Sensor Dirt

[Belle123]

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I have lots of problems with sensor dust too. My other recent (past 5 years) ILCs have all had self-cleaning sensors so I've just not had to deal with it nearly as much as I have with this camera.

 

I don't even change lenses all that often — but I do use the T-Snap during certain types of trip, which means I have to remove the lens every time I want to get the SD card out. I have a rocket blower now which has helped a lot. Just wish it weren't as much work as it is.

I just bought the Arte Di Mano case for the T. Not necessary to remove the lens to get off and get to card and battery. Expensive but worth it. I hated those T snap cases. They were not a 'snap' to use.

[dkCambridgeshire]

Cameras with 'live view' have an 'open-close-open-close' shutter action ... or with the 'T', 'close-open-close-open' … double that of a 'non-live view' shutter. The increased friction is likely to generate more shutter wear and thus dust particles - which could accumulate with residual lubricant, onto, and around, the sensor. It's possible that changing the lens could generate a draught / air current which might blow any of the crud around the sensor perimeter onto the actual sensor.

 

When I attended a Leica Mayfair seminar in September 2013 and enquired about the M240 camera's greater propensity (compared to the M9) to generate dust, the technician advised that cleaning the sensor glass was insufficient - and that all the surrounding area should also be cleaned to remove accumulated shutter wear dust. If the perimeter dust/crud is not removed, and the camera is subject to heavy use, the 'soil' is likely to build up and could easily migrate onto the sensor glass.

 

Maybe the 'frame depth' around the Leica T sensor might harbour accumulated 'soil' and thus require thorough cleaning - to avoid the crud migrating onto the sensor glass.

 

Directing a blower at the sensor glass perimeter, i.e. into the frame depth, which is perpendicular to the edges of the sensor, should blow out accumulated 'sticking' perimeter dust. Directing a blower just to the sensor glass i.e. perpendicular to the sensor, might not remove all the dust in the frame depth area. A 'narrow tip' sticky swab would be even more effective at removing accumulated dust from the frame depth area. 

 

My 'T' is used relatively infrequently thus so far has not required any 'deep cleaning' … but I imagine that a heavily used 'T' would be a very different cuppa as regards dust generation. 

 

dunk

 

EDIT: Previous post 27 September 2013 regarding sensor cleaning: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/209650-leica-m-240-what-is-going-on/?p=2429532

[earleygallery]

Cameras with 'live view' have an 'open-close-open-close' shutter action - double that of a 'non-live view' shutter. The increased friction is likely to generate more shutter wear and thus dust particles - which could accumulate with residual lubricant, onto, and around, the sensor. It's possible that changing the lens could generate a draught / air current which might blow any of the crud around the sensor perimeter onto the actual sensor.

 

When I attended a Leica Mayfair seminar in September 2013 and enquired about the M240 camera's greater propensity (compared to the M9) to generate dust, the technician advised that cleaning the sensor glass was insufficient - and that all the surrounding area should also be cleaned to remove accumulated dust. If the perimeter dust/crud is not removed, and the camera is subject to heavy use, the 'soil' is likely to build up and could easily migrate onto the sensor glass.

 

Maybe the 'frame depth' around the Leica T sensor might harbour accumulated 'soil' and thus require thorough cleaning - to avoid the crud migrating onto the sensor glass.

 

dunk

Excellent technical info there Dunk! All the more reason to question why Leica didn't include a sensor cleaning function in their design.

[dkCambridgeshire]

Excellent technical info there Dunk! All the more reason to question why Leica didn't include a sensor cleaning function in their design.

 

 

Self cleaning / vibrating sensors are patented and Leica may not have been able to incorporate same with the third party sensor they chose for the 'T'. The T's components are not all made or designed 'in-house'; there are bound to be compromises and necessary omissions - particularly with a Mk I design.

 

Let's wait and see what Leica specified for the rumoured T2

 

dunk     

[mike_j]

My Delkin Sensor Scope kit includes a mini vacuum cleaner to remover the dust around the sensor frame. Not very effective in practice.

 

Oddly I find that in general use my M8 gets dirtier than the Sony A7 which has an always exposed sensor. The Sony has an optional electronic front curtain which reduces shutter movement to a 'close - open' sequence and a sensor clean function. One thing that really gets the Sony sensor dirty is using a bellows for macro work which just sucks in airborne dirt.

 

As to shutter life - Sony shutter should be good for 150,000 actuations so not much to worry about, I hope that the replacement shutter on the M8 lasts longer than the original which died at 15,000.

[Jkulin]

I've noticed some dirt on my sensor and called Leica UK to see what they recommended and they said they used Invisible Dust products, in conjucntion with their Loupe, so I have purchased the following: -

 

Visible Dust Sensor Clean Fluid - 8 ml

 

Visible Dust 7x Mini Quasar Loupe

 

VisibleDust Cleaning Kit - Cleaning Pack of equipment Photo, Green

 

I'm really quite fussy about any marks on my lenses or images, so for near enough £100 it should be worth it.

 

I'll let you know how I go on.

[Jkulin]

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Just to advise that I used the dust cleaners and fluid that came with it and the CCD looks immaculate, it was effortless, one swab to apply the fluid, wait a minute then wipe with another dry swab, no discernible fluff or marks anywhere.

[starshipstu]

Just to advise that I used the dust cleaners and fluid that came with it and the CCD looks immaculate, it was effortless, one swab to apply the fluid, wait a minute then wipe with another dry swab, no discernible fluff or marks anywhere.

 

 

Hi,

The link to the cleaning swabs does not work. I've looked on VisibleDust's web site, and cannot find the answer. What size swab did you use for the Leica T?

Thanks,

Stuart

[Jkulin]

Hi,

 

Hi,

The link to the cleaning swabs does not work. I've looked on VisibleDust's web site, and cannot find the answer. What size swab did you use for the Leica T?

Thanks,

Stuart

 

 

The links are correct but it seems as if there is a redirector changing the url

 

I can't relist the link as it will be redirected again, however if you go to amazon.co.uk and type invisible dust you will see the green handled swabs.

 

Hope that helps?

 

NB Just discovered that the forum takes you to an intermediate page and if you look at the top right hand-side there is a link that says continue to Amazon which will show you the product.

[pop]

The links should work now.

[Jkulin]

The links should work now.

Thanks pop, but sadly they don't, it takes yo to http://optimize.viglink.com/page/pmv?url=http://www.adidas.com&utm_expid=126886921-14.hEmUEuf0R-mVJ3qdmIXooA.1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.l-camera-forum.com%2Ftopic%2F264241-sensor-dirt%2Fpage-2 and the you have to click the hyperlink at the top right of the page

[pop]

Thanks pop, but sadly they don't, it takes yo to http://optimize.viglink.com/page/pmv?url=http://www.adidas.com&utm_expid=126886921-14.hEmUEuf0R-mVJ3qdmIXooA.1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.l-camera-forum.com%2Ftopic%2F264241-sensor-dirt%2Fpage-2 and the you have to click the hyperlink at the top right of the page

Sadly, you are right. Using the Opera browser (which is a Chrome in disguise) I detected that you can proceed directly to the desired link by holding either the CTRL or the SHIFT key while klicking on the link.

[Jkulin]

Sadly, you are right. Using the Opera browser (which is a Chrome in disguise) I detected that you can proceed directly to the desired link by holding either the CTRL or the SHIFT key while klicking on the link.

 

Thanks Pop, holding the ctrl and clicking the link in FireFox also works.