Sensor Cleaning Swabs for S, 45mm

[Einst_Stein]

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The ideal swab size for S is probably 45mm. It can also cover the 44x33 format. 44mm might be OK too. But the swab size for medium format sensor I can find is either 33mm or 34mm. None of these two fit S well, practically no difference from the 24mm full frame swab.

what do you use?

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[helged]

I use standard full frame swabs (24 mm); implying two cleaning strokes to get the sensor cleaned.

[Photon42]

Exactly. When you want to be diligent, check the swap's surface after the first stroke. If there is some debris, you can and probably should remove it before stroking (striking ...) again. I still have some swaps for the 33x44 sensor, which actually even have a slight overhang. IIRC they worked well, too.

[Einst_Stein]

I always start with soft brush and blower. The wet/swab only for oil type. This greatly reduces particle residues.

[Einst_Stein]

6 minutes ago, Photon42 said:

Exactly. When you want to be diligent, check the swap's surface after the first stroke. If there is some debris, you can and probably should remove it before stroking (striking ...) again. I still have some swaps for the 33x44 sensor, which actually even have a slight overhang. IIRC they worked well, too.

I have concerns on 33/34mm swab. Not sure if it could damage the 45x30mm sensor periphery. Or, carry bad stuffs from the periphery to the sensor. 

[Photon42]

Not had any such issues. I do not use wet cleaning often. Mostly, canned air or a blower does the trick.

[Einst_Stein]

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1 hour ago, Photon42 said:

Not had any such issues. I do not use wet cleaning often. Mostly, canned air or a blower does the trick.

STOP USING CANNED AIR.
NEVER EVER USE CANNED. AIR  TO CLEAN THE SENSOR!

Canned air should not be used to clean sensor. It WILL leave bad chemical on sensor. 

Edited January 7 by Einst_Stein

[Pieter12]

Blower plus a sticky pad for stubborn particles.

[Einst_Stein]

1 hour ago, Pieter12 said:

Blower plus a sticky pad for stubborn particles.

Blower ball is good. Canned air is no no.

A lot of people use sticky pad with good result. But my experience is not so. It also leaves gel residue to the sensor.

I was advised by professional to avoid “out dated” gel pad or bad quality gel pad. I asked how to choose the right and good gel pad, the answer was, no, we don’t know, we don’t  use that. 
 

[Pieter12]

Just make sure the blower ball has a filter on the intake end. A friend once had one blow debris all over the sensor just before a shoot.

I got one of those small electric blowers that has variable speeds that I am using on lenses and negatives. Haven't tried it on a sensor yet.

[Photon42]

23 hours ago, Einst_Stein said:

STOP USING CANNED AIR.
NEVER EVER USE CANNED. AIR  TO CLEAN THE SENSOR!

Canned air should not be used to clean sensor. It WILL leave bad chemical on sensor. 

Do not write in capital letters. But thanks for the hit. Let's agree to disagree.

[Einst_Stein]

38 minutes ago, Photon42 said:

Do not write in capital letters. But thanks for the hit. Let's agree to disagree.

You are welcome to continue doing that practice. It is your camera,  

[250swb]

I think the problem with canned air is not just the pressure but the temperature variation between ambient and the can, and even worse any carelessness can cause it to squirt out ice. As regards the size of sensor swabs the conventional wisdom for a full frame sensor is to get one size smaller as this lets you get into the corners more effectively so a smaller size isn't a disadvantage. As has been said I'd only use a wet clean for stubborn dust or oil (using a fluid for getting rid of oil, not a general purpose fluid), otherwise I'd use a sticky pad using a gentle rocking motion.

[Photon42]

Yep - you have to know how to apply it. That is also true for sensor swaps being 3mm larger than the sensor itself.

[davidmknoble]

Leica uses the gel sticks, and I have used those a long time on M, SL and S sensors with good effect.  It is a little bit of a science to clean a sensor.  I do the following:

1. Use a good quality rubber blower with a filter on the intake to prevent recycling dust.  I turn the camera upside down so that the dust doesn’t go up and then back down to the sensor.  Then I mount a lens, shoot at my ceiling at f/16 or higher.  If more dust, I might use the blower again or go to step 2.

2. If dust persists, I use a gel sticks to target specific dust.  Mount a lens and repeat.  If dust I would typically repeat, use the brush (see below) and try again.  Step 3 takes awhile and I only do at home, not while traveling.

3. Typically, if something still remains, it is an oil spot from the shutter system or lens.  So, I will use the wet swabs. I only have one size, the small size for 35mm sensors.  Multiple strokes dont bother me because I have already presumably cleaned out the loose dust.

I use Eyelead cleaning sticks (gel) and blowers, large size at home, small size I store in the box and travel with it. The blower works well to clean sand / dust off the outside of camera and lens while traveling. I also take a gel stick for important or longer trips - it is small.

I use the Visible Dust cleaning swabs and solutions (made in Canada) and like others said, the oil cleaning one to clean the oil spots works best for me.  I also use the Visible Dust Artic Butterfly.  It’s a battery operated brush that spins around creating static electricity and brushing lightly on the sensor will get the dust to stick to the brush.  You turn on the brush again (far away from the open camera sensor) and the dust comes off and more static electricity.  Not perfect, but can substitute quickly for a gel stick in number 2.

The final thing I do is swap lenses and covers fast, blowing the backs of lenses off before mounting them and rarely changing lenses outside (inside and in a car works, but especially on the coast, I never change a lens in the sandy, salty breeze).

Edited January 9 by davidmknoble
added detail.

[Einst_Stein]

19 hours ago, davidmknoble said:

Leica uses the gel sticks, and I have used those a long time on M, SL and S sensors with good effect.  It is a little bit of a science to clean a sensor.  I do the following:

1. Use a good quality rubber blower with a filter on the intake to prevent recycling dust.  I turn the camera upside down so that the dust doesn’t go up and then back down to the sensor.  Then I mount a lens, shoot at my ceiling at f/16 or higher.  If more dust, I might use the blower again or go to step 2.

2. If dust persists, I use a gel sticks to target specific dust.  Mount a lens and repeat.  If dust I would typically repeat, use the brush (see below) and try again.  Step 3 takes awhile and I only do at home, not while traveling.

3. Typically, if something still remains, it is an oil spot from the shutter system or lens.  So, I will use the wet swabs. I only have one size, the small size for 35mm sensors.  Multiple strokes dont bother me because I have already presumably cleaned out the loose dust.

I use Eyelead cleaning sticks (gel) and blowers, large size at home, small size I store in the box and travel with it. The blower works well to clean sand / dust off the outside of camera and lens while traveling. I also take a gel stick for important or longer trips - it is small.

I use the Visible Dust cleaning swabs and solutions (made in Canada) and like others said, the oil cleaning one to clean the oil spots works best for me.  I also use the Visible Dust Artic Butterfly.  It’s a battery operated brush that spins around creating static electricity and brushing lightly on the sensor will get the dust to stick to the brush.  You turn on the brush again (far away from the open camera sensor) and the dust comes off and more static electricity.  Not perfect, but can substitute quickly for a gel stick in number 2.

The final thing I do is swap lenses and covers fast, blowing the backs of lenses off before mounting them and rarely changing lenses outside (inside and in a car works, but especially on the coast, I never change a lens in the sandy, salty breeze).

Thanks for the detailed explanation. It is very helpful.

Not to disagree with you, just to share my experience and invite critics for the better practice to benefit everyone here. Here what I do:

0: always face down the sensor to help the dirt get out the camera, not flee to the inside corners somewhere.

1: put camera is cleaning sensor mode, remove lens.

2: Use the spinning “electric static brush” to take away the dust on the sensor, as clean as possible. 

3: use blower ball to blow the camera cavity to remove the hiding dirts

4, put back the lens, use smallest aperture to shoot bright patternless background. Pure white is better. Check sensor.

5: if still found and dirts, repeat step 1: then go to step 6. But be careful, my step 6 might be a bad choice.

6: if any dirts left, it means the dirts has something to do with stick chemical. I use wet Q tip to touch it to remove it.

     Note: I tried gel tip (5mm x 5mm ~ 10mm x. 10mm) before, but maybe I did not do it right, it can leave gel residue on the sensor.

7: repeat step 1 to make sure the dirts are completely gone. But the cleaning liquid would leave residue pattern on sensor.

    This need to be removed using the same procedure as if to remove the oil.

8: use swab and very tiny amount of cleaning liquid to clean the oil or the cleaning liquid pattern due to too much liquid on step 6.

     The key in this step is to use very little cleaning liquid, such as only one or two drops, and only one one side of the swab.

9: repeat step 1 .  Stop if it is clean, or else go to step 10:

10: get help from professional. Here I mean the nearby Leica store. 

4: 
 

[davidmknoble]

@Einst_Stein, Your process is almost exactly the same as mine.

You use the “electric static brush” before blowing and I do the reverse. 

You use a wet q-tip and I do not.

I think the key for any sensor cleaning is to start less invasive first. The second key is to check after cleaning by stopping the lens down and looking for a clear image.

The location you clean a lens is also important.  If you are in a really dusty environment or it is winter and the air is dry and full of static electricity, make sure the camera has been off a while before the first cleaning, or more dust is attracted than removed!