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Sensor Cleaning and Leica Repair Services


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I have noticed in the two more recent outings with my M240 that i have a lot of dust on my sensor. The attached image is from the most recent outing to see the airshow. The circles are the spot removal I had to do to fix all the dust. As you can see it is substantial. Note that I was stopped down to F22 on a 90mm lens to get the depth needed for the air crafts and people to be in focus. So the dust was more apparent in the image. 

I have cleaned the sensor with the blower multiple times. I have cleaned the sensor with swab and solution once between the outings. I switch lenses often enough for dust to get in, I expect it to happen. My problem is that after cleaning the sensor so thoroughly I should not have this much dust. It appears that using the blower provides minimal help and the swab basically nothing. 

Has anyone experienced such persistent dust? Could this be some sort of corrosion on the sensor?

I am debating sending it in for a repair and service to fix the issue. Has anyone used this service before and has an idea of cost, procedure, and effectiveness in getting a clean sensor back?

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The sensor on my M-P 240 had some spots but it wasn't nearly that bad.  They seemed to be noticeable from f/8 and up.  It took me 4 passes with Smear Away & Sensor Clean to finally get rid of 99% of them but now it seems to be fine.  I'm used to this with my X1D.  That thing gets dusty even when you don't change the lens.

What's interesting about the 240 is that when the camera is off and you change lenses the sensor is not exposed.  It doesn't stand to reason that it should get that dirty.  

 

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45 minutes ago, Camaro5 said:

The sensor on my M-P 240 had some spots but it wasn't nearly that bad.  They seemed to be noticeable from f/8 and up.  It took me 4 passes with Smear Away & Sensor Clean to finally get rid of 99% of them but now it seems to be fine.  I'm used to this with my X1D.  That thing gets dusty even when you don't change the lens.

What's interesting about the 240 is that when the camera is off and you change lenses the sensor is not exposed.  It doesn't stand to reason that it should get that dirty.  

 

Some of the spots are noticeable at F8... I would say maybe 30% of them. The rest show up at high apertures. 

I can try doing another pass or two with the swab... but I have read on other forum posts and other forums that this always runs the risk of scratching the sensor and making things much worse. 

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11 hours ago, jaeger said:

that looked like mildew to me, I hardly get 10% dust of what you have.  What missing is hair/fabric/worm like dusts, it can't be only dots.

I have never heard of mildew on the sensor. I will take another look at it today and maybe use a magnifying glass to see it better. I will also check my 90mm lens to see if there is any internal dust or mildew on it. I doubt the lens is the issue because i have seen the dust spots while using my 35mm and 21mm lenses as well. 

The 'dust' spots i can see in my image are for the most part dots. There are a few marks that look elongated, but this amounts to fewer than 5 spots. So the vast majority are just dots.

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If you are near to your Leica dealer, they may well do a professional clean for you, while you wait and free of charge.

The UK dealers do, but I don't know about in Canada.

I made a right dog's breakfast of wet cleaning my sensor (the one and only time), but my dealer sorted it out for me in about 20 minutes.

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It seems strange that using a sensor cleaning swab dampened with sensor cleaning fluid does not help.  Given that, I would have a Leica dealer take a look at the camera, if you are near to one.  Have them get online and look at the above image, too.  I have never seen so much dust on a sensor, which makes me wonder if something other than dust is the problem.

Your M240 may need to go back to Leica to get set right if a Leica dealer cannot help.  I have never heard of an M240 having sensor corrosion - or mildew on the sensor, for that matter - but I suppose anything is possible.

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9 hours ago, andybarton said:

If you are near to your Leica dealer, they may well do a professional clean for you, while you wait and free of charge.

The UK dealers do, but I don't know about in Canada.

I made a right dog's breakfast of wet cleaning my sensor (the one and only time), but my dealer sorted it out for me in about 20 minutes.

Thank you.. I would give this a try but there is only one Leica store I know of in Canada is in Montreal. I am in Toronto. We have some local camera stores that specialize a bit more, but I would not label them leica stores.

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8 hours ago, jaapv said:

Corrosion is really unlikely to impossible, but fungus can get onto a sensor - and destroy it. Check your lenses. In an early stage they can be cleaned.

Checked the lenses and sensor. The lenses do have a fair amount of internal dust.

The sensor appears clean. There is only one speck I can see towards the side and in the middle. I used the swab again and removed it.

I do not see any signs mold or fungus. In fact the sensor appears prestine to the naked eye.

I have three lenses that i have used recently and the specks appear in images made with each of them. So I doubt it is the dust within the lens. 

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20 hours ago, andybarton said:

If you are near to your Leica dealer, they may well do a professional clean for you, while you wait and free of charge.

The UK dealers do, but I don't know about in Canada.

My nearest doesn't, at least not on Leicas.  My M8 would have been sent back to Germany.  I declined.

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To Intrepid traveller: I am also near T.O. I found the staff at the Montreal Leica boutique very helpful and knowledgeable. I would definitely call them ans perhaps send them a file or two for their advice. Speak with either Emmanuel or Jean. If you need to send your body to Leica, do it through them, it is very much worth doing so, from experience. 

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54 minutes ago, Jean-Michel said:

To Intrepid traveller: I am also near T.O. I found the staff at the Montreal Leica boutique very helpful and knowledgeable. I would definitely call them ans perhaps send them a file or two for their advice. Speak with either Emmanuel or Jean. If you need to send your body to Leica, do it through them, it is very much worth doing so, from experience. 

Thank you. I will be sure to give them a call for assistance.  I may actually visit Montreal sometime in the next year. With covid, domestic travel is likely all I will be doing for now.

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To IntrepidTraveller6: I live in Toronto. I agree that the folks at the Montreal boutique are great to deal with. But rather than wait 'til your visit, I'd give Jeff at PhotoCreative in Mississauga a call. He's a Leica dealer, not a boutique, but he's knowledgeable about this sort of thing and gave me great advice when my SL2 sensor needed cleaning.

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