What's a good reasonable costing cleaning system for the Leica M8?

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LeicaTom

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What's a good, simple but reliable cleaning system for getting dust and critters out of my M8?

Also something that's reasonable costing, not something running hundreds and hundreds of $$$$$$$ dollars, I'm tired of sending my camera back to Leica for cleaning all the time, I want to be able to do it myself :)

Thanks 4 the help

Tom
 
A rocket blower gets most of it for me most of the time. The arctic butterfly thingy picks up the rest. Around $100 for both. The arctic butterfly is a nice tool for dusting negatives as well. I've never needed a wet clean for any of my digital cameras.
 
f16sunshine said:
A rocket blower gets most of it for me most of the time. The arctic butterfly thingy picks up the rest. Around $100 for both. The arctic butterfly is a nice tool for dusting negatives as well. I've never needed a wet clean for any of my digital cameras.
Click to expand...

Agree with both, but my rocket blower cost less than £10. Also lenspen by sensorklear for stubborn spots at less tha £20. I did use wet cleaning, but never got the results I get with the above.
 
I agree with the blower/arctic butterfly combo. I find that I get dust on my M8 sensor all of the time. It is so close to the front of the lens mount, which is why it gets dirty frequently but it also makes it much more accessible for cleaning. I have never had to clean my D90 sensor, but being smaller and much more deeply recessed into the body have the opposite twofold effect, harder to get to to clean, but also more resistant to dust. Plus the sensor cleaning function of the camera itself.

Visible Dust, who makes the Arctic Butterfly, also make something called Chamber Clean. They claim that it cleans the sensor chamber but also leaves an anti-static coating to help repel dust. I did it to my M8 and it is hard to tell how much effect it has had, but it was relatively inexpensive, I think about $16 USD and seemed to make sense. Like one of the previous posters, I have never had to do a wet cleaning to my M8.

Once you are used to the issue of cleaning, I found it becomes easy and second nature with the M8, just part of regular maintenance. I also bought a shaving brush to use for cleaning the outside of the body and around the controls and switches and it works a treat.
 
Products from Copper Hill will give you a good idea. There are also tutorials on the site in case that's of interest.

I use a rocket blower first, then Eclipse fluid and swabs. These are available at many places besides Copper Hill; I only provide their link as a reference point.

Others prefer Visible Dust or Green Clean products.

A sensor loupe, to help see (before and after), is optional.

You'll make up the cost (and enjoy the convenience) of doing this yourself, no matter which products you choose, even if you have to experiment initially.

Jeff
 
f16sunshine said:
A rocket blower gets most of it for me most of the time. The arctic butterfly thingy picks up the rest. Around $100 for both. The arctic butterfly is a nice tool for dusting negatives as well. I've never needed a wet clean for any of my digital cameras.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up on dusting negatives! I clean my M8 sensor with the arctic butterfly and now the cost is better justified as a darkroom and scanning tool.
 
Don't have an M8 but have used the Arctic Buttery and rocket blower on my D700 to good effect. I have a sensor loupe also which is great on DSLRs but may not be necessary with an M8 as I presume the sensor is much closer to the lens mount. Visible dust http://www.visibledust.com/ has a good explanations of their various products and tutorials on their use.

Bob
 
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