Camera cleaning

[Leica Filmmatic]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Greetings all, what are people using to clean the top of their digital M’s?  I have some dust build-up that would love to take care of between the shutter dial and the on/off switch.

[DadDadDaddyo]

Q-tip?

Try it dry first, then, at most, if needed, very, very, very, slightly moist, not wet, just barely damp - not to dissolve the schmutz, but just to pick it up. Gently. No scrubbing. 

When I've had nothing else and I'm in the field and I need to get dust out of a crevice or something like that, I might use the corner of a rag, or, in extremis, the sewn corner of a piece of clothing made of thin cloth, like the corner of an unbuttoned sleeve, or (the right clothing terminology is eluding me here) the front corner of the bottom of the shirt that you tuck in (the corner of the hem?) figuring it's not much dust, the shirt's washable, and the corner is usually tucked in anyway....

Gentlemen used to wear handkerchiefs. 

Bet they didn't put them back in the front pocket of their suit coats after a good honk or two, eh?

Ew. Yeccch.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[dpitt]

As always, certainly with lenses, camera's too, start by using the rocket blower to get rid of most of the dust.

After that take a lens cleaning cloth (like for glasses will do too). Start by shaking the cloth and make it 'flap' a few times to make sure there is no dust in the cloth from a previous clean. Or you can use a completely new one. Then gently rub the top. If you can not reach some corners, you can use a Q tip inside the cloth or even a tooth pick to remove the dust.

After the camera is dry cleaned this way, you could try wet cleaning if it is not clean enough.

Use a different, clean lens cloth. I use a cleaner fluid for glasses in a spray can, but I never spray this on lens or camera, because it might penetrate to places where it should not.  If you use too much it could dissolve grease or even glue in bearings and fittings.
Spray some on the cloth and then wipe gently. That should not leave any marks.

Using a tip of your shirt or clean handkerchief always is more dangerous because clothes will pick up some invisible particles that can scratch your  gear. Also if you do not have the rocket blower to remove dust first, that could leave scratches. So I would only use that in case of emergency.

Edited January 6 by dpitt

[Jewl]

Same here, blowing loose dust away with a rocket blower, using a dedicated brush for the parts that are not easily reachable with a cloth and for the remainder I use a microfiber cloth. But nothing special tbh. Dont want to make a science out of it. 

[Steadimann]

I own pro cinema equipment rental house. Cleaning camera body with alcohol free window cleaning liquid and microfiber works like a charm. Nothing to be afraid of on any camera - spray on the cloth and clean the body.

[DadDadDaddyo]

Definitely do not use a Q-Tip or the corner of your shirt on any glass surface of your camera, for precisely the reasons mentioned above. 

And for sure the venerable bulb blower (exemplified by the Rocket Blaster) is hugely superior to breathing, blowing, spitting, or in anyways otherwise risking cuspidorial damage to your equipment!

Ewwww! Grahdoo!

[jaapv]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I just chuck mine in the bathtub and give them a thorough rinse. 

[Le Chef]

9 minutes ago, jaapv said:

I just chuck mine in the bathtub and give them a thorough rinse. 

Yes, but what about your camera equipment?

[Leica Filmmatic]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[pgk]

18 hours ago, jaapv said:

I just chuck mine in the bathtub and give them a thorough rinse. 

So do I, for some of them. I soak them over night (I'm not kidding). I'm told a bit of vinegar can help.

On my Leicas I use a toothbrush, no toothpaste though. That said I use it infrequently and my cameras are always filthy as a result.

[Leica Filmmatic]

The wet microfiber cloth did the trick.  Will try a soft bristled toothbrush next time.

[hoolyproductions]

One of these can be quite handy for lens and camera cleaning (after the rocket blower), and they are super portable: https://www.amazon.com/VSGO-Professional-Cleaning-V-P01E-Digital/dp/B089GLLGH6

The other side from the brush does a nice job of cleaning the lens mount/contacts. The brush lets me get remaining dust off the lens before using a cloth on it 🧐

[BillCB]

I use the Arctic Butterfly. It is designed to remove dust from sensors (which it does very well) by using static electricity to attract dust. I keep a separate brush tip for cleaning crooks and crannies.

Bill

[fotografr]

I've used this small semi-soft brush that I bought in a camera store many years ago. It's German made so naturally it will last for decades. I'm sure similar products could be found in camera stores today. A quick search turned this one up, which I'm sure would work nicely.

https://www.adorama.com/inkbu1.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organicshopping&utm_source=inc-google-shop-o

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited January 14 by fotografr
add link

[marchyman]

My dentist gives away a toothbrush or three on every visit.  Given that I use a Sonicare device the brushes are re-purposed for other things.  Cleaning the nooks and crannies of a camera is just one of many uses.  I have enough that I throw used brushes away  upon even a hint of contamination.

[Leica Filmmatic]

Qtips have been working well for me.  Haven’t tried the toothbrush yet

[Eclectic Man]

I don't have an M, but I use a climber's brush for cleaning dust from my SL2.  There. are various versions available of differing sizes from the modest Lapis:

https://rockrun.com/products/lapis-brush?variant=31453646664 

To the utterly magnificent SIllyGoat 'Davey Boy': https://sillygoatholds.co.uk/products/davey-boy-boulder-brush 

(Confession, I use the Lapis for my SL2, and the 'Davey Boy' for climbing.) 

[Al Brown]

Antistatic carbon fibre brush for LP records. Unbeatable.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!