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M9 sensor cleaning


Bill Allsopp

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Cleaned my sensor today, not been done since last July.

 

Afterwards went online to find some more swabs and stumbled on this link showing how the factory do it.

Leica M9 - Cleaning the sensor | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

Sensor cleaning at home is straightforward if you are sensible and careful.

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I would take care with the stamping method. I destroyed a sensor with it.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/121761-dust-aid.html

 

 

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/130337-thank-you-leica-no-thank-you.html

Edited by jaapv
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Cleaning my sensor for the first time was the most nerve racking thing I've done. I bought he visible dust kit with loupe and arctic butterfly and swabs I've cleaned it twice and got it pretty spotless.

 

I have their blower and use that every now and then between a bi-annual sensor clean.

 

Be careful about the blowers because they can inhale and blow dust at force onto the sensor.

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In my professional life, before my retirement, I worked as an engineer in the space industry. There I learned that cleaning optical instruments has to be done in a cleanroom, wearing a clean overcoat, funny hats, cleanroom overshoes etc, the same kind of garment one sees on the Leica cleanroom clip.

As I don't have a cleanroom in my apartment I just let Chipclean do the cleaning of my camera equipment. They have the proper environment, equipment and expertise (and no, I hold no shares of that company).

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My experience with the Seiko shutter of both the M8 and the M9 is that during their first thousands of firings they spit oily goo at the sensor. So frequent cleaning is a must. My M9 shutter, which I have used since early in 2010, is much more cleanly in its habits now, but I do still frequently inspect the sensor, or rather a test exposure, for spots and specks.

 

I start by removing as much dust as I can from both the camera and the lens, and then from the sensor, with a bulb blower. But s...t on he sensor tends to stick. So the next procedure is a careful, i.e. thorough but gentle, wet swabbing. I use VisibleDust.

 

LB

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There I learned that cleaning optical instruments has to be done in a cleanroom, wearing a clean overcoat, funny hats, cleanroom overshoes etc, the same kind of garment one sees on the Leica cleanroom clip.

 

A good wash in the morning usually stops excessive body dirt getting onto your sensor while you are cleaning it without the need to contain it inside white overalls. :rolleyes:

 

Steve

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An air purifier /filter in the room works wonders. Shut off furnace/ac blowers and let dust settle if you can. So does a clean place to work and clean tools. You could build a nice box like a baby incubator, but I find that extreme.

 

Aero space controls are ideal, but difficult to achieve at home and you nullified the work at first lens change anyway.

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I'm with Jaap on this one........

 

The sticky lollipops used by Leica are real 'heart in the mouth' gizmos.

 

They adhere alarmingly to the sensor and come away with a worrying noise that feels like the sensor has been flexed and is snapping back into position :o

 

It frightened me sufficiently that I went back to blower for dust and wet swabbing for persistent crud.

 

You can have mine free, Bill.... if you want to scare yourself a bit ......;)

Edited by thighslapper
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I'm with Jaap on this one........

 

The sticky lollipops used by Leica are real 'heart in the mouth' gizmos.

 

............

 

You can have mine free, Bill.... if you want to scare yourself a bit ......;)

I have always been happy with blower and swabs thanks - I'm not about to do a Jaap :eek:

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Having scratched my Canon sensor whilst cleaning I must say I'm a bit reluctant to do so. The problem is, what is attached can be quite gritty and even if you think you've dislodged it with a blower brush there is a good chance you haven't. As soon as you drag it across the sensor with whatever method of cleaning you choose it does the damage all too easily. These days I spend more time in prevention and take particular care when changing lenses and make sure that the back caps are always attached and clean them out regularly.

 

Please be warned those sensor pens are DANGEROUS and pretty much useless.

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