300D Cleaning

[luisgriveratorres]

Hi:

I bought a Digital Rebel just 2 weeks ago, and I have used several times after that, switching lenses very often. Now I see trhough the viewfinder some particles that I want to clean, but I need a tutorial or some kind of training to do this, since I have not done this to a digital camera. I don't believe this particles are on the sensor, since I can see them through the viewfinder, might be on the mirror or Focusing screen right. Could you help me to clean this?\\


Thanks

[cmM]

Have you heard of Giottos Rocket blower, the mother of all dust blowers ? :P

No, seriously. Try the blower first . I've had that issue a few times, and the blower cleaned it every time. If you can see it through the viewfinder, it's either on the mirror, the viewfinder itself, or the lens (or inside of lens).

Whatever you do, don't touch your mirror.

[Jonny]

OK, FIRST THINGS FIRST...DONT GO POKING AROUND IN THERE WHAT EVER THE TEMPTATION UNTIL YOU HAVE READ MANY OF THE POSTS HERE ABOUT IT!

After about two weeks i started to notice dust and dirt through my view finder and found it to be on the mirror. I wiped this gently with a lens cloth and it was fine. Days later i noticed more which i found to be on the focusing screen so i wiped this with the same cloth and just as gently as the mirror. BIG MISTAKE!
After doing this i noticed what looked like a smear on the focusing screen which i tried to clean off with cleaning fluid which made it worse. I also noticed that i had dislodged the clip that holds the screen in place. I replaced the clip with tweezers and scratched the screen again in the process.

I had made a real mess of the focusing screen and i was very very gentle with it. You would not believe how soft you need to touch it to damage it. All the posts here (which i read later) are 100% correct. And if you think i was just clumsy, think again.

Jessops quoted £140 for a repair...but i got it done at a canon service centre who were excellent for £30.

The moral of the story is: only ever a blower (not a blower/brush) and just a blower. DO NOT TOUCH or you will regret it.

Jon

[ron chappel]

Mirror's can be cleaned with liquid cleaner but be especially carefull,it is abit delicate.Don't believe the scare campaigns from those that say you should *never* touch the mirror-they are just being paranoid :roll: and are missinformed

Advice from canon's own technitions says ,yes,it can be cleaned but be carefull.
Scratching and breakage (in that order) seem to be the biggest risks.

The focus screen on the other hand can be rather difficult to clean.
Using a blower only is recommended.If something goes wrong the screen can be replaced but it's cheaper to have someone else clean the stubborn marks rather than make things worse
All the best with it.

Oh...and remember-any marks in the viewfinder can't possibly have any effect on the images.
The sensor or film doesn't see through the viewfinder

[Jonny]

Don't believe the scare campaigns from those that say you should *never* touch the mirror-they are just being paranoid :roll: and are missinformed



i agree a little as i have wiped my mirror and it seems sturdy enough but with kit you have spent £/$100's on i don't think that being a little paranoid is a bad thing do you?

After the incident with my focusing screen i will never poke around inside again and i would advise others to do the same. The trouble is once you have successfully cleaned your mirror a few times you may get a little too confident and move on to more dangerous ground.

[luisgriveratorres]

Thanks for your advice

I saw this website www.visibledust were a powerfull kit is being sold for this purpose. I was asking because I tried to clean the focusing screen of an old Rebel 2000 and you know the story. But I dont want to do the same with my new 300D.

Thanks, I might buy from this site. Im still looking (just in case) to know how to clean a focusing screen

Thanks