Dust Inside Lens

[GrummanFan]

As I was cleaning my camera equipment today, I noticed a fair amount of dust on the inside of the glass on my 18-55. Is there any way I can get to this myself, or should I take it somewhere to have it cleaned? I'm real tempted to take this thing apart, but figured I would ask for advice first. If I should take it somewhere, where on LI do you recommend?

[Derf]

LEAVE IT ALONE, the lens is a piece of percision equipment. You will screw up
your lens unless you have worked on many and have practice. It is probably not
dust but a metal flake from the apature diafram. it opens and closes and will give
off little flakes. It should not screw with image quality, opening your lens WILL. I
would not send it for cleaning as your lens will be in the factory more than not.
Worry about things that impact your image such as dust spots, but leave the lens
and dust in the focus and viewfinder screen alone. they do not effect the image
and is not work the chance in damaging your equipemnt. I should show you the
specs on the inside of my nifty 50mm. There is more light blocked then not with
all the metal specs.....still can not see it at all, yet that f'in sensor dust that I
can not get.

On a side note, I have crap way in my 300mm with crap in it that I can not see
and it DOES affect image quality. I will have it in for service for that.

Hope this helps

[GrummanFan]

Thanks, I wasn't really sure how bad they might interfere with the light and image quality. I've always been one to tinker and take things apart in attempts to fix them (it's the best way to learn how things work), but if there's no need to do anything, I'd better not mess around with it.