Okay call me stupid!

[RalphNewman]

I know what you are all going to say. "What posessed you to even think of doing such a thing" But I did okay! :oops: :lol:
Now being relitively new to DSLR's but not to digital I found I had some hair and spots on what I thought was the mirror on my Canon 350D. So I read the manual and proceeded to do a clean as best I could. Having done the mirror the hair was still there and I realised it was on the top opaque "glass" in the viewfinder. Using what I thought was a soft brush" I very CAREFULLY tried to brush the hair off. I succeeded in doing that okay but.... I found out to my utter discust how soft that surface is and left more scratches than hair that I cleaned up. Now I realise there is no solution to this other than replacing that piece of "Glass" or just put up with the marks in the eye peice. So my question is, what is involved in doing this. Is it something that can be done at home? If not has anyone any knowledge of the cost. As if it is too much I guess I will just put up with the marks. (I hardly notice them anymore!:( )
BTW Great site, so much reading I won't get bored for a while

Regards
Ralph

[JohnnyG]

The answer from me is I don't know but I'm sure someone on here will know something!

Welcome to the forum Ralph. It's always good to see someone new.

Just be careful cleaning the inside of your camera. I'm afraid to touch mine!

[Jim_T]

Touching the sensor, mirror or focus screen with a brush should always be a last resort.. You may still be able to salvage it.. Get a good bulb blower.. One with lots of pressure.. You may be able to blow off the hairs and dust left by the brush....

Giottos Rocket Air blowers look corny, but they're one of the best ones out there.. Drop by a few camera shops and see if you can pick one up... Even if it doesn't clean your focus screen, it will still be something you can use in the future for blowing off lenses and your sensor...

[Tom W]

The focus screen is plastic, and has a rather precise surface. Chances are that it is what was scratched. Canon should be able to replace it. Hopefully, you're still under warranty.

I second the idea of using the rocket blower to dislodge loose dust and hair and such. It's fairly powerful, but it won't scratch. :)

[RalphNewman]

Okay, thanks for the cleaning suggestions. Not sure I quite know what you mean by a rocket blower but I will check it out. May have to try the internet or next time I am in the "Big smoke" as here in the country centers we don't get a lot of good camera gear. I may not have been too clear, but what is left now are scratches not hair :-( it seems to be something with DSLR's we need to be careful of, dust and hair etc when changing lenses. My wish list for Santa this year is a 28-300 IS USM lens!! :-) Don't like my chances but I wouldn't have to change the lenses as often. Thanks for the welcome, I have used a G3 for 3 years or s and a couple of Sony FD's before that and have had the 350D for 6 months or so and thoroughly enjoying it. Once I got used to its little "funnies" and got used to the setting I am getting some great results. Softness on the long end of the 300mm is an issue but for the price of the kit lens not a lot one can expect. I am happy with what it does for now inlcuding its restrictions.

[Dante King]

Couln't we just call you Ralph? Stupid is already taken. It's my middle name! Welcome to POTN!

[soupdragon]

In the old days the viewing screens were inter-changeable.
I don't know if this is the case with the 350 but its worth asking.

[RalphNewman]

In the old days the viewing screens were inter-changeable.
I don't know if this is the case with the 350 but its worth asking.

Now thats what I wanted to hear! Lets hope this is the case. I was hoping someone with inside Canon information may have been residing here somewhere! May need to call a friend in Adlaide and find out.

Yes please Ralph will do just fine, "Stupid " seems to obvious!! ;)

[BottomBracket]

I agree about the rocket blower to dislodge any foreign material. No amount of blowing will cure the scratches on the screen though. The good news is, it won't affect your pictures at all, so if you can live with it, you don't have to send it to canon.

[EoSD30fReAk]

the focussing screen can be replaced, all you have to do is push a little clipp back and the little frame that pushes the focusscreen on it's place should come loose.

[Saudidave]

I did a similar trick. I tried using a blower brush to rid the mirror/focussing screen of a few dust specks and succeeded in coating them in crud. The view thro the viewfinder was as if I'd been on the wrong end of a car rally. Canon fixed it (in 3 weeks) for £60.

I've got a rocket blower now............

[foxbat]

I'm surprised you managed to scratch the focussing screen with a brush. What type of brush did you use? If it wasn't a lens blower brush then what you think are scratches might just be greasy 'size' from the bristles.

The focus screen does come out easily and if you feel up to it then you could try removing it, washing it in warm soapy water then blowing it dry with a hairdryer. I've done this to my Haoda screen to get rid of dust. Here's some links to focus screen topics. They all concern the replacement screen but you can find descriptions of how to remove the original in there.

http://home.kc.rr.com/educ/screen/index.html
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=113108
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=100761

[Snapman]

Hello Ralph and welcome to the forum :)

I also think it's unlikely that you've scratched the surface of your focusing screen with a soft brush. More likely you've spread the dust around and trails have formed giving the appearance of scratches.

[Tom W]

Okay, thanks for the cleaning suggestions. Not sure I quite know what you mean by a rocket blower but I will check it out.

OK, Ralph, here's a link to the Giotto Rocket Blower at B&H Photo:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=259157&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

[PhotosGuy]

Not sure I quite know what you mean by a rocket blower but I will check it out. You can get an ear syringe at the drugstore to do the same thing. When you're not using it, put a piece of tape over the end so you don't wind up sucking up the dust from your cam bag & blowing it into the cam. ;)

[ACDCROCKS]

I know what you are all going to say. "What posessed you to even think of doing such a thing" But I did okay! :oops: :lol:
Now being relitively new to DSLR's but not to digital I found I had some hair and spots on what I thought was the mirror on my Canon 350D. So I read the manual and proceeded to do a clean as best I could. Having done the mirror the hair was still there and I realised it was on the top opaque "glass" in the viewfinder. Using what I thought was a soft brush" I very CAREFULLY tried to brush the hair off. I succeeded in doing that okay but.... I found out to my utter discust how soft that surface is and left more scratches than hair that I cleaned up. Now I realise there is no solution to this other than replacing that piece of "Glass" or just put up with the marks in the eye peice. So my question is, what is involved in doing this. Is it something that can be done at home? If not has anyone any knowledge of the cost. As if it is too much I guess I will just put up with the marks. (I hardly notice them anymore!:( )
BTW Great site, so much reading I won't get bored for a while

Regards
Ralph

I wouldn't feel bad, I did dumber things like not put the strap on right, that came to haunt me 3hrs later when I first had my DSLR. You live and you learn

[Falkon]

I picked up my backpack once when it wasn't zipped. The lucky thing for me was the camera fell out on the bed not the flour.

[ACDCROCKS]

cement was my luck

[JaertX]

Isn't it more likely that you scratched the mirror? The focusing screen MIGHT be a little delicate, but I think the mirror is much more likely to scratch than either the screen, viewfinder eyepiece or even the sensor cut filter. But that's just a guess.

[MartyK]

I know what you are all going to say. "What posessed you to even think of doing such a thing" But I did okay! :oops: :lol:
Now being relitively new to DSLR's but not to digital I found I had some hair and spots on what I thought was the mirror on my Canon 350D. So I read the manual and proceeded to do a clean as best I could. Having done the mirror the hair was still there and I realised it was on the top opaque "glass" in the viewfinder. Using what I thought was a soft brush" I very CAREFULLY tried to brush the hair off. I succeeded in doing that okay but.... I found out to my utter discust how soft that surface is and left more scratches than hair that I cleaned up. Now I realise there is no solution to this other than replacing that piece of "Glass" or just put up with the marks in the eye peice. So my question is, what is involved in doing this. Is it something that can be done at home? If not has anyone any knowledge of the cost. As if it is too much I guess I will just put up with the marks. (I hardly notice them anymore!:( )
BTW Great site, so much reading I won't get bored for a while

Regards
Ralph

Did the same thing some years ago with an old film slr. I just chalked it up as one of those 'don't do that again' things. It didn't affect the pictures so I just left it alone.

Here is a link to give you an idea of the process. It is for a 300D though so it might be a little different on your camera.
http://www.camerahacker.com/Tools/Installing_Haoda_Screen.shtml

[RalphNewman]

WOW!! Thank you everyone for your replies. NIce to be made feel so welcome.
To be sure The problem is scratches in focus screen. It isn't a huge issue as I know it doesn't come out on the photos. Probably more embarrasing when someone else picks up my camera at our local camera club and I have to explain how I did it. ( I don't need the reminder all the time) I will read all the links you kind people have provided me with and see what is involved in looking at the screen and maybe even replace it.
Talking of dropping the camera though, I have a friend whose grand daughter accidently hook onto the USB cable while it was plugged into the computer and drag it onto the tile floor. A quote of $1000 to repair saw her buy a new camera!
Thanks again for all your replies.

[Cadwell]

Hey Ralph, welcome to the forum... are you allowed to slum it over here? ;)

[RalphNewman]

:D Goodness! Is this a subsidury of Photozo?? :-) People you see over the internet hey! I thought I could come to this "New" forum and be annonymous. No chance huh?? Looking around it looked like a great place for a "Canon owner" like me to come and learn a few more "tricks of the trade" with my 350D. I see you are "an old hand" here Glen, as the new boy I better be good!

[ron chappel]

Gidday ralph
Looks like i'm late for this thread but the others have steered you in the right direction anyway.
If nobody has mentioned it yet,i've heard that a replacement focus screen are reasonably cheap (about au$50 +or - ?) and are easy to change.
Of course,as someone has allready said, the marks on your present screen can't possibly effect the pictures .

[RalphNewman]

Thanks Ron, you guys are more than helpful. I promise not to do anything as stupid as this again, well if it is within my ability to avoid it anyway. Great bunch of friendly people here. Thanks again

[photobitz]

Forget brushing... I suggest you remove the screen and wash it in mild detergent solution. I did this for a screen from an EOS 500. It was growing a bit of fungus and after washing it was like new. Just remember to wash it in running water straight away and cold blow dry so it doesn't leave any marks.

If you have scratched your screen, you'll need to replace it with an aftermarket product (Canon aparrently don't make replacements).

[Hellashot]

Stupid. :) You asked for it.

[MALI]

IOkay call me stupid!

OK. Stupid...

Sorry I couldn't resist. :)

MALI