I often get plenty of dust behind the rear element of my Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G lens. While for the most part it does not affect my images, after my last trip to Utah, I ended up with a large dust particle that somehow made it into the lens. Nikon only removes dust from lenses if you pay for the service, because the normal lens warranty does not cover dust removal. I did not feel like waiting for a couple of weeks and paying a hefty sum to get mine cleaned, so I decided to do it myself. In this video, I will show you how to remove dust from the rear element of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G lens in less than 5 minutes.
WARNING: Opening your lens will void your warranty if Nikon finds out you did it. This video is NOT for beginners. Do not attempt this if you have a couple of small dust specks in your lens. See my “what to do with dust inside lenses” article for more information.
DISCLAIMER: I take ZERO responsibility for any potential damage that you might cause as a result of opening the rear lens element. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Now for the brave souls that decide to do this: the process is actually fairly simple. Start out in a clean, dust-free room. All you need to do is remove three screws from the rear wall of the lens mount, then gently lift the rear lens element and use a rocket blower to remove the dust from it. You can also remove the dust from the next lens element that sits inside the lens. Just zoom out to 24mm so that the element moves down towards the rear, then blow off the dust from it using the same rocket blower. Be very careful during the process and make sure not to touch any lens parts or lens elements from the inside. When using the blower, keep a safe distance, so that you do not accidentally hit anything. Do NOT try to blow off the dust with your breath or canned air – use Giotto’s Rocket Blower instead. When putting the screws back, don’t over-tighten them.
Here is the video with full details:
