Mirror and focus screen cleaning O_o

[SteO]

Ok, the we are full of article like "how to clean sensor", but no one speaks about mirror and focus screen cleaning !

What do you use to do that ?

[Pekka]

Don't touch the mirror with anything. It contains very thin reflective surface which will be damaged by slightest touch. Use a manual blower without brush and check that there is no oil or any other residue inside blower before use.

[ron chappel]

I've cleaned quite a few mirrors and focus screens.
You can clean the mirror with a fluid but be super carefull about it(and try the gentler options such as a blower first of course).Not so much that you might break it -allthough it is possible if one is rough- but because it can easily be scratched.
I only recommend the blower on a focus screen as fluid can do weird things to it.

[SteO]

I've removed some dust with blower, but there are still some on the focus screen... can I use a spray duster without risk ?

[Ferdinand]

Concern with spray duster is that you might end up spraying condensed moisture into the camera, best would be the pump action spray like the one from Giotto call the Rocket Blaster or something like that.

And since your Drebel is still under the one year warranty you might as well send it to either NJ or CA Canon Center and get them to clean it for you.

Regards,
Ferdinand.

p.s. has anyone tried to use a manual pump spray in reverse? To suck up dust rather than blowing?

[Mikesht]

Don't touch the mirror with anything. It contains very thin reflective surface which will be damaged by slightest touch. Use a manual blower without brush and check that there is no oil or any other residue inside blower before use.

I did not know that and I tried to clean my mirror with Eclipse and PacPads, just as I was cleaning my sensor. Actually after cleaning a sensor I found those small particles still there and I realized it's on a mirror, not on sensor. It seems to be working fine since, am I in trouble though?!

[defordphoto]

Don't touch the mirror with anything. It contains very thin reflective surface which will be damaged by slightest touch. Use a manual blower without brush and check that there is no oil or any other residue inside blower before use.

I did not know that and I tried to clean my mirror with Eclipse and PacPads, just as I was cleaning my sensor. Actually after cleaning a sensor I found those small particles still there and I realized it's on a mirror, not on sensor. It seems to be working fine since, am I in trouble though?!

What you see in your mirror is not what your sensor sees when it comes to dust on the sensor. If you see spots in your photographs, then you have dust on the sensor. Best way to test is to shoot a clear sky (check for birds!) at f/22 and then check the photo for spots.

[Mikesht]

Don't touch the mirror with anything. It contains very thin reflective surface which will be damaged by slightest touch. Use a manual blower without brush and check that there is no oil or any other residue inside blower before use.

I did not know that and I tried to clean my mirror with Eclipse and PacPads, just as I was cleaning my sensor. Actually after cleaning a sensor I found those small particles still there and I realized it's on a mirror, not on sensor. It seems to be working fine since, am I in trouble though?!

What you see in your mirror is not what your sensor sees when it comes to dust on the sensor. If you see spots in your photographs, then you have dust on the sensor. Best way to test is to shoot a clear sky (check for birds!) at f/22 and then check the photo for spots.

I agree, and while I saw all kinds of things thru the viewfinder, there was nothing on a photographs. But I still wanted to go thru the whole procedure, so I cleaned everything. Is it o'key to clean the mirror with Eclipse and PacPads though?

[defordphoto]

Don't touch the mirror with anything. It contains very thin reflective surface which will be damaged by slightest touch. Use a manual blower without brush and check that there is no oil or any other residue inside blower before use.

I did not know that and I tried to clean my mirror with Eclipse and PacPads, just as I was cleaning my sensor. Actually after cleaning a sensor I found those small particles still there and I realized it's on a mirror, not on sensor. It seems to be working fine since, am I in trouble though?!

What you see in your mirror is not what your sensor sees when it comes to dust on the sensor. If you see spots in your photographs, then you have dust on the sensor. Best way to test is to shoot a clear sky (check for birds!) at f/22 and then check the photo for spots.

I agree, and while I saw all kinds of things thru the viewfinder, there was nothing on a photographs. But I still wanted to go thru the whole procedure, so I cleaned everything. Is it o'key to clean the mirror with Eclipse and PacPads though?

No! Leave the mirror alone as Pekka warned above. If it bothers you that much (I have dust on my viewfinder) then send it back to Canon. They will clean it for free, but you have to pay shipping one way.

[Mikesht]

[quote=Mikesht][quote=Pekka]Don't touch the mirror with anything. It contains very thin reflective surface which will be damaged by slightest touch. Use a manual blower without brush and check that there is no oil or any other residue inside blower before use.

I did not know that and I tried to clean my mirror with Eclipse and PacPads, just as I was cleaning my sensor. Actually after cleaning a sensor I found those small particles still there and I realized it's on a mirror, not on sensor. It seems to be working fine since, am I in trouble though?!



No! Leave the mirror alone as Pekka warned above. If it bothers you that much (I have dust on my viewfinder) then send it back to Canon. They will clean it for free, but you have to pay shipping one way.



All right, it will never happen again, sir :-))
Now, what about that milky matt surface up top from the mirror? Can you clean that?

[defordphoto]

Man. You're in major cleaning mode aren't you? You really need to be careful working inside that opening. One slip and you could be in deep doo-doo. The milky think you're talking about is the focusing screen. Again use only air. If your camera is that filthy inside then send it off to Canon and let them do it.

[KennyG]

I see some horror stories about cleaning the innards of DSLR's and the rules are quite simple really.

1. Do not clean the mirror or focus screen with anything else other than a blower. Do not even touch them with a brush, pad or your fingers. They are easily marked/damaged and are way more delicate than the sensor.

2. Use a blower to clean the sensor until it reaches the point where the dust just can't be moved, then use Eclipse fluid etc. Pads and fluid are your last resort.

3. If dust gets behind the focus screen then get professional help unless you really, really know what you are doing.

When it comes to blowers, do not use canned air as it could contain moisture. A 'Rocket' blower is the best tool and even then you should squeeze out the air a few times before you use it on the camera, just in case there is any dust inside the blower itself.

Lastly, do not get paranoid about dust. It comes with the territory and you should develop a simple, regular cleaning routine.

[Mikesht]

Man. You're in major cleaning mode aren't you? You really need to be careful working inside that opening. One slip and you could be in deep doo-doo. The milky think you're talking about is the focusing screen. Again use only air. If your camera is that filthy inside then send it off to Canon and let them do it.

I do agree with that, and I should get myself that Rocket blower, whatewer it is. But the other thing is, I am a mechanical engineer by profession and pretty handy guy, and therefore I guess I do not have much respect for those alarming notes like "do not touch" :-)) You do have to be carefull, you are right, and I will be more cauthious from now on. But so many times I have heard that "send it back to a factory" regarding many things and instead I would open them and fix them 95 times out of 100. :-))

[defordphoto]

Man. You're in major cleaning mode aren't you? You really need to be careful working inside that opening. One slip and you could be in deep doo-doo. The milky think you're talking about is the focusing screen. Again use only air. If your camera is that filthy inside then send it off to Canon and let them do it.

I do agree with that, and I should get myself that Rocket blower, whatewer it is. But the other thing is, I am a mechanical engineer by profession and pretty handy guy, and therefore I guess I do not have much respect for those alarming notes like "do not touch" :-)) You do have to be carefull, you are right, and I will be more cauthious from now on. But so many times I have heard that "send it back to a factory" regarding many things and instead I would open them and fix them 95 times out of 100. :-))

Knock yourself out then and whoop out the pressure washer! ;) But if you do mess something up it might be best not to admit it in this forum. ;)

[Mikesht]

Man. You're in major cleaning mode aren't you? You really need to be careful working inside that opening. One slip and you could be in deep doo-doo. The milky think you're talking about is the focusing screen. Again use only air. If your camera is that filthy inside then send it off to Canon and let them do it.

I do agree with that, and I should get myself that Rocket blower, whatewer it is. But the other thing is, I am a mechanical engineer by profession and pretty handy guy, and therefore I guess I do not have much respect for those alarming notes like "do not touch" :-)) You do have to be carefull, you are right, and I will be more cauthious from now on. But so many times I have heard that "send it back to a factory" regarding many things and instead I would open them and fix them 95 times out of 100. :-))

Knock yourself out then and whoop out the pressure washer! ;) But if you do mess something up it might be best not to admit it in this forum. ;)

Admitting that you are wrong is for wimps.

[defordphoto]

Admitting that you are wrong is for wimps.

<snicker>

[Abercrombie]

Hi guys. Here's the situation...

Last week I bought a 300D as a factory refub. It was a good price, and on first glance all seemed well.
I've since has time to properly examine the camera and there are clear blemishes on the focus screen. It looks mildly speckled with small dark blotching, more visiible towards the corners.
Certain light also shows what looks like brush or cloth marks on the mirror. Not scratches, but like the blur strokes you see when cleaning a regular mirror.
Looks to me that somebody has tried to give the mirror a wipe with some sort of cloth.

Now, I can't see any blemishes on the photos, but I'm still a little concerned that perhaps the mirror and focus screen have been damaged at some point, and since this is a factory refurb the store operates a 10 day refund policy, which means that if I want a refund it has to be done tomorrow, otherwise I'm stuck with a credit note.

Would you suggest taking the camera to a professional to have it cleaned, or just take it back to the store, claim a refund and invest in a new model?

From what I've said do you think it's likely that the focus screen is simply dirty, or does it sound like it could be damaged?

Thanks

[20droger]

Hi guys. Here's the situation...

Last week I bought a 300D as a factory refub. It was a good price, and on first glance all seemed well.
I've since has time to properly examine the camera and there are clear blemishes on the focus screen. It looks mildly speckled with small dark blotching, more visiible towards the corners.
Certain light also shows what looks like brush or cloth marks on the mirror. Not scratches, but like the blur strokes you see when cleaning a regular mirror.
Looks to me that somebody has tried to give the mirror a wipe with some sort of cloth.

Now, I can't see any blemishes on the photos, but I'm still a little concerned that perhaps the mirror and focus screen have been damaged at some point, and since this is a factory refurb the store operates a 10 day refund policy, which means that if I want a refund it has to be done tomorrow, otherwise I'm stuck with a credit note.

Would you suggest taking the camera to a professional to have it cleaned, or just take it back to the store, claim a refund and invest in a new model?

From what I've said do you think it's likely that the focus screen is simply dirty, or does it sound like it could be damaged?

Thanks
It sounds like someone has damaged and/or soiled the mirror and focus screen by attempting to wet-clean them. I would take it back to the store and exchange it for another.

If you miss your window of opportunity, a professional cleaning will most likely solve the problem.

If the mirror and/or screen are damaged, not just dirty, then your only recourse would be replacement. If it was refurbished by Canon, then Canon should cover it under their warrantee. If it was third-party refurbished, then you will have to pay for the repairs.

The focus screen is cheap. You might take this as a sign to upgrade to a better focus screen (if one is available). The mirror, on the other hand, is quite dear.

[Abercrombie]

I'm informed that it is a Canon refurb, but I've not really looked into the warranty as yet.

For future referrence, how much am I looking at for a focus screen and mirror for the model?

I will likely return it tomorrow and perhaps invest a little more money to replace it with the 350D. Limited budget but I can stretch to the price of a 350D if required.

[Hermeto]

Go for 350D if you can, overall it's much better choice than 300D..

[20droger]

Go for 350D if you can, overall it's much better choice than 300D..
I agree. Go for the 350D.

[Abercrombie]

I took the camera back this morning and claimed a refund.
The store manager said that I had bought the last 300D of a package of Canon refurbs. He said most of them had been returned due to lens and focus faults!
They tried to sell me a 350D but it's from the same supplier so I refused and am now about to purchase one online.

[jogy]

Hi,

Did you returned it?
I had the same problem with my 300D I was referred to a tech support site with great step by step information. Maybe you can find a solution there.

Here is the page for the Canon 300D support (http://www.fixya.com/support/p467687-canon_eos_5d_digital_camera)

Let me know what happend,

If you allready returned it maybe it will help other people,

Good luck

Jogy

[Abercrombie]

Yes I returned it. I'd rather spend an extra £80 and buy a new 350D from a reputable supplier than accept a refurbished model and spend additional money on having it cleaned.

I'm going to buy a 350D, I'm just comparing prices online first.