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WOW! The M9 is a real dust magnet.


TacTZilla

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Strange...

Checked the sensor when I received my M9 a couple of days ago: it was spotless.

After several lens changes (certainly more than 6, and always with the camera off and turned upside down), it still hasn't attracted a single speck.

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I blow my M9 with a rocket blower every other day or so and it has no dust. I shot some images at F16 yesterday to test for dust and saw one tiny spot. I have been shooting for 2+ months, daily and have no dust.

 

I suggest a rocket blower. I just set my M9 to B mode (as I did with my M8) and blow it out for a few seconds. Contrary to what some believe, this will not harm the sensor nor does it attract more dust due to the charge on the sensor. Works every time and is super quick, super easy.

 

How to clean your digital camera sensor with a rocket blower | STEVE HUFF PHOTOS

 

Btw, I did e-mail Leica and asked them if this was OK and all they said was it had the ability to attract dust due to the charged sensor but again, I have done this at least 600 times on my M8 and M9. No issues, ever. Just a clean sensor!

I don't like the rocket blower approach, not because it might harm the sensor, harm it how? but because it stirs dust. And I don't believe that simply by turning your camera upside down, dust will simply fall. But since you have tried it and like it, I will also give it a try and see.

Basically my approach is to capture dust particles with shutters closed using an arctic butterfly, when I change lenses to keep the sensor in an clean environment.

As for the sensor, I use the arctic buttefly and swabs for wet cleaning. However I have found out that one has to barely touch the swab to the sensor to clean the glass surface. Then, the swab really cleans the whole sensor very well. If you press it a bit more, it leaves residues. I have also found out that those plastic loupes are simply junk.

A good flashlight using a cree led, is 10x more efficient than the junk plastic loupe that goes with those swabs. And you don't even need a loupe with a good torch, but sometime I will simply go and buy a decent loupe made of real glass lens, maybe a jeweller's loupe

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beware of carrying a rocket blower in cabin luggage. it "looks like a hand grenade" on security x-ray. mine caused immediate alarm and fuss and was confiscated:mad:
A rubber handgrenade:confused:What idiots...
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I suggest a rocket blower. I just set my M9 to B mode (as I did with my M8) and blow it out for a few seconds. Contrary to what some believe, this will not harm the sensor nor does it attract more dust due to the charge on the sensor. Works every time and is super quick, super easy.

 

Thanks Steve - That seems a good idea and I will try that, particularly with the sensor clean battery problem. I've always cleaned my sensors with a rocket blower and I find it keeps the dust spots under control.

 

Agree about the fact that they seem to arrive with dust spots, my M8 certainly did, though the M9 was "clean" at the start of day 1, though not by the end!

 

I've more or less given up on ever expecting a camera to eliminate dust spots. One of the worst cameras I had was a Nikon D700 which has a dust control system. Didn't work for me. My D3 was horrendous for dust & so is my 5DMkII. Full-frame does pose more of a dust problem. I've used Olympus and Pentax which have highly regarded systems but I had problems with them also. Maybe its how I shoot - mainly outside, often in changeable weather with a lot of wind. I'm resigned to "photoshopping it out"

 

Only cameras I don't have a problem with are Panasonic m4/3. Because of the sensor size I'm usually shooting at F/6.3 and below & still getting adequate DOF. But even so the odd shot at F/16 is still "clean"

Wonder what do they have that others don't?

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beware of carrying a rocket blower in cabin luggage. it "looks like a hand grenade" on security x-ray. mine caused immediate alarm and fuss and was confiscated:mad:

 

A rubber handgrenade:confused:What idiots...

 

Quite! I can understand the initial concern based on shape, but after handling, seeing and feeling it, to then confiscate it is an outrage. :mad:

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Strange, my rubber blower and cleaning kit have passed lots of inspections in carry-on, never had a problem (yet).

 

The first week the M9 seemed to pick up quite a lot of dust, but after one big cleaning it seems like things have stayed pretty ok for now.

 

My olympus E3 and the m43 both seems to be very clean. literally never cleaned the E3's.

 

.

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