Just found the "Dust detection" option

[marchyman]

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In the same thread you posted but after the video someone mentioned the "pentax" version.  Don't know about that, but that got me looking and for some reason I bookmarked this product:  https://www.amazon.com/SCK-1-Sensor-Gel-Stick/dp/B00JPD0UQW

 

I have not yet had any dust issues that could not be resolved with a Rocket blower so haven't had to buy/test that product.

[Steve Ricoh]

However resilient Leica sensors are, I am always happier to use a blower than anything that touches the sensor.

Even the word 'sensor' to me says, "Hands off."

 

Well, well, I've just tried the rocket trick and lo and behold the sensor is now 99.9% clear of dust. The .1% is just one tiny spec so I'll happily live with that.

Thanks to Peter, and to others who mentioned the rocket.

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[Peter Kilmister]

@Steve Ricoh: I am really pleased that a cheap piece of squeezable plastic has cured your problem. I checked my sensor using dust detector today and there were a couple of big spots of dust. I used the muslin over the vacuum cleaner trick and also use my blower. Strangely I still have one little blob remaining. Now I know where it lies I will have another go at clearing it tomorrow.

BTW, I rarely care about dust around the sensor edges because post processing easily removes those specks.

[Steve Ricoh]

@Steve Ricoh: I am really pleased that a cheap piece of squeezable plastic has cured your problem. I checked my sensor using dust detector today and there were a couple of big spots of dust. I used the muslin over the vacuum cleaner trick and also use my blower. Strangely I still have one little blob remaining. Now I know where it lies I will have another go at clearing it tomorrow.

BTW, I rarely care about dust around the sensor edges because post processing easily removes those specks.

I may we'll be tempted to have the vacuum next time. I get the idea, it's to get an airstream in the vicinity to coax the dust away from the camera light box, meaning less chance of the dust re-entering in the turbulence created by the rocket.

 

Peter, assuming a typical mains powered domestic vac, how far do you have your helper hold the muslin-covered nozzle from the camera opening? If left to guessing I'd probably look to something like 12" to 18".

[jaapv]

Using  domestic vacuum cleaner is nonsense. The air blasting out of the rear will stir up the dust in the room and deposit it on your sensor as soon as you remove the nozzle.

 

The Green Clean sensor vacuum cleaner does an excellent job. It has a soft nozzle so it cannot damage your sensor in case you touch it.

 

 

http://www.green-clean.at/en/products/air-duster-dusting-tools/mini-vacuum-suction-system.html

[Peter Kilmister]

Dear jaapv, I respect your opinions but in this case I have to say I have found excellent results from the vacuum method. Yesterday I did dust detection. There were a few large blobs. I opened the shutter and used the blower and retested. Still a few blobs. Then I used the vacuum nozzle covered in muslin and, Bob's your Uncle, {for non English people the equivalent in French is "Voila"} all blobs had magically disappeared. 

 

The muslin seems to protect anything from coming loose and getting swallowed by the machine. Because there is such suction near the lens orifice it is the reverse of a black hole effect. Nothing gets drawn in, everything gets taken out.

 

Today I took a shot in bright light in Bosham Harbour near Chichester. When I developed the DNG there was not a speck of dust on the negative.

 

In summary, it may be crude but it works.

 

Your Green Clean solution costs about GBP 45.00. My crude solution costs 5 seconds of a 1KW vacuum cleaner, about GBP 0.01. 

 

You choose your way and I'll choose mine. 

[Steve Ricoh]

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Well, well, I've just tried the rocket trick and lo and behold the sensor is now 99.9% clear of dust. The .1% is just one tiny spec so I'll happily live with that.

Thanks to Peter, and to others who mentioned the rocket.

A quick memo to myself

 

On Wednesday I mentioned that I had successfully rid the sensor of dust using the Rocket Blower, sans vacuum cleaner (confirmed by the dust detection feature shooting a homogeneous scene at f/16). Today after approx 50 'clicks' of the shutter the dust detection shows about 20 items (approx) of dust. I conclude the dust had only been redistributed by the Rocket, eg from the sensor to the light box, and the movement of air due to the shutter further redistributed the dust, some of which has landed back on the sensor.

I think I'll invest in the green clean thing.

 

NB In the intervening period there was no lens change. The 50mm I attatched after the initial Rocket clean stayed put.

Edited April 19, 2018 by Steve Ricoh

[Greenmarine]

Leica's "Dust Detection" - a fantastic feature! found it by chance from a youtube video ...

what's so great about it is:

1. it only shows dust specs above the size where it really becomes a problem (I know, coz when inspecting the sensor with a 10x loupe I saw dust which the dust detection hadn't shown, but those also didn't cause any issue on real images (bad news for those of youse suffering from OCD. I'm afraid 😉)

2. it shows you exactly where the crud's located w/o needing to think about the lens inversion thing (top right on image means bottom left on sensor)

In my experience the "ultrasound cleaning feature" on my Canon, Nikon and Fuji cameras I had previously never really worked. didn't remove larger dust particles, so I don't really miss it ...

I do like that the shutter on my M10M's covers the sensor when changing lenses (and having 2 bodies helps reduce the frequency of changing lenses, while effectively emptying your bank account 😉)

cheers

Hendrik

www.hendriximages.com

[Gregm61]

I’ve been using the dust detection with my M262 for 6 years now. Check it every couple of months or so with the 135/3.4 APO fitted and stopped down to f16.

I’m  afraid f22 might reflect more that I care to look at, not to mention I don’t think I’ve ever actually used f22 when taking an image with that camera.

Took delivery of a pretty much like-new M246 from Leica Store Miami two weeks ago. Checking for sensor dust was the first thing I did and cleaned the 4-5 visible specs off before taking an image.

Edited May 5, 2022 by Gregm61