M8 sensor dust under filter

[hobbsr]

Hi,

I have just discovered that on both my M8 bodies that when shooting at F/5.6 and above I see many spots on the images. I have had the sensor cleaned on the first body and they reported that the is dust under the sensor filter? I did not see these spots before as shot with the lens wide open.

I have now just used my second body and shot a reference frame at F/16 and there are many spots just the same as the other body?Of course I then tested and shot from F/2-4 and the spots do not show up.

Has anybody had a similar experience as they are advising to sip the bodies back to Germany and I do not want to 1. lose them for a long time 2. have this kind of issue?

Regards

[rwfreund]

Are you sure that the dust is under the filter?
I have two bodies, and although I do get spots from time to time, thay come clean after some persistent cleaning.
Learn to clean the sensor yourself, with the right technique and only a little practice you will feel comfortable with the process and can make these judgments for yourself.
-bob

[diogenis]

I believe that the sensor itself is enclosed in that filter done in the factory, therefore dust can't sneak behind that thin filter/microlens. Dust however settles on top of that glass surface, because it enters the dark chamber when you exchange lenses. You just need a wet kit from many vendors specialized in sensor cleaning like visible dust or eclipse. You should also do this as much as needed, yourself why send the camera to Germany?
Just be careful when you do it and touch the surface lightly

[offshore]

I'm having a similar problem with about 6 light grey to black round spots on my images. I've cleaned the sensor using an air blower and looked at it with an LED magnifier and can't see anything on the sensor. I checked the Eclipse site but their cleaner shows up as not recommended for the M8. Did I miss something? So far I've been clone stamping them out and about half of the spots only appear if magnified. I too have hesitated on sending my camera in until I find out more of what I'm dealing with.

[Maggie_O]

Offshore, that sounds like lubricant on the sensor. I used Visible Dust's wet cleaning system to successfully remove the lube from my M8's sensor. Might be worth a try?

[wlaidlaw]

Originally Posted by offshore

I'm having a similar problem with about 6 light grey to black round spots on my images. I've cleaned the sensor using an air blower and looked at it with an LED magnifier and can't see anything on the sensor. I checked the Eclipse site but their cleaner shows up as not recommended for the M8. Did I miss something? So far I've been clone stamping them out and about half of the spots only appear if magnified. I too have hesitated on sending my camera in until I find out more of what I'm dealing with.

I think you will find Eclipse E2 fluid is recommended for the M8. E1 is not. Alternatively you can use PURE iso-propyl alcohol. Make sure it is 99.99% pure and not the 70% that many chemists sell, which often also has additives to make it taste nasty. These will smear your sensor. Buying IPA is about 1000% cheaper than buying E2. The best place to buy it from is an electronic suppliers, as it is used for cleaning circuit boards. You need 1.3 size cleaning wands. The good makers of these e.g. VisibleDust - DSLR Camera Sensor Cleaning have a video on their website showing the cleaning process, with the do's and don'ts. If you have not wet cleaned before, it make take quite a few wands before you get all the shutter lubricant off the sensor. Wipe very slowly, wiggling the wand gently as you pull it forward on the first stroke, equally slowly but straight on the return stroke. Use each wand once only i.e one forward and one return stroke. Do not use too much E2 or IPA one to two drops is enough. A long lens e.g. a 90mm and a very small aperture e.g. f8 or f16 will show up dust or grease splodges best.

Wilson

[offshore]

Thanks Maggie-O and wlaidlaw I'll check both out and see if I can get the spots off. I suspected shutter grease as I've heard that it practically comes with it on the sensor from the factory.

[Philinflash]

Originally Posted by offshore

Thanks Maggie-O and wlaidlaw I'll check both out and see if I can get the spots off. I suspected shutter grease as I've heard that it practically comes with it on the sensor from the factory.

I believe the grease is shipped inside our cameras at no extra cost, whether new or serviced. I found a great deal of excess grease on the roller that makes contact with the lens focus cam ring. Fortunately, its prominence in the lens-less body makes it relatively easy to clean. I don't know if that is the source for the spots I've had on the sensor but they do seem to be fewer as the camera ages. I hope it is; I'd rather deal with grease there than if it somehow has something to do with the shutter.

[gravastar]

Regarding the gray round spots I may have mentioned this before. I think a significant cause of them is dust in the air which is debris from human skin. The skin contains natural oils which over time diffuse outwards from the central spot. If you use a blower to remove the dust as soon as you see it, very little oil is left behind. Leave the spot for some time then a lighter area which grows with time appears around the darker center. The only way I've been able to remove the lighter areas is by wet cleaning. If you really want to see what's on the sensor cover glass make a pin hole camera out of a body cap and aluminium foil.


Bob.

[jaapv]

Basically the only way to get dust between the sensor and the filter is to use compressed air to "clean" the sensor.

[rafael_macia]

Originally Posted by wlaidlaw

I think you will find Eclipse E2 fluid is recommended for the M8. E1 is not. Alternatively you can use PURE iso-propyl alcohol. Make sure it is 99.99% pure and not the 70% that many chemists sell, which often also has additives to make it taste nasty. These will smear your sensor. Buying IPA is about 1000% cheaper than buying E2. The best place to buy it from is an electronic suppliers, as it is used for cleaning circuit boards. You need 1.3 size cleaning wands. The good makers of these e.g. VisibleDust - DSLR Camera Sensor Cleaning have a video on their website showing the cleaning process, with the do's and don'ts. If you have not wet cleaned before, it make take quite a few wands before you get all the shutter lubricant off the sensor. Wipe very slowly, wiggling the wand gently as you pull it forward on the first stroke, equally slowly but straight on the return stroke. Use each wand once only i.e one forward and one return stroke. Do not use too much E2 or IPA one to two drops is enough. A long lens e.g. a 90mm and a very small aperture e.g. f8 or f16 will show up dust or grease splodges best.

Wilson

Pure Isopropyl alcohol csn be gotten from any pharmacy. They just have to order it. It cost me about $4 for a 12 ounce bottle.

[jimrivers]

Originally Posted by jaapv

Basically the only way to get dust between the sensor and the filter is to use compressed air to "clean" the sensor.

Another post says the filter and sensor are sealed togeather at the factory. So how can compressed air break this seal?

[jaapv]

It is the only reason mentioned in the rare cases that it happens.

[lars_bergquist]

I think the M8 sensor is shipped reasonably dust-free, but the goo (dust and grease particles) come off the shutter as it works. You may have to repeat the cleaning after a fairly short interval, but then the problem will abate as the shutter will have shed all loose matter.

The old man from the Age of Compur Shutters

[wlaidlaw]

Originally Posted by rafael_macia

Pure Isopropyl alcohol csn be gotten from any pharmacy. They just have to order it. It cost me about $4 for a 12 ounce bottle.

It may depend on the rules in each individual country. In France I ordered it from the chemist. They insisted it would be pure IPA. When it arrived it was 70% IPA 30% water and a trace of Bittrex to make it unpalatable to drink. It was all they seemed able to get. I tried to order it from the chemist in the UK and they said they could not get any. I found it at a UK electronic supplies company via eBay for about £5 a litre + P&P.

It is quite normal for the rural French to buy 96% ethyl alcohol from the supermarket and add it to grape juice to make home made "wine" or to add it to crushed fruit and sugar to make liqueurs. I presume the authorities are worried about people just assuming alcohol is alcohol and adding either methyl alcohol (you go blind) or IPA (your liver packs up) to their cocktails.

You can also buy aerosol cans of it as one of the many cleaning/service products made by Servisol CRC Industries Europe - product navigator

Wilson

[jaapv]

Just ask your doctor or dentist. They can order it without problem for you.