M246 sensor cleaning

[skater75]

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Any suggestions whether I should send my M246 to Germany for cleaning or save time and do it locally with a reputable dealer? May be one of Leica stores? I am in NYC. I got a few small spots on the sensor over the year of use and a few thousands shots. Appears to be like wear & tear naturally in progress. I do not feel I would try cleaning on my own...

[gpwhite]

Have you tried the cleaning function built into the camera? It is well described in the manual, and if you are concerned it can be repeated.

 

Are the sensor deposits really that worrisome? Would you rather have a technician goop it instead of using a simple Photoshop fix? I am assuming you shoot RAW.

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[skater75]

Have you tried the cleaning function built into the camera? It is well described in the manual, and if you are concerned it can be repeated.

 

Are the sensor deposits really that worrisome? Would you rather have a technician goop it instead of using a simple Photoshop fix? I am assuming you shoot RAW.

 

Cleaning function in the camera allows you to have shutter opened so you can get access to the sensor. But you still have some specialized tools to clean the sensor... Manual strictly advices not to blow air from your own mouth to the sensor et al... and similar silly tricks. 

I can remove those spots in the Lightroom, there are not really bad. But I'd rather have sensor cleaned.

[250swb]

Yes, the camera sensor cleaning function only shows you where the dust is and opens the shutter so you can clean the dust off, it doesn't actually clean the sensor

 

But to say you need specialised tools to clean the sensor is also misleading, they are all commonly available and designed for idiots to use. So between sending it to a Leica service centre or simply being able to do the job yourself within two or three minutes I know which this idiot would choose.

 

One of the easiest products to use is also one of most effective, and that is the Eyelead wand, it picks the dust off the sensor and puts it out of harms way. Many will advocate a Rocket Blower, but this just blows dust around a bit with no sure way to know where it has subsequently settled. If you have oily spots on the sensor it gets more complicated and wet cleaning is needed, but again the products have been used by amateurs for many years with great success.

 

Steve

Edited October 30, 2016 by 250swb

[jaapv]

Fortunately we have an M FAQ:

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/216580-leica-m8-m82-m9-m9p-mm-mtyp240-faqs-questions-with-answers/?p=2464057

 

 

To be honest, I never use the camera dust detection. I found that about 90% of the dust that is detected never shows up on the image.

By all means send it in for cleaning, and wait for days or weeks to get it returned. If you don't want to clean your sensor yourself, <although it is as simple and less effort as washing your car> look in the yellow pages. There are sensor cleaning services all over the place, mostly whilst-you-wait. Or ask the nearest serious camera shop.

[skater75]

Fortunately we have an M FAQ:

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/216580-leica-m8-m82-m9-m9p-mm-mtyp240-faqs-questions-with-answers/?p=2464057

 

 

To be honest, I never use the camera dust detection. I found that about 90% of the dust that is detected never shows up on the image.

By all means send it in for cleaning, and wait for days or weeks to get it returned. If you don't want to clean your sensor yourself, <although it is as simple and less effort as washing your car> look in the yellow pages. There are sensor cleaning services all over the place, mostly whilst-you-wait. Or ask the nearest serious camera shop.

 

Right, that is what I am asking the audience. If anyone can recommend reputable local shop in NYC for cleaning.

[Tp2000]

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Not sure whether the NYC store offers the same service as the one in London (Mayfair), but the london one will clean the sensor whilst you wait - and looking at the sealed room they use, I don't think you'll get a better place to clean it.

 

Might be worth speaking to the NYC store?

[earleygallery]

The idea of sending a camera back to the manufacturer for routine sensor cleaning is like driving your car back to the factory that built it to get them to top up your washer fluid. 

 

If you're a bit cack handed get someone locally to do it for you. If you're just nervous about damaging the sensor buy a cheap used DSLR and practice on that! 

[JeffWright]

Any suggestions whether I should send my M246 to Germany for cleaning or save time and do it locally with a reputable dealer? May be one of Leica stores? I am in NYC. I got a few small spots on the sensor over the year of use and a few thousands shots. Appears to be like wear & tear naturally in progress. I do not feel I would try cleaning on my own...

 

 

If you're in NYC you've got lots of options. Take it to Photovillage or Leica Soho...I'd kill for that convenience, my Leica dealer closed last year and the nearest is a plane ride away.

[vincio85]

I believe that every person who uses a digital camera with interchangeable lens, should teach yourself how to clean the sensor and to live with the fears.

 

From personal experience I suggest you clean up alone.

 

The best and the only tools you need are: air pump, vane FF, liquid eclipse, battery charged to 100%.

 

I cleaned for years my equipment, and sensor filter is more durable than imagined.

 

PS send all in Germany may be too expensive.

 

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[Soden]

I believe that every person who uses a digital camera with interchangeable lens, should teach yourself how to clean the sensor and to live with the fears.

 

From personal experience I suggest you clean up alone.

 

The best and the only tools you need are: air pump, vane FF, liquid eclipse, battery charged to 100%.

 

I cleaned for years my equipment, and sensor filter is more durable than imagined.

 

PS send all in Germany may be too expensive.

 

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What is vane FF? I searched both BH and yahoo search...

 

While I do clean my own sensor. I'm always looking for a safer way. Being I once scratched a sensor and feel a bit nervous about it.

[vincio85]

Vane is Swabs FF with pec-pad

 

This is what you need (see photo)

 

Soden how did you scratch the sensor? What did you use?

A standard fee laboratory uses the material that I have listed.

 

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Edited November 12, 2016 by vincio85

[Soden]

Vane is Swabs FF with pec-pad

 

Soden how did you scratch the sensor? What did you use?

A standard fee laboratory uses the material that I have listed.

 

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Delkin sensor cleaning kit. I think there was a particle of solid dust or sand that stuck to the swab and was dragged across when cleaning. I did use their vacuum to remove such dust but I think it was useless.

 

Since then I've moved on to Eclipse, dust-aid micro fiber, and some plastic sticks (given to me from my Leica dealer). My plastic sticks have the flat paddle like yours but not full sensor in size.

Edited November 12, 2016 by Soden

[jip]

Cleaning I do myself, I would never go through the trouble of sending it to Germany for that (And I live in the Netherlands, neighbouring Germany.)

 

If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, have it done at some dealer nearby. 

[250swb]

Delkin sensor cleaning kit. I think there was a particle of solid dust or sand that stuck to the swab and was dragged across when cleaning. I did use their vacuum to remove such dust but I think it was useless.

 

Since then I've moved on to Eclipse, dust-aid micro fiber, and some plastic sticks (given to me from my Leica dealer). My plastic sticks have the flat paddle like yours but not full sensor in size.

 

This is why the Eyelead system is better as a day to day sensor cleaner, you press down gently with it, the dust or 'sand' sticks to the pad and you lift it off, no dragging.

[Soden]

This is why the Eyelead system is better as a day to day sensor cleaner, you press down gently with it, the dust or 'sand' sticks to the pad and you lift it off, no dragging.

Is that like the Panasonic gumdrop on a stick? Marginally effective.

[jaapv]

The Eyelead  works qute well in my experience. However, take care to give the sensor a good blow first to remove any loose particles that might damage the cover glass coating by dragging.

[brill64]

the mm sensor is difficult to clean properly but saying that, i do it myself occasionally.

[Alberti]

Agree with Jaap: don't look at the dust inspection tool. I did it this afternoon, had 5 spots after cleaning first round (f22) with visible dust. Cleaned. Then looked, and saw 10 spots. Recleaned. Looked. Now had 15 spots, elsewhere. They are smaller, al right, now I have some on one side where the swab movement ends, but I'll be content with the results now.

The F22 is so small. Normally I do not come below F8 (15mm & 21 mm lenses). Then the dust all at once is invisible.

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[Herr Barnack]

@skater75,

 

I would suggest learning to clean the sensor yourself.  It is not difficult at all.  If you follow the directions given in your M246 manual and the directions given by the manufacturer of the sensor cleaning swabs and fluid precisely, you will not damage your sensor.  You will also save yourself $50-75 (or more) and you will avoid weeks or months of down time caused by sending your M246 to Wetzlar.

 

When I clean my sensor, I do it indoors in as clean of an environment (speaking in terms of airborne dust) as I can find.  I like to go to my local public library and find an empty reading room to clean my sensor.  If you wanted to be really OCD about it, you could go to a university art museum and do it there, as the rooms where art is displayed usually have air filtration and humidity control as a part of their climate control systems. 

 

Too much or too little cleaning fluid applied to the swab can cause problems; I apply three drops to one side of the swab and two drops to the other side, right at the edge of the pad that will contact the sensor cover glass (that is what we are really cleaning).  I give the swab 10-15 seconds to wick the fluid into the dry cleaning pad then I proceed.  Next, place the pad part of the swab at the far right or far left of the sensor edge.  When you clean the sensor, you must apply gentle pressure so that the stem of the swab bends a bit.  It is difficult to quantify how much pressure is too much or too little, but the stem should have a slight bend to it.  Then you sweep the pad from one edge of the sensor to the other and back, holding the stem so that one edge of the pad is gently pressed against the sensor cover glass on the first pass and the opposite side of the pad is pressed against it on the return pass.  Use each sensor cleaning swab one time only and discard it.  Close the shutter curtain, attach your lens and you are finished.  It's really a pretty simple procedure.

 

I clean my sensor as needed, when dust particles become an annoyance in my photos; this translates to cleaning about once every four months.  I have had no problems as a result of my cleaning procedures.  Recently, a friend took his Canon DSLR to a Canon pro shop for a sensor cleaning.  Two weeks later, his camera quit working.  He sent it off to Canon to have it repaired, costing him $200 plus shipping.  Canon said the problem was caused by moisture being introduced to the camera's electronics.  He had not had the camera outdoors in the rain or anywhere near the ocean.  As such, the probability is that the person who cleaned his sensor used an excessive amount of fluid in the cleaning process and caused the damage.  The moral of the story is that taking your camera to an "expert" for sensor cleaning is not a guarantee that it will be done correctly.

 

Here are the products I use and would recommend:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1165567-REG/photographic_solutions_us3box_ultra_swab_type_3.html

and - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/127525-REG/Photographic_Solutions_EC_Eclipse_Optic_Lens_Cleaning.html

 

Hope this helps...

Edited March 22, 2017 by Carlos Danger