Accuracy sensor cleaning

[Roehunter]

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I took a picture with aperture 16 at blue sky to see how clean/dirty the sensor was. My Leica M8.2 was a demo "as new" but the sensor had about 10-12 visible spots. I cleaned it with a rubber blower and I got rid of a couple of the spots. Another try and almost all were gone but instead a long and thin object got there and it moved around in every picture. Third try and now maybe 5 small dust spot is there (I don't have a dust free room). They are only visible when I use small apertures at bright scenes. Don't know how many tries I should do or is it good enough?

 

The most difficult part of sensor cleaning is unmount and mount my lens, it's take all my muscle strenght to do it (and I'm not weak). One time it went past the little lock notch and it really got stucked. It don't easily click into place and when you use all your strenght it's hard to know then to stop.

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[jaapv]

That is far too tight - you should have it looked at.

[wda]

I took a picture with aperture 16 at blue sky to see how clean/dirty the sensor was. My Leica M8.2 was a demo "as new" but the sensor had about 10-12 visible spots. I cleaned it with a rubber blower and I got rid of a couple of the spots. Another try and almost all were gone but instead a long and thin object got there and it moved around in every picture. Third try and now maybe 5 small dust spot is there (I don't have a dust free room). They are only visible when I use small apertures at bright scenes. Don't know how many tries I should do or is it good enough?.....

It depends on your needs and standards. For stock use, any dust spots entail tedious after-work. Unfortunately, dust removal can rarely be achieved entirely with a dust blower. Some residues are oil or moisture-based and are too stubborn for that method; they often require a wet treatment. A search will reveal former threads on the various methods and user preferences.

[Steve Ash]

The most difficult part of sensor cleaning is unmount and mount my lens, it's take all my muscle strenght to do it (and I'm not weak)..

 

Are you kidding?

Steve

[Roehunter]

Are you kidding?

Steve

 

No, not kidding. It's a pain then I have to unmount/mount. I think I leave those dust spot alone for now.

[Roehunter]

That is far too tight - you should have it looked at.

 

I think so too but I don't know how? I bought the camera on ebay from Germany and the lens from a swedish internet shop. Is it wrong with the camera or the lens? I can't test another lens because no store around here with Leica products.

[jaapv]

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I would say 80% chance it is the lens and 20% the camera.

[andybarton]

This might seem an odd question, but you ARE holding in the lens release button, and making sure the red plastic dot is correctly aligned as you mount the lens clockwise, aren't you?

 

Do you have another camera (any digital camera) that you can use to take shots of both the mount on the body and the lens? We might be able to offer more advice if we can see both parts.

[Jeff S]

This might seem an odd question, but you ARE holding in the lens release button, and making sure the red plastic dot is correctly aligned as you mount the lens clockwise, aren't you?

 

 

I'm sure you mean to push the unlocking button for release, not for mounting.

 

Jeff

[Roehunter]

This might seem an odd question, but you ARE holding in the lens release button, and making sure the red plastic dot is correctly aligned as you mount the lens clockwise, aren't you?

 

Do you have another camera (any digital camera) that you can use to take shots of both the mount on the body and the lens? We might be able to offer more advice if we can see both parts.

 

I took some pictures of the body and lens. The picture called HalfMounted shows where it takes stop and I have to turn as hard I can (my thumbs hurts now).

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[Roehunter]

When I think about it, how is it possible to screw the lens pass the locking as I have done by mistake. Shouldn't the little lever on the camera lock into the notch on the lens and stop to rotate further? Just to be clear this doesn't refer to my last picture "HalfMounted".

[Nicoleica]

I've studied your pictures, and I can't see any obvious signs of bending, dents, scratches or scuff marks on either the lens or the camera mounts. It could just be that they are both at opposite ends of the tolerance range, and should ease with use. I know that some M8.2s can be a bit stiff, but yours does sound rather extreme. It's a shame that you can't try another lens in order to find out which is more responsible for the tightness. Perhaps one of the other members in Sweden may be close enough to you to offer to help in this respect? (I used to live near Sundsvall, but am no longer in Sweden.)

 

Regarding your question on moving past the 'lock' position. This is possible to do if you are still pressing the release button.

[photoshutter]

M mount is very easy to operate actually, smooth too!

[Roehunter]

I contacted Leica support and they suspect there is something wrong with the camera house. I have now sent an email to the seller.

[Nicoleica]

I've just had a thought. Is it possible that there is some small object (A piece of cloth, paper or similar.) stuck under one of the springs at the back of the mount on the camera? If something is preventing a spring from bending properly, it could make the mounting action very hard indeed. You might be able to test for this visually. Is the body cap a tight fit to lock too?

[Roehunter]

I've just had a thought. Is it possible that there is some small object (A piece of cloth, paper or similar.) stuck under one of the springs at the back of the mount on the camera? If something is preventing a spring from bending properly, it could make the mounting action very hard indeed. You might be able to test for this visually. Is the body cap a tight fit to lock too?

 

I think I have found the fault. In the camera mount ring is some flanges under wich the lens flanges will go under. On one side the space between camera mount flanges and the black bottom is to small for the lens flange to pass. Excuse my bad english but I hope you understand.

 

The body cap is easy to mount but it flanges is much smaller than the lens.

[Geno]

... Third try and now maybe 5 small dust spot is there (I don't have a dust free room). They are only visible when I use small apertures at bright scenes. Don't know how many tries I should do or is it good enough? ....quote]

A method I use in cleaning a sensor is similar to the method I used in cleaning sheet film holders and reloadable 35 film cassettes. You do want to just move the dust around you want to remove it. I take the hose from a vacuum cleaner, use a heavy tape to secure the hose to the work table so I can position the camera where there is suction “area” – “a negative pressure area” .I use this 6-12cm space to draw off any dust into the vacuum cleaner. I have an extra long shop vacuum cleaner hose so the motor and discharge sit outside the door (the room) in which I am working. You do not want a discharge blower moving dust in the area you are working.

Working with a rubber squeeze bulb I can (blow) dislodge and draw off dust from the interior spaces of the camera and off the sensor.

DO NOT allow the camera to come closer than a safe distance from the vacuum hose pick-up, I keep a 6cm distance from my large diameter hose. A very weak negative pressure area near the camera will suck dust away. The hose from the vacuum is fixed in place the camera and is kept a safe distance away - just so you feel a very slight suction.

DO NOT insert a vacuum hose or nozzle into the camera – the vacuum hose is not cleaning just capturing airborne dust.

You state you do not have a clean room.

DO clean the counter/work surface where you will be cleaning the camera at least an hour or more prior to doing the actual work. This will allow time for any dust you send airborne time to settle. We did testing years ago with cleaning prior to doing “clean room work”. Cleaning and washing the work area worked out better to clean the room then waiting 24 hours before doing any work.

Then just before working a slow gentle damp wipe of the work surface. In dry humidity air conditions use a spray bottle of water - spray the area with a very fine mist and drop airborne dust out of the air. Wipe gently and slowly then wait a short time before working. The work area should be able to be shut up – sealed. I currently use my home sauna - not heated of course.

[don_panko]

I would look for shiny surfaces on the camera or lens to indicate where they are mating is too tightly. It should be obvious. There is also a technique using Prussian Blue oil paint to coat one surface then assemble and disassemble the parts. The blue colour will transfer and any high spots will become obvious. Scraping the high spots off and repeating the process will generate a perfect match.

 

The only concern is that you need to check tightness with another known good lens to be sure that you do not modify the camera flange when the problem is actually the lens flange.

 

On second thought, just take it to a Leica service shop as they have the tools and jigs to do this right.

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[Roehunter]

I would look for shiny surfaces on the camera or lens to indicate where they are mating is too tightly. It should be obvious. There is also a technique using Prussian Blue oil paint to coat one surface then assemble and disassemble the parts. The blue colour will transfer and any high spots will become obvious. Scraping the high spots off and repeating the process will generate a perfect match.

 

The only concern is that you need to check tightness with another known good lens to be sure that you do not modify the camera flange when the problem is actually the lens flange.

 

On second thought, just take it to a Leica service shop as they have the tools and jigs to do this right.

 

Thank you! I examined the lens flange a last time before I send the camera back. I imagined that one flange on the lens was just a little thicker than the rest (se my third picture). I took a little diamond file and scraped of some metal and now I can mount/unmount my lens without hurting my fingers. Didn't expect Leica to have so bad quality control, but maybe they don't care so much about the Summarit line?

[jaapv]

Well done.