Sensor cleaning with isopropanol

[dkCambridgeshire]

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I hope you do not mind a question. On my M9 sensor there are a couple of pale lilac/white spots that I presume might be oil spots, they are dark spots on the image. I have tried cleaning with Visible Dust V swabs and Dust-aid Ultra clean fluid; also with an eyelead sensor gel stick, but to no avail. I cannot find out what the Ultra Clean fluid consists of, is it Isopropyl alcohol; if not, what would be better to tackle these resistant spots.

Many thanks , Nick Bradford, New Zealand

 

Please take a photo of a clear sky or a piece of grey paper and show us the results including crop of same - then we might be able to diagnose probable cause of the spots. Please also refer to the 'spots' thread http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/307974-strange-white-spots-m9-sensor-48.html

 

dunk

Edited December 29, 2014 by dkpeterborough

[nicklotb]

Dear DK Thanks for your reply, it's the first time I have posted on this site so hope attachments work, both spots are half way up the image and not bad compared to others posts in the thread you sent me, but it's a nuisance to have to spot them out every time, I use the M9 now for my landscapes, often with much sky, where they are visible even at f5.6

Thanks Nick B

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[wlaidlaw]

Those look like regular dust and grease to me. They don't have the characteristic haloing or worm like tracks of the two common appearances of corrosion. A dry clean may get rid of the dust but the smear will probably need a wet clean or at least a sticky lollipop (Eye-Lead or similar). Some folks have had success getting smears off with the lollipop but I haven't and have always had to resort to a wet clean. I am currently using 100% pure/absolute analytical grade ethanol, as recommended by the sensor maker. Seems to work just fine.

 

Wilson

[lawman]

Which sensor manufacturers recommend ethanol over isopropyl alcohol??

[wlaidlaw]

Which sensor manufacturers recommend ethanol over isopropyl alcohol??

 

The current manufacturers of the CCD sensors (ON Semiconductors) used in the MM and M-E cameras, talk about using pure Ethanol on their website. I don't think this advice was specifically for the Leica sensors with the Schott glass IR filter/cover glass but was what they said they used themselves in general for sensor cleaning.

 

Wilson

[Lenshacker]

Teledyne strongly discourages the use of any liquid except Ethanol.

 

From their 24MPixel CCD datasheet:

 

"When cleaning the glass, we strongly recommend using ethanol. Use of other liquids is strongly discouraged"

 

FTF6040C 24 MP Color CCD - Product Detail - Teledyne DALSA

[lawman]

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The current manufacturers of the CCD sensors (ON Semiconductors) used in the MM and M-E cameras, talk about using pure Ethanol on their website. I don't think this advice was specifically for the Leica sensors with the Schott glass IR filter/cover glass but was what they said they used themselves in general for sensor cleaning.

 

Wilson

 

 

Thank you for the information- so, on both CMOS (m240) and CCD (m9) cameras, using a swab and pure ethanol is the best way to clean sensors from oil spots and debris not removed by blower or arctic butterfly brush?? Thanks

[jaapv]

I insert the use of a stamping tool in this workflow - it will remove most adhesive dirt except severe oily pollution, which is rather rare after breaking the camera in.

[wlaidlaw]

I insert the use of a stamping tool in this workflow - it will remove most adhesive dirt except severe oily pollution, which is rather rare after breaking the camera in.

 

I would 100% agree with Jaap about using a sticky lollipop, as it avoids dragging jagged pieces of dust across your sensor.

 

Wilson

[honcho]

Seems to be a greatly overblown thread on what is really only routine housekeeping. I've always used 99.9% pure ipa only for wet cleaning, ordered via my local chemist round the corner.

 

One wet swab quickly followed by a dry swab does the job with no smears or streaks.

[dkCambridgeshire]

Seems to be a greatly overblown thread on what is really only routine housekeeping. I've always used 99.9% pure ipa only for wet cleaning, ordered via my local chemist round the corner.

 

One wet swab quickly followed by a dry swab does the job with no smears or streaks.

 

Routine for some but fear and trepidation for others - and no official and necessary H&S warnings from Leica Camera AG regarding their recommended use of isopropanol … or recommended % purity.

 

Clearly there are several options for effective sensor cleaning but any using solvents require care and H&S awareness … more so for those coping with existing respiratory conditions or working at home in the presence of children.

 

Personally I've learnt that to try and wet clean stubborn residue without use of a 'lollipop' first, to 'lift' rather than 'drag' sensor grot, risks scratching the sensor glass. Thus 'lollipops' should be in everyone's sensor cleaning toolkit - together with an illuminated sensor loupe to locate and identify the debris before trying to remove it.

 

dunk

[honcho]

H&S information is supplied with ipa, at least from my local chemist source. I can understand that it might not be supplied when sourced from Ebay, etc. Even so, the quantities needed to clean a camera sensor are miniscule and anyone with any common sense would realise that solvents need to be used carefully in well-ventilated places and drinking the contents of the bottle is not a good idea.

 

If, as you say, sensor cleaning causes fear and trepidation amongst some then there is always the option to send the camera away for 'professional' cleaning, but this is a little like paying someone to fill your car with the correct fuel because you're afraid of filling it yourself with the wrong fuel.

 

Threads about sensor cleaning appear with monotonous regularity here, but you are right to point out potential H&S and purity issues, so from that point of view your comments are relevant. Most of the rest has been said before, and more than once.

[nicklotb]

Many thanks for the suggestions, these are not dust spots so are presumably oil spots, but several wet cleans have failed to shift them with Dust Aid Ultra Clean, I will try to access some 100% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol in NZ.

This is a very useful forum, many thanks and a Happy 2015 with many good images.

Nick