edwardkaraa Posted October 3, 2013 Share #1 Posted October 3, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello, After having owned the M9 for slightly over a year, and having never cleaned the sensor except with an air blower, my sensor has accumulated about 70-80 dust bunnies that are becoming very annoying in landscape shots. So I finally decided to do a proper cleaning with the pre-moistened Sensor Swabs +. Please note that I have done this at least once a month for many many years on my DSLR, so I do have good experience with sensor cleaning. Now, after 3 consecutive wet cleanings, I am realizing that the dust bunnies are still there, and curiously not budging at all, which makes me believe this is welded dust, or could it be dried oil spots. Any idea how to remove this or should I send the M9 to Solms? Thanks in advance for your feedback! PS: A local friend who is an ex-M9 owner claims the welded dust had completely stuck to his sensor and removing it had caused the sensor coatings to flake out at the position of the dust bunnies. Not sure if this is a real risk or not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 3, 2013 Posted October 3, 2013 Hi edwardkaraa, Take a look here How to remove welded dust?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jip Posted October 3, 2013 Share #2 Posted October 3, 2013 Could you please provide a shots of a light blue background focus set to 'out of focus' from where your light blue background is and a small aperture? Then we can see the spots for ourselves and maybe judge what they are, since you can see the difference sometimes between dus/oil/other stuff. Thanks!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted October 3, 2013 Author Share #3 Posted October 3, 2013 Here's what it looks like with a 25mm at f/11. All the dust is in the upper part of the frame, which means the lower edge of the sensor. L1006329 by edward karaa, on Flickr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted October 3, 2013 Share #4 Posted October 3, 2013 If your attempts are not working, I would send it in for a professional cleaning. You have a lot of spots there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted October 3, 2013 Author Share #5 Posted October 3, 2013 Thanks Bill. Yes, I think that would be the sensible thing to do. I should have wet cleaned it while the oil hasn't dried out yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted October 3, 2013 Share #6 Posted October 3, 2013 Thank for the post as I never have seen oil before on a sensor. Dust is squiggly lines or very small dots. Those shown are far too large for dust. From reading, pollen is very small welded on spots , however they can be cleaned. Visible dust makes an oil solvent for this problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted October 3, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted October 3, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks Tobey! I will take a look at the oil solvent solution. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted October 3, 2013 Share #8 Posted October 3, 2013 I tried to clean the sensor myself made a right mess by adding more dust, then took it to Mayfair London, a comprehensive job by a professional fo £70, seems it was over an hour to do and the risk of damage was too much for me to consider trying anything else. I am 6k on from the last clean and will be back again soon, probably hold off until 10kish 7p each shutter action is a liveable cost, much cheaper than film ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted October 3, 2013 Share #9 Posted October 3, 2013 Thanks Tobey! I will take a look at the oil solvent solution. These are the two I use. The "plus" does oil. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/213999-how-to-remove-welded-dust/?do=findComment&comment=2433882'>More sharing options...
marknorton Posted October 3, 2013 Share #10 Posted October 3, 2013 I don't have much time for these esoteric sounding solutions which are simply bought in bulk, re-packaged and sold at 1000% mark-up. I recommend you use pure iso-propyl alcohol (sometimes called isopropanol) which is the stuff we used to clean tape heads with. If they are grease spots, they need an alcohol based cleaning fluid, not a water based one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest malland Posted October 3, 2013 Share #11 Posted October 3, 2013 I agree with Mark. Edward, but in Bangkok you can get your sensor cleaned at AV Camera, a Leica dealer in Bangrak, for 300 baht (US$10). If they think they cannot clean it, they'll tell you. —Mitch/Paris Lanka Footsteps [M-Monochrom/Sri Lanka] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted October 3, 2013 Author Share #12 Posted October 3, 2013 Mark, is isopropanol better than the eclipse liquid used in sensor swabs plus? I believe they are the same. Mitch, thanks for the recommendation of av camera. I have already asked them and it only costs about 10$ to clean the sensor. I am a bit hesitant though because I have always cleaned the sensors myself, and since the dried oil spots are quite hard, I'm afraid the technician might be a bit heavy handed on the sensor coatings. If I can find a way to clean this stuff myself, it would be more preferable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ario Arioldi Posted October 4, 2013 Share #13 Posted October 4, 2013 "Eclipse 2" is a mixture of methanol, ethanol and isopropanol, "Eclipse" is pure methanol. In my experience isopropanol is a better cleaning media for sensors, compared to methanol and ethanol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted October 4, 2013 Author Share #14 Posted October 4, 2013 Thank you for the info, Ario. Sensor Swabs + seem to use Eclipse liquid according to what I can see on the packaging. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest malland Posted October 4, 2013 Share #15 Posted October 4, 2013 ...Mitch, thanks for the recommendation of av camera. I have already asked them and it only costs about 10$ to clean the sensor. I am a bit hesitant though because I have always cleaned the sensors myself, and since the dried oil spots are quite hard, I'm afraid the technician might be a bit heavy handed on the sensor coatings. If I can find a way to clean this stuff myself, it would be more preferable.If it were me, I'd have more confidence with an experienced technician doing it than me — and at US$10 per cleaning that, for me, is a no-brainer; also because I think the technician would recommend sending the camera to Leica Singapore if he thought that he couldn't do it. But, hey, if you take my advice and he screws up your sensor, I won't accept any liability... —Mitch/Paris Bangkok Hysteria [download link for book project] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted October 4, 2013 Author Share #16 Posted October 4, 2013 If it were me, I'd have more confidence with an experienced technician doing it than me — and at US$10 per cleaning that, for me, is a no-brainer; also because I think the technician would recommend sending the camera to Leica Singapore if he thought that he couldn't do it. But, hey, if you take my advice and he screws up your sensor, I won't accept any liability... —Mitch/Paris Bangkok Hysteria [download link for book project] LOL Well noted Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
teeraash Posted October 4, 2013 Share #17 Posted October 4, 2013 Isopropyl works much better than Visible Dust in my recent MM cleaning experience but you may find it's hard or next to impossible to buy ISP 99% in Bangkok. BTW, you can mix ISP with lab grade distill water to dilute it a little. Heard that Solhms uses 70%. Send me message if you want to try. I got a lot to spare. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest malland Posted October 4, 2013 Share #18 Posted October 4, 2013 Although I don't have it here to check, I got a small bottle at either Boots or Waltons (don't recall) at Central World. —Mitch/Paris Bangkok Hysteria [download link for book project] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jianglinxi Posted October 5, 2013 Share #19 Posted October 5, 2013 Please double check your CCD if you can see very tiny shine pieces. My M9 does have the same problem. I shipped my M9 to Leica, and CCD was replaced. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted October 5, 2013 Share #20 Posted October 5, 2013 I had no problems and no spots at all, during repair of something different leica replaced my sensor on M9p because of coating coming loose... Never saw anything on any picture so they must replace this if it doesn't come of?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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