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M8 Sensor Cleaning


rpsawin

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It appears the sensor in my M8 needs to be cleaned. I have no experience doing this on an M8. I have done it on a Nikon D100 with limited success. Have any of you cleaned the sensor in your M8? Please share your experience and recommend which supplies to use.

 

Thanks in advance for your comments,

 

Bob

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Bob, this is a frequent topic (on the M8, M9, digital and customer forum sections). You might want to first explore the search box on the top right (use words like 'M8 sensor cleaning' ) and you'll pull up loads of threads. Once you've gotten a broad range of responses, you might have some more specific questions to pose.

 

FWIW, I'm in the camp of using a Giotto-type blower first, then if necessary, wet swabbing with Eclipse. But, others have their own preferences....Visible Dust products, sticky devices, etc., and even some who use expensive microscopes from other professional fields.

 

Here's one approach...Copper Hill Images - CCD/CMOS Cleaning Tutorial - Introduction

 

Jeff

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Do a search of YouTube for a bunch of videos showing technic...

 

Viewing a few should get you over the initial fear of poking inside your camera...

(Though my first favorite will most likely scare even a veteran sensor cleaner!)

 

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

YouTube - Jared wonders why he has a sensor dust problem?...

Edited by sfokevin
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I previously posted parts of this in a M9 thread. I have had a persistent dust spot problem with my used M8.

 

My first step was to set the M8 on Sensor Cleaning, trip the shutter, remove the lens and, holding the camera in a face-down position, blowing gently upward around all areas of the open camera with a rocket blower without sticking the blower nozzle inside of the camera. This removed many dust spots, but not all.

 

I then tried a sensor brush after charging the brush by blowing air through it. A few dust spots still remained.

 

Next, I cleaned the sensor with Eclipse and a Sensor Swab. My experience is that the FF swabs are clumsy. This got the sensor clean, but I had dust again the next day. My camera is not used in a dusty environment, either.

 

After thinking about it, it seemed logical that there might be a few small "dust bunnies" lodged within the body of my M8, just before the shutter curtain. After cleaning the sensor with Eclipse/SSwab again, I rigged my Shop-Vac vacuum with a narrow cleaning tip, attached the nozzle wand to my workbench with the tip pointing straight up, set the M8 on Sensor Cleaning, tripped the shutter to expose the sensor, held the camera so that the sensor and open body were facing sensor-down at the vacuum tip, about 8 inches above it, turned on the vacuum, and then used my rocket blower pointing upward into the camera body and blew air toward the sensor and surrounding area for about 30 seconds. I figured that the blower would dislodge any dust and the vacuum would pick it up before it could re-settle within the camera or on the sensor.

 

Anyway, I have been dust-free for more than a month. I have changed or removed the lenses at least several dozen times since, so I am knocking on wood that this "technique" will keep sensor cleaning down to a minimum. Unconventional, yes, but it seems to work.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Rick

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Bob, glad to hear there was a sucessful conclusion.

 

I have a three stage approach to cleaning the M8 sensor. First I try the Rocket. If that doesn't work I use an Arctic Butterfly. If the AB doesn't work I wet clean.

 

The Rocket appears to do the job well most of the time, and in the three and a half years I've had the camera I've only had to resort to wet cleaning a handful of times.

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I use the "Copperhill" kit. As luck would have it, my Canon 1D Mark IIn is also an APS-C sized sensor (crop of 1.3x) so it works with both...

 

Basically a swab (plastic wand) that gets wrapped with a Pec Pad (100 supplied), to which you apply a drop or two of Eclipse. Swipe the swab once over the sensor from edge to edge on one half, then flip the swab and do the other half the same way. You might need to repeat if there's stubborn crap on there (a fresh Pec Pad is recommended, I cheat sometimes).

 

Works fantastic and I've never damaged a sensor with this kit. Use care and common sense and you'll be just fine.

 

I would highly recommend one of those LED-lit sensor loupes. This is a huge timesaver as you can see the crap on the sensor without having to repeat the tiring process of shooting a test frame, uploading the image, manipulating the levels to bring out the dust - and repeating everything. With the loupe you can save this procedure for the end, to make sure you got everything. Again, highly recommended.

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  • 7 years later...

Hello All,

 

      I have repeatedly cleaned the sensor in my M8, cant say that i would actually consider this dust but some purplish/white specs remain on my sensor. Does not want to come off using rocket blower and Visible Dust Plus. In previous cleanings done with eyelead gel stick.

 

Thoughts?  Steve

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The gel sticks leave ring artifacts, in my experience.  I wanted them to work...but no.

 

Liquid and good sticks, is, in my opinion, the best way to go.  Once a year, and use a blower sometimes.

 

But i very rarely shoot above f5.6.  A careful scrute in LR will reveal spots worth cloning...just part of the digital photography world really..

 

...

Edited by david strachan
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Shutter is fragile and not designed to have forceful air blown against it.

 

Part of my preventative procedure is to blow out the "mouth" of the camera with shutter closed before dust that goes there first migrates to the sensor.  After every use where there are lens changes is appropriate and certainly before a sensor clean.

 

I bought the gel sticks and have not used them.   I find the loupe light and lens pen invaluable in just picking up the offending piece of crud.   

 

If I get desperate ,  I will try the corner of a get stick .

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