[Leica] M8 Sensor Cleaning

[drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers)]

I had an extremely stubborn dust speck on the sensor of my D100. Looked
like a tiny eyelash. I searched for info on stubborn dust. I guess if a
particle of dust or pollen is damp and then dries on the sensor it can
adhere pretty tightly. Also, some sensors have some space between the
high pass filter and the sensor. Thus some warned against using canned
air or a blower. It can force dust between the sensor and the filter. I
don't know if any of what I read was true or not. All I know is that I
could not remove the dust spec with standard methods. I finally sent the
camera into Nikon for service. It cost $185 to clean the sensor and do
whatever general maintenance they do on a digital camera that's roughly
18 months old. The dust spec was gone. That was an expensive piece of
dust, whatever it was. Just after I got the D100 back I bought a D200
and haven't used the D100 since. I hardly ever change lenses on my D200.
I just leave on the 17-55. Sort of defeats the purpose of having an SLR.


Such digital experiences as this make me look more fondly at film. 

DaveR


-----Original Message-----
From: Nathan Wajsman [mailto:nathan@nathanfoto.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 10:04 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] M8 Sensor Cleaning

Hi Ted,

I suspect that it is partly dumb luck as you suggest, and partly that  
you probably shoot mostly at wide apertures, where dust is less  
apparent. When I bought my Canon 1D2, there was a stubborn spot  
(actually, a couple) which I could not get off with compressed air.  
But it was only visible in pictures with a lot of uniform colour,  
like blue sky, not in the more typical street pictures that I take.

I have now cleaned the sensor and all is well.

Nathan

On 11-jul-2007, at 15:42, Ted Grant wrote:

> This sensor cleaning thing is obviously a problem I haven't  
> encountered yet!
> And touching wood I trust never to encounter.
>
> It never occurred to me that stuff on the sensor happens simply  
> because I've
> never seen it since I started playing with digital cameras, Canon, of
> several models, and Leica M8.
>
> Maybe it's because I don't look for trouble I've been lucky, by the  
> same
> token I have never seen anything in prints indicating "stuff on the  
> sensor"
> when making 12X18 blow-ups. Nor as Power point screened images with a
> digital projector.
>
> I suppose I have to ask, is it possible my innocents of such  
> problems has
> been just dumb ass luck I've not encountered it? Or that I should look
> harder on the computer screen at 300% blow-up for the critter dust?
> Certainly when I haven't seen it with the naked eye?
>
> And trust me I don't pamper my gear nor abuse it, but I do use it,  
> not like
> I'm carrying a new born. They get slung on shoulder or neck and  
> into photo
> battle changing lenses on the go wherever I maybe no differently than
> shooting film cameras.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> ted
>
>
>
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>

Nathan Wajsman
nathan@nathanfoto.com
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