Easy Dust Removal

Capture One 5 PRO Lens toolWorks for all supported RAW files on DSLRs and digital Backs

• Often you first discover you had dust on the sensor when returning from a shoot.

• Dust spots can be removed manually by using Capture One 5 PRO’s Dust Tool. With the Capture One 5.2 PRO “dust removal” feature found in the Lens Tool, you can now automate this otherwise tedious task.

• You need a reference shot of an opal diffusion glass/filter made with the particular lens used for the shoot.

On location shoot

Before dust removal

After dust removal

This technique is especially easy to use when working with prime lenses. It is important that the reference image of the opal diffusion glass is captured using the same lens and identical lens settings (aperture and focus distance) as used when shooting the images you want to correct.

For landscape I will always use my primes at the f-stops where they perform best – typically around f/8. I will stick with that f-stop for the entire shoot. When using identical lens settings the position of the dust spots in the reference image and the real images should be the same.

In my experience the dust actually stays in the same positions even after I have been moving around with my camera for a day. However, if you want to be safe – take a reference shoot for every shoot location. When shooting the reference shoot set the lensto manual focus to ensure the same focus distance as for the real images.

Lens tool in Capture One 5 PRO

When shooting the reference shot hold the plate close to the lens. Notice the dust spots on the image to the right (the reference shot displayed in Capture One). With dust spots of this magnitude you should consider cleaning the sensor.

Removing dust spots with Capture One

1. Select the reference shoot of the opal diffusion glass
2. For an easier work flow rename the reference file so the name reflects the lens name and f-stop.
3. Go to the Lens tool and Select “Analyze” from the LCC (Lens Cast Correction) Drop Down Menu. The LCC file is by default named after the reference file. The LCC file now holds information about color cast, light fall-off and dust for the combined camera and lens setup.
4. Enable the “Dust removal” checkbox. The visual dust spots on the reference shoot is automatically removed.
5. Now select your real image and select the LCC file you have just created. Enable the “Dust removal” checkbox and the dust spots are automatically removed.