Smudge on P&S lens

homerun_homer

I got the Canon SX210 the week before a holiday last week. I had been taking photos all week on holiday with it and on the last day noticed a wee smudge as I viewed what I was taking a picture of.

By smudge I mean it looked like lens flare but it followed every turn I made and I made a little attempt to wipe it away with a piece of cloth but it's still present. It doesn't appear to be a scratch.

Any suggestions? I'm afraid of wiping a small lens too vigourously.

DaireQuinlan

What, you can see a smudge on the actual front lens element ?
Or you can see the smudge when you look at pictures you've taken on the LCD ? Or you can see the smudge in every picture you've taken ?

If it's number one and it won't wipe off then it might be an abrasion on the lens surface. It probably won't affect the pictures too much unless you're shooting in flarey conditions. If number two then check the actual images you get from the camera. If it's not on them then it's probably on the screen on the back or something.
If it's on all your images then either some dust has attached itself to the sensor, or you have mold growing on your sensor. Either which way given that it's a P&S there's not much you can do. Try blowing some air around to dislodge it is probably the only thing you can try.

the_monkey

Also try posting some sample pics and we should be able to tell which of the above it is.

cheers

CabanSail

If it's only new, & if you rule out physical damage to the lens, then it should be a warranty job.

homerun_homer

Don't have the pics with me to post but I will post them tonight or tomorrow. I've been posting pics lately that I've taken with it which are all fine, just on the last day it was very noticeable and after seeing the picture on the computer it is not good.
When I look at the lens you can see a mark, not unlike normal smudges I've seen on bigger lens' but doesn't affect images nor is noticeable when looking through viewfinder.

homerun_homer

Ok here is the point when I noticed the "smudge". It looks like it could be lens flare from the sun but it followed wherever I looked, and if I viewed someone through at this point they would be blurry.

DaireQuinlan

That image probably isn't the best to tell what it is. Looks like you're shooting directly up into the sun or at least directly up into a really bright or overcast sky. In those situations it could be anything, flare, or a piece of dust on the lens that's glinting in direct sunlight, or some smudge. It's really impossible to tell. A couple of normally exposed shots in normal conditions that exhibit the problem might help out more.

homerun_homer

^^
Will test it out this weekend so and post any results.