A message will be displayed and “rEF” will appear in the viewfinder and control panel displays.
    • Clean sensor and then start: Select this option to clean the image sensor before starting. A message will be displayed and “rEF” will appear in the viewfinder and control panel displays when cleaning is complete.

  2. Frame a featureless white object in the viewfinder.

    With the lens about ten centimeters (four inches) from a well-lit, featureless white object, frame the object so that it fills the viewfinder and then press the shutter-release button halfway.

    In autofocus mode, focus will automatically be set to infinity; in manual focus mode, set focus to infinity manually.

  3. Acquire dust off reference data.

    Press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to acquire Image Dust Off reference data. The monitor turns off when the shutter-release button is pressed.

    If the reference object is too bright or too dark, the camera may be unable to acquire Image Dust Off reference data and a message will be displayed. Choose another reference object and repeat the process from Step 1.

Image Sensor Cleaning

Dust off reference data recorded before image sensor cleaning is performed cannot be used with photographs taken after image sensor cleaning is performed. Select Clean sensor and then start only if the dust off reference data will not be used with existing photographs.

Image Dust Off Reference Data

The same reference data can be used for photographs taken with different lenses or at different apertures. Reference images cannot be viewed using computer imaging software. A grid pattern is displayed when reference images are viewed on the camera.