Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/03/24

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Subject: [Leica] sensor cleanliness
From: cedric.agie at gmail.com (Cedric Agie)
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:06:02 +0100
References: <2DE46AD9-88BA-4782-B38E-865EFF1E7998@cox.net> <CABNC8Sq_-dupYcEjLwVGT47sPUjpLuiS4FDdtb4xwoUCo31fpQ@mail.gmail.com> <ECE121B7-1095-4283-A66D-C75D70B2BB4E@gmail.com> <CA+yJO1CwUFPS=t+agLWgo2VcO7Pa3-GNRu8WA2myZjzkjjsq+g@mail.gmail.com>

I agree.

But do you know Henri Cartier Bresson, who also started the magnum
Agency with Robert Capa, used only one camera and one lens during his
whole life?
A Leitz camera M, I don't even know the model, and an Elmar 50mm. All
markings where kept hidden behind black stickers. Interrupting his
retirement he accepted a last job for taking pictures in Northern
France. In a few weeks time he took more than 10.000 B&W pictures with
this same camera and lens. He simply stopped photography because he
couldn't walk around as he liked. He said to someone cit; "I don't
need a tele or a zoom etc, I have my feet for this".

When I go for a family event I take an M and a 35mm I can easily keep
hidden or if there are newcomers or children I take a Leica R-8 and a
Leica zoom f:4  35-75mm with a winder. Altough I never trusted zooms
verry much. So I don't have to change lenses.

Thank you for all your infos.

Regards

Cedric

2013/3/24 Tina Manley <images at comporium.net>:
> I do use my camera hard in hostile environments and cannot wait until I
> have a dust-free, wind-free opportunity to change lenses; therefore, I have
> many, many dust spots and splotches on my sensors.  I clean them with the
> little rotating brush thing and the eraser-looking thing.  My M9 has a
> stubborn spot on the far left hand edge that I need to use a liquid cleaner
> on but haven't gotten around to yet.  In the meantime, in LR I can isolate
> that particular smudge and tell the program to spot it in every single
> photo made with that camera.  Sometimes I have to go back and tweak a spot
> or two but it's still easier than doing each individual photo.  For stock
> submissions any microscopic spot of dust will result in a rejection with
> punitive actions by the stock agency.  I am happy with my Leica sensors and
> would not want anything in front of the sensor that might degrade the image
> in any way.
>
> Tina
>
> On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 6:15 PM, Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at 
> gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> I am surprised to see this topic developing like the Aftermarket batteries
>> and UV filters topics. Such widely different viewpoints expressed and
>> different experiences reported. Leica M's of course don't have lots of the
>> technology the big manufacturers use. We all know that. Fine by this
>> amateur. Others may prefer more of course. I appreciate the approach of
>> best possible optical path, absolute minimum of material in front of the
>> photo sites.
>>
>> I don't do any of these special precautions. My camera always has a lens
>> mounted so I can use it immediately. I just pull the next lens from the 
>> bag
>> and take off its rear cap, twist the mounted one off and swap. A couple of
>> times a year I spend 10-15 minutes to brush off the sensor then use one or
>> two wet swabs. If the air was full of dust or blown sand/spray then I
>> wouldn't. No one is paying me to get those shots. I don't use my cameras
>> hard in hostile environments.
>>
>> Incidentally Nikon just told me that my D600 may develop excessive spots
>> on the sensor and that I should return it to a service agent if so! Fancy
>> that.
>>
>> cheers
>> Geoff
>>
>> On 25/03/2013, at 6:46, Cedric Agie <cedric.agie at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > There must be a problem of stattic electricity, certainly with a new
>> > camera containig electronics. When I change lenses of an M, R or
>> > Hasselblad camera, and certainly with the M-9 I allways :
>> >
>> > 1? choose a quiet place and protect my camera as much as possible and
>> > never when it's windy, if possible go inside somewhere, a car or a
>> > building, be it a toilet,
>> > 2? allways turn the camera with the lens down,
>> > 3? have the new (clean) lens ready without its lenscap, clean my
>> lenscaps,
>> > 4? have a blower at hand and if possible and/or have a table or
>> > somebody nearby for help and do the changes quickly after 2 or 3
>> > strong blows inside with the blower without a brush!
>> >
>> > We all inspect the surfaces of our lenses closely and are used to see
>> > lots of dust and dirt on it in no time. The same phenomenon happens
>> > with our films, but the fine dust and particles are usually washed
>> > away during the developping process. Not so of course with digital
>> > cameras with interchangeable lenses. The dust and durt simply stays
>> > where it is and the problem grows steadily untill you do something.
>> > In my case this has worked without much fuzz for more than a year.
>> > When I first discovered the problem, I went to the local Leica agent
>> > who admitted the problem, cleaned the CCD in no time (about half an
>> > hour) installed the latest software with no charge for this first
>> > intervention.
>> >
>> > Kodak at some time developped sophysticated (often efficient but
>> > expensive) systhems for labs that had such problems. Sometimes they
>> > even advised to install metallic surfaces (usually stainless steel
>> > plates) that were grounded to the earth of the building.
>> >
>> > Good luck,
>> >
>> > Cedric
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > 2013/3/24 Stasys Petravicius <stasys1 at cox.net>:
>> >> Hi All- I use panasonic p/s cameras on vacations. On the last trip I
>> took about 1800 happy snaps. I have discovered that there is a smudge in
>> the frame (depending on the light and composition). This is a $250 camera,
>> and sending it in for cleaning is not economical. I've done it before 
>> under
>> warranty- and it comes back if you shoot enough. Back on topic with Leica-
>> I just had my R9 serviced at the factory in Germany and guess what? The
>> spots are back in the images. I've had it back about 2 months. I can take
>> the DMR back off and clean? the sensor- but interchanging lenses - the
>> spots come back. I think the only solution is as suggested- a cleaning
>> system incorporated in  the camera design - or a fixed zoom lens of say 
>> 28-
>> 200 mm range which you do not take off the camera body.  Maybe I'll just
>> buy another panasonic $250 camera and use it for another 1800 or 2500
>> frames. Best, Stasys
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> Leica Users Group.
>> >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Leica Users Group.
>> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Tina Manley, ASMP
> www.tinamanley.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


Replies: Reply from billcpearce at cox.net (Bill Pearce) ([Leica] sensor cleanliness)
Reply from john at mcmaster.co.nz (John McMaster) ([Leica] sensor cleanliness)
Reply from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] sensor cleanliness)
In reply to: Message from stasys1 at cox.net (Stasys Petravicius) ([Leica] sensor cleanliness)
Message from cedric.agie at gmail.com (Cedric Agie) ([Leica] sensor cleanliness)
Message from hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] sensor cleanliness)
Message from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] sensor cleanliness)