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marioiturri

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Use proper sensor cleaning swabs, Q tips can leave hairs of cotton inside the camera. It isn't difficult cleaning a sensor correctly so long as you take it seriously and don't try shortcuts.

 

Steve

Considering Leitz service personnel use chloroform, pro grade q-tips and chamois leather for cleaning all the optics of microscopes I do not see where the "proper swabs" comes into the equation. Pro-grade Q-tips are proper and should be taken quite seriously, whereas overpriced swabs are exactly that. Non-use of chloroform on M8/9 sensor was discussed before & that spectroscopic IPA is the way to go.

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IPA is safe for cleaning the IR filter on the sensor. The IR filter glass is pretty tough but its coating is susceptible to scratching.

 

If the IR filter is scratched the whole sensor assembly must be replaced which can cost up to 1,400 euros if you deal direct with Leica, or more if handled via a distributor/dealer.

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  • 2 years later...

Hi guys, I've just joined this forum as I was checking around Internet to see if anyone has had the same problem as I have. I know this an old thread but it's the closest I've come to finding the same symptoms as I have, a "scratch" along the bottom of shots taken at anything from F11 to F16 etc. it doesn't show up wider than that. It's only visible when there is a single colour, blue sky or orange sunrise etc and as its right at the bottom I can generally crop it out. But on an expensive camera like an M9-p, I expect perfection! So, I was wondering if anybody had a difinitive answer to what it could be and the best course of action to take. I cleaned the sensor with an "Eyelead" cleaner (It was a bit intense using that!) but it hasn't cleared it. Going to try a wet swab next. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Wil be at leica Mayfair in a couple of weeks so will put it to them as well.

Thanks in advance.

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I have put together a little composite of some test shots I did to show the mark. I have originals if you wanted more detail but I think these are ok. I shot next to a lamp to give the background a single colour. It doesn’t show when its a normal shot with detail in it like grass or roadway etc. As I said, it seems to show up at narrow apertures but I have now also seen it at F4 shot with a 35mm. (1st pic). I guess it’s so close to the edge of the sensor.

The Southwold Pier shot shows it under normal circumstances. (1/500th sec @ F8 50mm summicron).

Also, just for info, the camera was originally an M9 but has had the full P upgrade done by Leica Mayfair earlier this year.

Many thanks for your time, interested to hear what you think.

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Yep, they should work fine, check first on a piece of sheet glass or whatever to make sure the glue holding the cotton does not dissolve. Avoid using a lot of pressure, there is no need for that anyway. I normally use laboratory swabs with a wooden stick. Not the plastic variety

 

I am not too enthusiastic about methanol, ethanol as they are very hygroscopic & may leave water droplets after evaporation. IPA is better in that respect and somewhat less volatile.

 

The best of all is chloroform but I would not recommend using it on any camera/lens unless you really know what you are doing. I am happy enough to use it on our microscopes (with 10k euro objectives) but somehow using it on the M8 freaks me out, big time.

The coatings on lenses are different from those on sensors. I would stick with accepted products for sensor cleaning.

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Be careful. If it is Eclipse that is a hard chalk-like residue which can easiliy produce a real scratch when you try to remove it.

In my case I would have a look with a microscope first.

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