Cleaning the outside of M10 (Leica M camera)

[tom24]

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Hello

 

I have not seen this topic anywhere on the forum - maybe I overlooked (if I am, I'm sorry).

 

How do you clean the outside of the camera?

Especially when holding the camera eith sweaty hand (in summer).

 

Is a little wet microfibre cloth OK?

Or is there any special cleaning product for cleaning outside of the camera?

 

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[dunos]

Here is the process I have been using when I get home and the camera looks mucky:

 

1. Rocketblower to remove dust / debris from nooks and crannys
2. Goat hair brush to remove any dust / debris that the rocketblower couldn't remove
3. Single use zeiss lens wipes on the rangefinder front windows (and also on the body in general once the windows are clear)
4. Rocketblower then brush then micro-lens-pen on the rangefinder eye piece
5. Moistened (not very much) pec pad to wipe over all other surfaces of the body

In the field I'll use a microfiber cloth on the body and zeiss lens wipes on the rangefinder front windows (because I am an idiot and get fingerprints on them all the time). I try to only clean things when I am at home and not in a rush.

[Whitford]

Wet Wipes. Dry with microfiber.

[Peter H]

It depends on the time of year.

 

In summer, I use my t-shirt. In winter, my jumper.

[hteasley]

Single-use lens wipes from Costco, when there is a need. But it doesn't get that dirty, so a t-shirt swipe over the front windows of the viewfinder to get rid of fingerprints is often all it needs.

Edited July 9, 2018 by hteasley

[schattenundlicht]

I always carry a microfiber cloth in my camera bag. I never use this in the field, however, if the air is filled with dust in rocky / sandy environments. At home I use a blower and a clean microfiber.

 

I have never used a lens wipe or cleaning fluid on a body in 40 years of photography, with the noteable exception of paying for youthful idiocy after carrying my first SLR in a backpack together with a ripe banana during an alpine ascent. I was very hungry and remorseful on my way down. I scrubbed for days on end.

Edited July 9, 2018 by schattenundlicht

[earleygallery]

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Surely someone has come up with a ‘Leica grooming kit’ to keep it looking fresh, all in a nice leather case. Only £599.

 

I’ve just had an idea....

[Michael Geschlecht]

Here is the process I have been using when I get home and the camera looks mucky:

 

1. Rocketblower to remove dust / debris from nooks and crannys
2. Goat hair brush to remove any dust / debris that the rocketblower couldn't remove
3. Single use zeiss lens wipes on the rangefinder front windows (and also on the body in general once the windows are clear)
4. Rocketblower then brush then micro-lens-pen on the rangefinder eye piece
5. Moistened (not very much) pec pad to wipe over all other surfaces of the body

In the field I'll use a microfiber cloth on the body and zeiss lens wipes on the rangefinder front windows (because I am an idiot and get fingerprints on them all the time). I try to only clean things when I am at home and not in a rush.

 

Hello Dunos,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Some people find that if they cradle the lens & camera from underneath with their left hand. And use their left hand to focus.

 

And operate the shutter release with their right index finger while their right hand is also holding the camera body steady: That they have less of a tendency to smudge the range/viewfinder window & the other windows in the front.

 

A Leica "M" camera, whether film or digital, is relentlessly right handed.

 

Altho the range/viewfinder window in the back is ambiocculous.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited July 9, 2018 by Michael Geschlecht

[dunos]

And operate the shutter release with their right index finger while their right hand is also holding the camera body steady: That they have less of a tendency to smudge the range/viewfinder window & the other windows in the front.

 

Thanks for the tips Michael.

 

It's more when putting the camera in and out of my bag that I have a tendency to touch the windows by accident.

Edited July 10, 2018 by dunos

[albertknappmd]

Rocket blower and microfiber/cotton tee shirt are ideal...

Albert     

[indergaard]

Whatever piece of cloth I have handy at the time. A couple of times a year, or after some travel and extensive use, I might use a Zeiss lens wipe to get it shining again. I have lots of the Zeiss wipes that comes in packs of 60, and use them on a lot of different things. Cameras, phones, laptops, and other devices.

[Reciprocity]

I use whatever I need to, damp cloth, t-shirt, paper towel, it's a tool not a magic 8 ball.

Yesterday among other gear it got absolutely filthy covered in fine dust and mud from an assignment in a marble quarry. 

 

I'm amazed at how fast the black chrome is wearing off though, with exactly the same treatment as my other M bodies, it is now nearly as brassed as my 10 year old M6. Gotta love that built in Lenny Kravits pigmentation!

Edited July 11, 2018 by Reciprocity

[jmahto]

It depends on the time of year.

 

In summer, I use my t-shirt. In winter, my jumper.

Two questions: how often do you clean? After every shot or after every fix interval, like every 5 minutes? Does your cat help?