Dust in camera

[Saudidave]

Hi

I took out my 350D today, changed lenses and for the first time ever, I noticed a lot of black specks in the viewfinder.

I presume these are dust or fibres on the mirror or focussing screen and wondered what is the best way to clean them?

I haven't used it since I spotted the problem for fear of distributing the dust on the sensor when the mirror flips............

Thanks

Dave

[ssim]

Try a rocket blower or similar device. Having the dust on the mirror or focussing screen doesn't necessarily mean that they will end up on the sensor but there is a chance of that happening. I regularly give my camera a shot of air every so often on lens changes just as a preventative measure.

[Medic1]

Like Sheldon said.....just hit the focusing screen with a shot of air from a rocket blower or hurricane bulb. Be careful not to touch your mirror though.....and even though there is only a small chance of the dust going onto your shutter and then to your sensor....I have been the unlucky recipient of this situation in the past, so it is very possible.......

When you blow some air into there.....give it a couple seconds to float down in the air and out of the camera body....don't hit it with repetitive blasts of air consecutively...you may blow some of the dislodged dust back up into the body

Good Luck

[adnic]

hi,
don't know if any of you have used a gadget called a speck grabber, but i have one & use it regularly on all my eos digitals with great success.
found mine on ebay from the usa.
good luck

[Saudidave]

I've done all that stuff and 4 of the specks remain. there is also a long fibre like strand in one corner...........

They are (either) on or probably behind the focussing screen. If I hold the camera upside down I can actually see one of them but it won't budge. I have actually cleaned the mirror with lens cleaning fluid as it was really full of dust and that got rid of most of it.

How so much got in in the first place is a mystery. I don't change lenses too much and I am meticulous to keep the body face down and camera turned off in a clean environment. I'm coming to the conclusion that I just got unlucky and I will have to get Canon to clean it.

Image quality is not affected, the remaining specks are just a nuisance in the viewfinder