Sensor cleaning: vacuum

[ymc226]

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I've been looking for a lab grade vacuum that you can attach soft tubing to suck up dust on the sensor.  It would still be some risk as you would need to get the tip of the tubing close to the sensor.  

 

B&H sells these body mounted vacuum devices but only in Canon and Nikon mounts.  I was thinking that most of the sensor dirt is dust more than stuck on debris so a quick rocket blower to loosen up followed by the vacuum attached via a lens adapter.  What do you think as the reviews on the site are decent.  (I don't know how much B&H edits bad reviews from appearing on their site)

 

vacuum device

 

M adapter

 

L adapter

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[TomB_tx]

Interesting idea. I have thought a vacuum device would be preferable to a blower, but expected a vacuum-brush would be needed to loosen dust from the sensor surface, and a brush could get contaminated and smear the cover glass. This thing might be worth a try.

[ymc226]

Look  at their site.  I see on their video that the little particles on the side of the dish did not get completely cleared but the vacuum.  

 

I also realized a cheaper way to adapt the cleaner for my use.  I already have a Leica SL to M adapter to would only need either a FotodioX Leica M body to Canon EF or Nikon F adapter at around $25.  

 

Fujin

[wjdrijfhout]

Using vacuüm instead of blowing for sensor cleaning makes a lot of sense. Blowing essentially moves dust around, vacuum eliminates it. I have seen a video somewhere of sensor cleaning done at Leica factory in Wetzlar. They use vacuum. But they use a general bench top vacuum-pump with a silicon tube leading into the camera. That way they can target the dust particles. They also seemed not to bothered for the soft silicon tube to touch the sensor.

 

As nice as this Fujin cleaner looks, I can’t imagine it will take any dust off the sensor. For any force to be exercised on a dust particle to come off, you’d need some decent vacuum, and by design of the Fujin, it means you’d have to suck vacuum in the whole camera body, which I don’t think the device will do (thankfully). Ultimately you’d need a solid airflow targeted right at the dust particle. That is much easier to do with a tube of some sort, than with a device that covers the whole mount.

[ymc226]

Using vacuüm instead of blowing for sensor cleaning makes a lot of sense. Blowing essentially moves dust around, vacuum eliminates it. I have seen a video somewhere of sensor cleaning done at Leica factory in Wetzlar. They use vacuum. But they use a general bench top vacuum-pump with a silicon tube leading into the camera. That way they can target the dust particles. They also seemed not to bothered for the soft silicon tube to touch the sensor.

 

As nice as this Fujin cleaner looks, I can’t imagine it will take any dust off the sensor. For any force to be exercised on a dust particle to come off, you’d need some decent vacuum, and by design of the Fujin, it means you’d have to suck vacuum in the whole camera body, which I don’t think the device will do (thankfully). Ultimately you’d need a solid airflow targeted right at the dust particle. That is much easier to do with a tube of some sort, than with a device that covers the whole mount.

 

I agree.  It does't appear strong or precise enough.  I will buy a used lab grade vacuum pump on Ebay and latex rubber tubing to use.  They are only a few hundred dollars used so should last a while.

[farnz]

I would be concerned about the risk of damaging the sensor's surface by accidentally touching it with the end of the hose or maybe the end of the hose getting sucked onto the sensor by the negative pressure so I would probably tape soft paintbrush bristles to the end of the hose so that only the soft bristles can touch the sensor.  Neoprene or foam plastic would probably work too.

 

Pete.

[JDFlood]

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Just noted this thread. Leica recommends using a vacuum with a rubber hose to suck up dust instead of blowing it around. There is a long video showing a Leica technician cleaning the sensor. Also used is a gummy lolly pop to remove dust. I found the video via an internet search. The combination of vaccum and lolly pop is a very time consuming process. About a half hour per cleaning. It eventually works  though.  

[GeneM2]

Consider the combination of a Rocket type puffer in one hand with vacuum through a vinyl tube held by the other hand. You can target dust particles with a puff of air and direct them into the air stream flowing into the vinyl tube. Don’t touch the sensor at all. The vacuum can be generated by an ordinary household vacuum if you make a simple adapter to connect the vinyl tube to the vacuum’s suction port. I’ve been doing this for a long time and it works well. 

[robert blu]

At home I use a small Vacuum Pump by KNF with a rubber hose (like post #7 ) as suggested by Leica Customer Service when I bought the M10 in Wetzlar. It works well but probably a little too much for occasional use.

When traveling (by car) following a Jaap's suggestion  I use the Green Clean kit, small, light and simple.

robert

PS: unfortunately I do not find a link t the KNF pump, sorry.

 

[LBJ2]

53 minutes ago, robert blu said:

At home I use a small Vacuum Pump by KNF with a rubber hose (like post #7 ) as suggested by Leica Customer Service when I bought the M10 in Wetzlar. It works well but probably a little too much for occasional use.

When traveling (by car) following a Jaap's suggestion  I use the Green Clean kit, small, light and simple.

robert

PS: unfortunately I do not find a link t the KNF pump, sorry.

 

 

Hello. I have been looking for a very small vacuum pump similar to what I saw in the Wetzlar cleaning video. What is the model number of the small KNF vacuum pump are you using? I would like to investigate. Thank you

Fo reference : https://leicarumors.com/2017/04/05/how-to-clean-a-leica-m-camerasensor-video.aspx/

Note: Personally, I found the disposible Green Clean Kit a weak and poor system. IMO if you are going to spend money on the Green Clean Kit, might as well use a blower and something like a Visible Dust sensor brush or Gel Pen which in my opinion is much more effective than the Green Clean Kit.

 

[jaapv]

?? The vacuum system is not disposable and works well. I agree about the swabs - they are too wet and resk getting moisture in unwanted places.

[tobey bilek]

Dust gets stuck on and the vacuum would have to be terribly strong to remove it.   I have the Pentax sticky wand and am afraid to use it.   I am most comfortable with the lens pen and lighted loupe.   I look in and go after the specs with the pen as I can see each one.   It is quite soft and will pick up what it loosens.  Blow out or vacuum what remains as it is now loose.

I will also resort to my air brush and it has a moisture trap and will send continuous air as long as needed.  Specks tend to come out rather than resettle.  This was used on  previously owned Nikon that was nice on outside,  but filthy inside.   Nothing seemed to work on that beast except lots of air.  It is a low count camera and clean outside.  Just the inside was screwed up. 

 

[sblutter]

I bought reducing hoses for a household vacuum that ended with an open end about 1.5" wide

It's sucking power was so strong I was afraid I'd break the sensor

Have been happy with FF wet swabs for the occasional stubborn specks

That said, I don't clean it very often - Photoshop touch-ups are very quick

[robert blu]

On 11/12/2018 at 12:39 PM, LBJ2 said:

Hello. I have been looking for a very small vacuum pump similar to what I saw in the Wetzlar cleaning video. What is the model number of the small KNF vacuum pump are you using? I would like to investigate. Thank you

Fo reference : https://leicarumors.com/2017/04/05/how-to-clean-a-leica-m-camerasensor-video.aspx/

Note: Personally, I found the disposible Green Clean Kit a weak and poor system. IMO if you are going to spend money on the Green Clean Kit, might as well use a blower and something like a Visible Dust sensor brush or Gel Pen which in my opinion is much more effective than the Green Clean Kit.

 

Sorry for late replay, the small vacuum pomp I use is Laboport Mini-Laborpumpe PM-19627-86 but I do not find a mention of it in the actual web site of KNF.

robert

[albertknappmd]

Vacuum sounds interesting but takes a while.

I have been very successful with Giotto... Arctic butterfly... Wet cleaning... in that order over the years.

However, I have also used pure CO2 as a quick and usually effective MONOTHERAPY. I purchase it from Leland.... https://www.americanrecorder.com/collections/gas-dusters/products/co2-dust-particle-remover-74-gram?variant=1275573448  

The salient point is to use the pure CO2 and to first spray a millisecond or so into the air so as to avoid droplets/condensates. Pure CO2 does not have any noxious propellants and Michael Reichmann had posts regarding its efficacy in the past. I invert teh camera and spray. All dust is gone. Obviously if you have oil residue, then wet cleaning is still in order..

Albert 😂