Etruscello Posted October 20, 2007 Share #1 Posted October 20, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I finally got up the courage to clean dust spots off my M8 sensor. I was concerned about scare stories I've read involving wet cleaning. I decided to try dry cleaning first to see how far that would get me and to find out how much wet cleaning I'd have to do. The pleasant surprise is that I did not have to wet clean at all! I used an Arctic Butterfly with broad brush. The best method was three vertical swipes downward using moderate pressure. I start at the top of the sensor and flick off at the bottom ridge of the sensor. In between each swipe, I spin the brush to remove dust. It worked perfectly. Before and after stopped-down photos of the sky don't just show a dramatic difference: the second image shows NO DUST! My advice is to always try dry sensor cleaning first before going wet. TomP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 20, 2007 Posted October 20, 2007 Hi Etruscello, Take a look here Dry Cleaning M8 Sensor. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
marknorton Posted October 20, 2007 Share #2 Posted October 20, 2007 I disagree. Any dry cleaning method which involves direct contact with the sensor risks scratching the cover glass and I would never do it. YMMV. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etruscello Posted October 20, 2007 Author Share #3 Posted October 20, 2007 I understand and appreciate your point, Mark, but I must add that the Arctic Butterfly brush is quite soft. It is also my impression that the senor cover is quite strong and unlikely to be scratched by a soft brush. I wonder how professionals clean sensors at the service centers. Do you know? Anyone? Tom P. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eziomi Posted October 20, 2007 Share #4 Posted October 20, 2007 I disagree. Any dry cleaning method which involves direct contact with the sensor risks scratching the cover glass and I would never do it. YMMV. I disagree too. Dry cleaning is too risky. I use E2 and sensor swab n.1 ( for the M8). Sensor swab are clean room manufactured and sealed. Eclipse 2 is the highest purity lens cleaner available, it dries as qyìuicly as it can be applied leaving absolutely no residue. 2 drops on a swab are enough. Easy and recommended by professionals. EM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted October 20, 2007 Share #5 Posted October 20, 2007 I disagree. Any dry cleaning method which involves direct contact with the sensor risks scratching the cover glass and I would never do it. YMMV. I agree 10000% with that statement. I would never touch the cover glass of the sensor with anything dry. All it takes is one hard particle to put a nice scratch on the glass. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etruscello Posted October 20, 2007 Author Share #6 Posted October 20, 2007 I guess I'm out-voted. I have a problem now. I was happy to have found a safe method that provided a clean sensor without scrubbing. I had no negative consequences this time. Now I wonder about the next time. I'm hesitant to go back to wet. I tried that once, on another camera. It created dirty streaks and wet spots. It's a dilemma. Tom P. P.S. Having done some more research, my tentative solution is to use the brush, very carefully, when the dirt is dust, and to use wet swabs when the dirt is grease. I've had the M8 for months with a lot of use and no grease has shown up. I think I'm lucky. I can't imagine why grease should show up now after so many shutter actuations, so maybe the brush will continue to work well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfarkas Posted October 20, 2007 Share #7 Posted October 20, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) One more vote for dry cleaning. I've used both brushes and even a clean Q-Tip. In both cases, I used clean and dry compressed air (not canned air) to get loose particles off first. The cover glass is quite resilient, much like the front element of a lens. On my DMR, I use a Leica microfiber cloth dry. After two years, no scratches or scuffs on my sensor. FUD is a great way to sell lots of stuff. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
haribo Posted October 20, 2007 Share #8 Posted October 20, 2007 I use the Artic Butterfly and it works like a charm. No problems with dry cleaning. By the way, you don't need to use any pressure whatsoever. The spinning action in between swipes does not only clean the brush but also charges it electrostatically. It literally lifts off the dust. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pekem Posted October 20, 2007 Share #9 Posted October 20, 2007 Has anyone actually caused damage by using any method of cleaning? Is it possible that manufacturers claims are simply not believed? I have used both wet and dry and, so far, without any perceivable damage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy Posted October 20, 2007 Share #10 Posted October 20, 2007 I didn't know that there were any appreciable worries about wet-cleaning with an appropriate solvent. As a matter of interest, what are the concerns? FWIW, I too suspect that manufacturers err on the side of caution with their warnings. My attempt at dry cleaning (not with the Arctic Butterfly, which I've never tried) failed, and wet cleaning was the only solution [no pun intended]. Worked a charm, no damage, no worries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
haroldp Posted October 21, 2007 Share #11 Posted October 21, 2007 I recently had my M8 cleaned at Leica's NJ service facility, and they use only wet cleaning ( eclipse). My M8 had dirt/grease spots on the sensor when new, and was awful after 100 actuations. I quickly added another 1000 actuations, and had Leica clean it. ( this is easy for me since I live in NJ within driving distance of Leica US). After this cleaning, the sensor showed no further signs of problems. I think the shutter was over lubricated when new. I keep a 28-35-50 tri-elmar on the M8, and take it off only when I know I willl need more speed or reach. with 35 f2 summicron it is an outstanding available light camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etruscello Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted October 21, 2007 I appreciate the diversity of opinion here. I'm reassured and grateful to see the latter opinions. Yesterday, I took some flash shots with the M8/35 Cron , stopped down, with a lot of blank light walls in the back. No spots! It was a pleasure to see that (or not see that). The Arctic Butterfly is so fast, easy and effective, I'm happy I now have the confidence to continue to use it. I even better understand how it works now -- thanks for the comment on static electricity and dust lifting. I'm buying a small Arctic Butterfly traveling kit for my photo trips! Tom P. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orjanf Posted October 22, 2007 Share #13 Posted October 22, 2007 Found this reference to Kodaks view on the subject. I hadn't seen it before and post just in case. http://www.kodak.com/ezpres/business/ccd/global/plugins/acrobat/en/supportdocs/ImageSensorHandlingandBestPractices.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HetDraakje Posted October 22, 2007 Share #14 Posted October 22, 2007 Remember this story...? sensor-cleaning-horror-story Boen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
etienne_werner Posted October 22, 2007 Share #15 Posted October 22, 2007 I too have the Arctic Butterfly. My sensor was filthy and needed a good cleaning. I had just bought the Arctic Butterfly and carefully cleaned the sensor. Unfortunately this did not get rid of the dirt, which was like grease on the sensor. I then went to a camera shop that wet cleaned the sensor. It perfectly clean now. I'm sure for normal particles on dust the Arctic Butterfly is OK but if the particles are stuck on the sensor, wet is the only way to go. Regards, Etienne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpattinson Posted October 22, 2007 Share #16 Posted October 22, 2007 It does seem pretty unlikely that the brush on the Arctic Butterfly is hard enough to abrade sensor cover glass - which I'm guessing is at least as tough as normal filter glass. The most likely scenario for scratching the sensor cover glass is a loose piece of abrasive material (sand, metal filing) being ground against it during cleaning. I have to say, I'm not sure that firm wiping with a wet swab would be any less likely to do this than a soft brush. David. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted October 22, 2007 Share #17 Posted October 22, 2007 Has anyone actually caused damage by using any method of cleaning?Is it possible that manufacturers claims are simply not believed? I have used both wet and dry and, so far, without any perceivable damage. I once had to clean some adhesive residue from my M8 sensor and it required VERY hard rubbing with an instrument called SensorKLEAR, which looks like a pen with a soft, flat tip. I was concerned that I might break the glass covering over the sensor, or at the very least scratch the surface, but it was an emergency situation and I had no choice but to proceed. The end result was a clean sensor with no scratches or damage of any kind. These things are far tougher than one might think. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjmcsu Posted November 3, 2007 Share #18 Posted November 3, 2007 Anyone have or tried this device? I understand its limitations(dust only), size(two-handed operation) & cost(~200 USD) but wonder about actual real world use & effectiveness. Digital Sensor Cleaner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyspedden Posted November 3, 2007 Share #19 Posted November 3, 2007 I think that from the beginning the industry created near panic about sensor cleaning by insisting that the unit be returned to the factory service outlet for cleaning. When it became clear that people would not put up with this due to the fact that dust particles on the sensor occur very often indeed, they focused more on how you can safely clean your own. I have now had digital cameras since the Nikon D1 including bodies from Canon and Leica (both DMR and M8) and have found no ill effects either from Dry Cleaning with the Visible Dust products or wet cleaning with sensor swabs and Eclipse 2. Of course care is important with light touches with brushes and swabs alike but the systems work and to date I have not seen a scratch. Our own Guy Mancuse uses standard canned air on his M8 which I would have thought to be the most dangerous approach of all but it seems to work for him YMMV Woody Spedden Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichelB Posted November 3, 2007 Share #20 Posted November 3, 2007 I recently had my M8 cleaned at Leica Customer Service in Solms, it was done with "Image Sensor cleaning-Kit" Pentax code 39357. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.