Sensor Cleaning

Bill Blackwell

Bill Blackwell

Leica M Shooter
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Jun 29, 2005
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I know this issue comes up often, but I just finished an hours long process of cleaning the sensor on my M10-P - it took over a dozen swabs and the senor still isn't as clean as I'd like it to be.

Although it's only about once a year, I find this extremely frustrating! I don't need a lesson on cleaning a sensor - I know I'm doing nothing wrong.

One of the benefits of using film I guess. ...
 
I use an Eyelead sticky stick to clean the sensor on my M240. Basically it's a sticky pad on a stick that you press onto the sensor. It will take several passes to cover the entire sensor. I find it very effective in removing dust. From what I read, this is what Leica repair techs use.

Jim B.
 
The timing of this thread is remarkable, as only today I decided it was time to clean the sensor on my M10. I’ve done this before on the M8, MM, and in the past wet-cleaned the sensor using the Visible Dust swabs and solutions. The results were good, but it certainly wasn’t fun. I welcome any other suggestions.
 
Is there something in the construct of the M digitals that prevents sensor cleaning? I know that any camera that gets the lens changed often will get dust no matter what but it seems that a camera in the league of the M series should have it.
 
Beemermark said:
I rarely, if ever, clean the sensor. Leica cleaned it when they replaced it in my M9. I had to clean my D750 once.
Click to expand...
If you never change lenses - or change lenses only in a clean room, then you should never have to worry about it.

I used a 5DmkIII for about three years and never had to clean the sensor. The mirror makes a big difference.
 
Another thing I've found interesting:

Any stop from about f/5.6 to wide open makes sensor dust nearly invisible. But from f/8 onward, sensor dust is magnified! The smaller the aperture, the more distinctive the sensor dust becomes.
 
Once a year is not often. Wash your hair or car once a year?

If you allow it to get so dirty, change.

Only camera I ever had a tough time cleaning was a really nice Used Nikon D3. Half a day. Resorted to canned air. Pros are sloppy.
Camera has been fine since.

I am not going to tell you how to PROPERLY change lenses or do cleaning. Surely you can read about it on the net.
 
I am really paranoid about touching the sensor. If it is something that needs to be infrequently I’d rather pay an expert to do this.
 
It sounds like the OP could just be pushing hydrophobic (oils or grease) contamination around on the sensor using cleaning procedures for hydrophilic sensor debris.

Using a different cleaning fluid could be useful.
 
I cleaned the sensor on my ME 240 a couple of days ago. I used the sticky stick to get most of the dust spots, and then turned the camera upside down w/ the shutter open and blew air w/ a rubber bulb blower. That got most of the rest of the dust spots out. There are a couple of pesky dust spots that neither method can remove, and I’ll live w/ them in the meantime. At some point, I’ll send the camera back to have the sensor professionally cleaned.

Yes, shooting at apertures at f.8 or smaller will make the dust spots clearly visible in parts of a picture w a lot of “blank” space, like the sky. Leica recommends dealing w/ the problem by shooting at wider apertures. The dust spots are also removable in Lightroom or PS.
 
I recently cleaned the sensor on my M262. It took 3 or 4 attempts, using a rocket blower to blow out the dust on the sensor. I found that it takes more pressure on the blower and more squeezes than I thought it would. Also no need for wet sensor cleaning.



Would like to know if anyone is using a sensor magnifier? Not sure if it is as effective or better than the Leica sensor check feature built in to the camera.
 
halfaninchawater said:
... Would like to know if anyone is using a sensor magnifier? Not sure if it is as effective or better than the Leica sensor check feature built in to the camera.
Click to expand...
I have a sensor "magnifier" scope - in fact I used it yesterday - but I've found the sensor check feature in the camera works at least as well.

The rocket blower works fine for about a year - maybe a little less - until the dust particles get to the point that doesn't work effectively anymore. Wet swab cleaning is an inevitability is you're shooting digital.

I always change lenses with the camera turned off. And I have tried different cleaning solutions (some are adequate - some are terrible).

This isn't my first rodeo - I know I'm not doing anything wrong. But I am extremely frustrated!
 
Rayt said:
I am really paranoid about touching the sensor. If it is something that needs to be infrequently I’d rather pay an expert to do this.
Click to expand...
I was a bit paranoid at first but found that completely unwarranted. For one, once open the sensor is there patiently waiting to be cleaned. Closing ceremony follows.

Second, I bought an Arctic butterfly whizzing brush, the matching illuminated magnifier, and swabs.
Third, after a few hundred exposures there seemed to be very little dust coming on the sensor It is kind of not attracting dust.
Fourth, I have never had to use the swabs. I check the dust, use the brush and a Rocket blower. Rocket blower while camera held upside down.

I do change lenses often. But I keep them clean.
I am absolutely not pedantic. And I do like blue sky (it seems to show dust as pointed out already).

What I have learned is this: Don't worry, clean the sensor when needed. Keep a blower handy when changing lenses. It's really simple.
 
Beemermark said:
I rarely, if ever, clean the sensor. Leica cleaned it when they replaced it in my M9. I had to clean my D750 once.
Click to expand...


Thinking about some of the replies to my original post, I guess they're right. I tend to use one lens on my M9 and put it one before leaving the house. Ditto for the D750. If I do change a lens on the road I do it in the car. I'm also very careful about minimizing the time the body is without a lens.
 
I, also, tend to change lenses at home. If out I change them in the car. I always invert the camera so the sensor is pointed downward. Less dust floats up than floats down.

I have recently been following the commotion on the net about sensor cleaning. There are as many opinions about it as there are for dry rubs in BBQ. But BBQ is better as it is really hard to screw that up. I clean my sensors the way the Leica factory does: Eyelead gel sticks. Leitz must know something about this. I have a video of them assembling M8's and M9's and cleaning the sensor with the pink gel stick. I have used the pink gel stick on Leicas, Sonys and Pentaxes so far without problem. I usually use a rocket blower into the inverted camera on a regular basis as a maintenance exercise.

FWIW a Miami Leica shops sells the blue Eyelead gel stick on-line for sensor cleaning despite the factory using the pink. I have no idea why. Amazon touts the pink as Leica and Sony. That concurs with Leica, I have no idea what Sony says.
 
I had the camera store clean my M9 sensor the first time it needed it. The next time I requested a cleaning, they said that for the price of one cleaning, I can buy a kit and get a half dozen cleanings. I bought the kit and used it. So far, so good.
 
571514m3 said:
I was a bit paranoid at first but found that completely unwarranted. For one, once open the sensor is there patiently waiting to be cleaned. Closing ceremony follows.

Second, I bought an Arctic butterfly whizzing brush, the matching illuminated magnifier, and swabs.
Third, after a few hundred exposures there seemed to be very little dust coming on the sensor It is kind of not attracting dust.
Fourth, I have never had to use the swabs. I check the dust, use the brush and a Rocket blower. Rocket blower while camera held upside down.

I do change lenses often. But I keep them clean.
I am absolutely not pedantic. And I do like blue sky (it seems to show dust as pointed out already).

What I have learned is this: Don't worry, clean the sensor when needed. Keep a blower handy when changing lenses. It's really simple.
Click to expand...

Update after almost 2 years: Still have the same 240M-P and MD bodies. Seems that with age the 'dust magnetism' effect reduces. I still use the same tools, have never had to resort to swabs and do use the blower while turning the body upside down every now and then. But does gravity really make dust fall out? I am not so sure but it feels like doing the right thing...
 
Thanks for the updates!
Always interesting to know how others do with this procedure.
I do not change lenses oft, sometimes I keep the lens on for weeks if not months. But sometimes the Leica tool reveal there are small pieces of dust.
Most of times rocket blower with camera looking down solve the problem.
And I mainly photograph or full open or @ F 4 …
Edit: in Wetzlar they told me when changing lens to be careful of the area around the lens mount and to be sure it is also dust free, more or less. And also the lens should be. It sounds logic, probably you all already know it ;)
 
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