sensor cleaning for M8

[Thomas W]

I am sorry if someone has also raised this question. I got my M8 last week, and after a couple of lens change, I found dust specks on Hong Kong's once-in-a-blue-moon clear sky. I am thinking of using Photographic Solutions' Eclipse swab. Any experience or alternative suggestions? (The swabs are, in my view, very expensive. Any substitutes possible?)

Thomas

 

[fundin]

I'm using the arctic butterfly with good results. Much cheaper in the long run than single use swabs.

 

[Richard Marks]

Apparently the first clean is to remove a bit of oil from the shutter of a new M8, and this probably needs a swab, but after that should be able to cope with a brush system.
Richard

 

[amigadave]

I always use a standard microfibre cloth, wound around the end of a chopstick. However, the first "oily sensor" M8 clean did take a while with this method🙄

 

[achi4]

The first time I needed to clean (shortly after getting my M8) I did the folowing:
Blowing using a large rubber blower (Giotto)
Then using a sensor brush for what was left
Finally for the specks which did not respond to the first two methods the sensor sbabs with eclipse2

The arctic butterfly is ok but because after spinning it is pretty spread out you shoud be carefull that no hairs pick up grease or oil next to the sensor.
I now prefer a smaller sensor brush.
The whole thing is a LOT easier than than I expected
Maurice

 

[tomw]

I bought a sensor brush by 'Dust Patrol' from Micro Tools (https://www.micro-tools.com/store/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=D-SLR-16). It seem to work fine. I haven't had to resort to wet agents yet, and understand from my research that wet cleaning should be reserved for stuff a hand blower or brush can't remove, and use the same procedure achi4 described.

 

[grduprey]

I also use the LensPen SensorKlear from LensPen. This seems to work very well.
Gene

 

[Artorius]

The best grade iso alc here that I can find is 72%. I take it I cant't use this, correct?
I've got a couple of nasty spots that the Giatto Blaster and brush just can't get rid of.
What's next?

 

[irq506]

Ok without trying to be arogant here, Im a professional at sensor cleaning. Trained by Canon and kodak directly.
Dont use swabs, bont use brushes, dont use anything other then a nice powerful blower bulb like a Giottos "rocket", and deiffinitely dont use compressed air.
I clean with a spec grabber and an unending supply of super fine grade tissue paper, with a mixture of window cleaner and Iso alc -the mix ratio is specific and Im not giving that away. I also use a stereo microscope so that I can actually SEE what im doing in nice high quality, its like picking bad players off the football pitch with this thing. If you are thinking of doing it, well, youll do it 5 times then youll be pulling your hair out.

 

[jaapv]

I don't doubt your expertise, but during the first few hundred shots the M8 shutter actually splatters miniscule oil drops on the sensor. I don't think anything but wet swabbing, for instance with Eclipse2, will get them off.

 

[jaapv]

The best grade iso alc here that I can find is 72%. I take it I cant't use this, correct?
I've got a couple of nasty spots that the Giatto Blaster and brush just can't get rid of.
What's next?

As long as it is medicinal grade alcohol, that has not been denatured, you might be allright. Denatured alcohol contains oil, which you would rather not smear onto your sensor. But why don't you just order a bottle of Eclipse2 with your local photostore?

 

[grduprey]

I thought Denatured Alcohol was pure alcohol, with nothing added, that is what is implied in the name and told to me by my Chemistry Prof many years ago. My M8 had no such splattering from the shutter. I have yet to actually clean the sensor at all outside of using a hand blower this past week, some 9 months after I received it. I checked and found only a few very small specs of dust on the sensor, that needed magnification to find them. I have the Lenspen SensorKlear, the cleaning swabs and Eclipse 2 cleaning goodies and have yet to need to use them.

 

[baycrest]

Sensor Swabs are expensive...

Sensor Swabs are expensive...

But buy a box once and then you have plastic spatulas that you can re-use if you buy some Pec-Pads and Eclipse fluid. The Pec pads are dirt cheap if you are in the USA, but you can order them on-line as I think you mentioned you live in HK. I haven't seen pec pads in HK. This combo will get rid of your stubborn particles.
For easier stuff (just dust) you can use the Artic Buterfly as others have suggeested but its more expensive than using pec pads.

Google "Copperhill Method" to see how to clean your sensor with the wet method, if you've never done it before.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[irq506]

Wet cleaning methods should only be attempted after gentle air blowing is not doing it for you.
Isopropyl Alcohol, is the cleanest alcohol on the market. All others have oily residue which will destroy lens coatings including sensors.
Its a good idea to power off the camera when changing lenses. This will stop the static energy which makes the sensor function from attracting dust when lenses are off the body.

 

[gavinlg]

I just cleaned my 30ds sensor for the 2nd time.... To be honest I don't really like doing it. Most of the time it leaves tiny little smudges on the sensor after it dries and even though you can't see them in pictures, even at f32, i know they're there. I'm using a blower to blow off loose dust and every now and then wet swabs from "green clean"

On an m8, I'd just take it to a camera service/repair place and let them do it. If there is a peice of abrasive debris on the sensor and you wet swab it - say goodbye to your m8.

 

[Ben Z]

I bought some swabs and Visible Dust solutions (one for oil droplets and the other to get the smears from the first solution) because someone told me Eclipse2 is forbidden even in checked bags (and I didn't have time to verify it). Fortunately after several hundred shots and multiple lens changes (always with camera turned off) I don't have any specks in my images. Hopefully Leica learned by my late-production M8 how much shutter lube is enough, or switched to one that doesn't splatter. Or maybe they forgot to lubricate my shutter at all 🙄

 

[rlouzan]

Canon uses:

either 90% isopropyl alcohol or a 50/50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and Windex.

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

 

[rlouzan]

Leica uses:

Eclipse or Methanol

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html

 

[picturetraveler]

Hi everyone,

I talked to the M8 production leader and asked him the question... he told me the M8 are cleaned in the factory using isopropanol ( Isopropyl Alcohol) and clean lenscleaningpaper (like the kodak ones) on an old swab... Make sure the lenscleaningpaper is new, change each time and swipe only once with one paper.

I also use the artic butterfly and the Giotto when traveling.

greetings from Gent Belgium
Marc

 

[grduprey]

I bought some swabs and Visible Dust solutions (one for oil droplets and the other to get the smears from the first solution) because someone told me Eclipse2 is forbidden even in checked bags (and I didn't have time to verify it). Fortunately after several hundred shots and multiple lens changes (always with camera turned off) I don't have any specks in my images. Hopefully Leica learned by my late-production M8 how much shutter lube is enough, or switched to one that doesn't splatter. Or maybe they forgot to lubricate my shutter at all 🙄

I recently flew to Boston, and packed Eclipse 2 in the bag. No one even looked twice at it. Someone also mentioned the oily Leica shutter for the first 100 or so exposures. Never had this problem and mine was purchased in February. In fact i just recently cleaned my sensor for the first time, just to do it. My normal operation is to turn off the camera prior to lens change, blow or brush off the lens mount area, remove the lens and blow into the chamber with the camera opening turned down, then mount the new lens. seems to keep the sensor pretty clean for me.
Gene