Lens and Sensor Cleaning

It is very useful to be able to do a very light clean of your sensor in situations where you do not have access to a camera technician and you need to use the camera. Shooting video is a good example since it's really hard to retouch out a dust spot in a moving image.
SENSOR CLEANING INVOLVES SOME RISK - LEICA RECOMMENDS CLEANING BY AN AUTHORISED SERVICE TECHNICIAN. LEICA ACCEPTS ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED IF YOU CLEAN YOUR OWN SENSOR.
Lens cleaning should be something all photographers know how to do well, and Nick Rains demonstrates the used of a micropore cloth, a blower brush and VSGO wet-wipes to clean the front element of his lens.
Sensor cleaning is more involved and Nick demonstrates the use of the Ricoh cleaning stick for fixed sensors and the VSGO sensor swabs for stabilised sensors.
The products in this video are available at Leica stores (or online) in Australia.
leica-store.com.au/categories...
VSGO Sensor Cleaning Swab kits for full frame and APS-C
VSGO Blower
VSGO Camera Wet-wipes
VSGO Lens Cleaning Pen
Ricoh (Pentax) Cleaning Stick
Shop at the Leica Store Australia: leica-store.com.au/
Learn more at the Leica Akademie Australia: leica-akademie.com.au/
Details of our full Applied Lightroom E-Course can be found here:
www.leica-akademie.com.au/applied-lightroom-course

[@Hektormydog]

Saw an obvious dust spot on photos from the M-series monochrome I’d given my son. I told him to take it into the nearby Leica Shop here where I’d had them do a sensor cleaning before. For some reason they didn’t offer to clean it there and wanted to send the camera into the main service center which would take a couple weeks and at a not small cost. So, going to give it a try myself. Thanks for the detailed instructions here.

[@davidroth7138]

Never in a million years would it have occurred to me to clean the sensor of the SL2 with the camera ON… glad I watched this! Thanks a $MM!

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You are welcome!

[@Deetroiter]

Leica, or it…I have to say that this is without a doubt the best camera cleaning video I’ve ever come across on KZbin. Absolutely outstanding. I’m curious about Leica x1/x2 cameras…do those ever require sensor cleanings? I know they’re fixed lenses buy maybe it some how requires cleanings from time to time?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Being fully enclosed, the X cameras clearly need less sensor cleaning, but dust has a way of finding its way into most things so just keep an eye on it and try to keep the camera out of bad dust. If you get a dust spot it will have to go in for service.

[@Heelheadover]

Thanks Nick. Just cleaned my CL sensor after watching this. Boy, was it stressful but super clean now! Thanks again.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You're welcome!

[@Notimotl]

This is best tutorial I have ever seen.

[@robertyoung1777]

Thank you for the detailed explanation and demonstration. Very good.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You are welcome!

[@ronaldmoravec2692]

My wife got me a makeup brush for outside of camera and lenses. It gets in tight places well.

[@PeterHartland]

Glad I saw this video, my SL2 sensor was really dirty & needed a swab clean. The most useful bit was leave the battery in & switched on. Without seeing this I would have done it the other way around. Just finished & it is as clean as I could expect , again looked at with a lighted Loop & photographing my grey card.

[@willilaufmann38]

Thanks Nick

[@kayoedowner6711]

I’m late to the party here, but I wanted to say thank you for this excellent tutorial.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You're very welcome!

[@hans-joachimgoepel7009]

Thank you kindly, Nick, I'm the locky oner of two Leicas the CL - 18-56mm and the TL2 -23mm. For that reason, I don't need to change Leanse I hope this, insurers my fears of senser paranoia.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Two bodies and two lenses is an excellent way to go. I use the SL2-S and the SL2 with the 24-90 and the 90-280. Not much you can't do with that combination.

[@sharonleibel]

Thanks Nick!

[@fredericdiserens7208]

Very good and informative video, thanks🙏🏻👍🏻

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

My pleasure

[@moAndreaRollo]

Thanks for your tips on cleaning the lens, I had some doubts about it.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Happy to help!

[@scrambagorg]

Thank you for this! I successfully cleaned a big smudge off my SL2-s sensor. It definitely was not as scary as it seems. I would emphasize that one drop is in the kit's directions but it would have to be the most well placed drop and of a decent size. It seems two drops spaced apart towards the edge of the brush that will contact the sensor was most successful for me and did not result in streaking or residual fluid on the sensor after the second pass but YMMV.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it helped!

[@Abdel725]

Thank you so much

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You're most welcome

[@gianlucacastagna8572]

Thank You

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You're welcome

[@Phil.Austin]

very useful for the gel stick sensor clean, took the lunge and all good

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it helped

[@chrisalberti]

Your videos are consistently excellent and informative. Thank you. Having major problems with dust on the sensor with my SL2. Seems to be a dust magnet. Is there a static electricity build-up in this camera different from others, as I never had this issue with my Nikon digitals which I shot for 20+ years before switching to the Leica system 10 months ago. I have had to send my SL2 to Leica for service and sensor cleaning (sadly the DC Leica Store could not clean it on site), which takes this camera out of commission during prime waterfowl season. Any others have this problem, and are there specific additional measures recommended to mitigate the problem? FYI, the DC store did not offer a loaner or a rental, which was annoying. I have rented the Lumix S5IIX (phase-detect auto focus, better for wildlife) to stay with my many Leica lenses, but this is a serious issue. Even considering reverting to Nikon. As you mentioned, this is not an issue with my m10-R, which has a shutter that covers the sensor when you take off a lens, avoiding the problem with the SL2, which seems a design flaw.

[@KCHAEnel]

Thanks for the amazing video. I travel 3-6 months around the world and the places I go, usually there is no camera stores I can get my sensor cleaned. One question though. I got the same swap and liquid rom VSGO. but can you tell me how many swabs can I use that liquid for? Obviously depend on how many drops I put on the swab, but like in general. I want to be sure if that one small bottle would be enough for 10 swabs, which I plan to bring to my travel.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

One bottle will last a long time. Mine has lasted for ages, not sure how many swabs though. There are many drops in a bottle!

[@iKIMshuffle]

I’ve never clean my cameras before. My LUMIX G9 never seen a cleaner, and my SL2-s, never seen one either. When I open the card slots, it has so much dust in the crevices.

[@sugiartoagus]

thank you so much! I'm glad I watched your video.. never know that we need to turn on the camera for sensor cleaning! I have one question.. is it okay to use electric air duster (vsgo or ulanzi) to clean the sensor of the camera? I have leica SL2s and M11.. thank you in advance!

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

I have not used those products so cannot advise. Our technicians say they use the same process I use, no mention of air dusters.

[@bonniebob2802]

Hello. I was curious what’s the best way to keep the lens barrel clean from oils or dirt in general? Thank you 😊

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

I simply extend the barrel and then wipe the exposed area with a soft cloth. The seal into the rest of the lens is pretty good but it's worth keeping dust off this area as much as possible so it cannot get 'sucked' in.

[@wilfredshum3703]

What is a good way to remove a small piece of dust particle on the inside of the viewfinder viewing window of my M240?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

For that you will need to take the camera to a technician, but that dust will not affect the image of course.

[@steevejocelyn2607]

Great video! If there happens to be a spec of sand inside the front of my lens (in my case a zoom lens) that the blower can’t reach, could compressed air be an option to try to blow it out from the inside?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Specks inside the lens generally have no effect on image quality. It's surprising how grubby a lens can be internally before it shows up in the image - but still, a good idea to keep it clean as much as possible.

[@delgriffith4629]

Nick: great video but a question for cleaning SL2/SL2-S sensors: camera on, yes. What about IBIS? on or off? Thanks

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

On. According to the tech folks in Germany.

[@timothymartin6489]

Thanks Nick. I have a question - So, I take a photo of a blank surface in order to reveal where the dirt is on the sensor. If the photo reveals some dirt say in the top left corner, is the dirt in the top left corner of the sensor? Or is the photo revealing an upside-down, or a mirror image of where the dirt is?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

The image on the sensor is upside down, so top left in the image is bottom right on the sensor.

[@timothymartin6489]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia grateful to have that clarified! Thanks.

[@MJagger89]

I have a small surface scratch on my front lens element - seems to be on coating. I’m assuming a hairline mark won’t really affect image quality?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

That's right. There is a possibility of a tiny bit of flare, but it's amazing how 'bad' a lens can look before the image quality is visibly reduced.

[@keiththompson5560]

Great vid. Cleaning a lens is one of those things we can easily overlook. You’ve taken the mystique from an otherwise daunting exercise.

[@alpineibex5596]

For Q2 i have to send it in for cleaning sensor? Camera is only 3 months old, you think it may be covered?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You would have to ask at the store you bought it from. Not something I can help with here, sorry.

[@huseyinpamukcu5444]

Hello what brand is the sticky pen used to clean the sensor for M cameras? Thank you

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

The sensor swabs are VSGO - the sticky tool is Pentax.

[@huseyinpamukcu5444]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia Thank you for prompt reply. Great videos.

[@sergiobobbera8788]

Anyone know what the brand of the blower brush with filter is?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

It's a VSGO blower brush, same brand as the other stuff in the video.

[@sergiobobbera8788]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia Thank you.

[@gnuhapi]

When I got into photography in the 60s, the conventional wisdom was to always install a UV or "daylight" filter for protection and prevention. What is the Leica Akademie philosophy on this?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

By all means use a protection filter but make sure it's good quality, and remove it when shooting bright lights at night.

[@gnuhapi]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia Thank you. Old habits die hard but it's good to know that some are still relevant.

[@HeikoBertram]

It seems like conflicting advice. I just phoned Leica-Camera in Wetzlar and asked for advice concerning the Leica SL2 (a camera with a stabilized sensor). They advised me to use a the sticky gel stick in the first place (like the Eye Lead ones, although they did not mention a brand of any sort). They also advised me to turn the camera off while cleaning, so one can reach all the corners of the sensor (which can't be reached when the camera is turned on). Did the Leica technician give me the wrong advice? Do you really know one can't use the sticky gel sticks? I'd like to have your take on this one, maybe you can do some background research.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

I'll check. I was told sticky for fixed sensors and swabs for stabilised sensors.

[@HeikoBertram]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia Thanks! I was surprised by my local Leica Store employee that cleaned my SL2s with a sticky gel stick. So much so that I made a phone call to Wetzlar to ask. I also phoned the official Nikon Servicepoint (in the Netherlands) to inquire after how to clean a Nikon Z6 camera (also a mirrorless camera). The technicians at Nikon Servicepoint also use the Sticky gel stick method on stabilized sensors. Which made me think how it really should be done. Thanks again. I much appreciate if you let me know the final outcome!

[@HeikoBertram]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia Also interesting to know Leica's take on leaving the camera off while cleaning so to be able to reach the outer corners of the sensor, which can't be reached when the ibis is engaged.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

I have put in a request with our camera technician in Melbourne to see if the cleaning advice has been updated. Thanks for the question.

[@HeikoBertram]

Tanks for keeping me updated!

[@builtbytitan]

I just got an m11 - just after a day there was already a couple dust spots on the sensor as I could see in the sky . Anything to worry about? Hopefully not 🥹

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Hopefully not. A light blow should fix the issue, if not take it back to the store for a clean. Dust is insidious!

[@builtbytitan]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia thanks for the reply. Been loving all you guys’ videos!! Keep it up 👍