5dII focusing screen problems...

This is the third time this has happened to me, the first and second time I thought it was my installation error, now there is no way it can still be due to my errors.

I picked up a brand new 5dII and immediately installed the matte grid line focusing screen. I love having the grid lines to help me space out my shots. Here's my issue. I installed the screen with what i thought was no issues, went in seamlessly and clicked right back up into place... well a few days later when taking some shots... click click click CLUNK... and the focusing screen fell down onto the mirror... when looking through the view finder you can see the bracket open and in the middle of the view and the focusing screen barely hanging on...

i pushed the screen back into position and everything worked fine... it happened once more... same deal, no problem putting it back...

yesterday i was walking around an indoor auto show... click click click click clunk... screen fell out again... i sat down, removed the lens and the screen fell out... now i have dust on the screen and on the actually focusing lens (? the screen/sensor that has the focusing points on it) i used my rocket blower to try and clean it off with no success... installed everything back and took some shots, obviously it is only line of site so it doesnt effect image quality but it looks like absolute S#@$ when looking through the viewfinder...

does anyone else have this issue with the screen constantly falling out? every time i've put it in i've pushed it all the way up and heard it click into place.. but it just doesnt stay there.. the camera has never been dropped or misused.. i shouldnt be running into this problem this often... and now i feel like im going to have to buy another screen cause this one is probably all scratched up...

someone help

Nope, never had this prob. I have my changed myself. I first change to cheap ebay one but swap out to a canon matt screen. Both sit in there pretty good. never once feel out (knock on wood). maybe you put in the wrong way or screen is bit thick so the latch did not click on tight? just guessing.

I just want to add. They do sell or put in shims to hold the screen down if loose. My point is.. Did you buy this camera new? or ever have it service? look closely at the bracket and see if any shims in there. Something is pushing on the bracket to force it open.

push the clip a little bit and see if it helps

the camera was purchased new less than 2 months ago from B+H

when installed i pushed the bracket up and felt it click (you can even watch the release shift as it locks the bracket back into place)

once it's in there it doesn't seem to move or jiggle around at all... that's why this is so annoying to me, it just seems to flop down whenever it feels like it...

your going to need to bend the release tab in a bit more (pushing it in towards the inside of camera).

Here is the process for cleaning the focusing screen and the Super Impose screen (screen with the AF etchings). You'll needs swabs and sensor cleaning solution. If you have used a blower directly on the SI screen while it's in the mirror box, chances are that you have blown dust behind it and onto to the bottom of the pentaprism block. To clean the bottom of the pentaprism block you need to bend a swab to the right angle, usually 90 degrees. You can also use the dampened swabs on the focusing screen and SI screen, one pass with the wet swab and one with a dry one on each side. If you don't want to use the sensor clean solution, you can use distilled water.

Watch out for the tiny screws as they are easily lost inside the camera body, I use a needle nose splinter pliers to hold onto them when screwing them back in or pulling them out.

http://shimworld.wordp​ress.com …-the-5d-mk-ii-viewfinder/

thanks for the write up... even though i feel like i shouldnt be having to do this on a brand new camera...

Kit Cloudkicker wrote in post #12157967
thanks for the write up... even though i feel like i shouldnt be having to do this on a brand new camera...

The only thing I can think of is that you installed the focusing screen upside down, looking into the mirror box the large tab of the focusing screen should be on the right in the cradle.

You can see this in pictures 4 and 5 of the Shimworld process.

i took another look at the SI screen and the focusing screen and both appear to be scratched... im assuming the screen is scratch from bouncing out of the carriage and then it kicked back and one of the tabs caught the SI screen... not happy about this... i hope it isnt too much to replace these... i know they dont effect image quality so im not in a huge rush, but i shouldnt be doing this on a new camera of this level

Since it's a brand new camera and still well within warranty, I'd be talking to Canon Service Dept. or the seller about it, not taking the camera apart myself in hopes of fixing it.

I installed the grid screen in my 5DII (and in previous cameras) and never had any problem with the retaining bracket coming loose. There's something wrong if that keeps happening to you. If the mirror itself or the focus array get damaged with all this fooling around with it, you are going to be looking at an expensive repair that won't be covered by warranty.

i called up canon service and it will be going in this week... they seem to think it shouldnt be dropping either... it's a simple enough thing to install the focusing screen and my mechanical and technical abilities are well within the scope of putting this in haha... the only costs i might be out are the price of a new eg-d screen if canon doesn't want to replace it for me.

I have replaced both the focus screen and SI screen in my camera. The SI screen is about a third of the price of the focus screen, probably because it doesn't come in a fancy plastic case.

I hope you manage to get yours sorted soon.

if you just brought this camera from BH? return it. Canon Service center will most likely not cover you. It is not manufacture defects and falls into user error/physical damage. Unless you say orginal screen fell out and hope for the best.

czynot wrote in post #12162186
if you just brought this camera from BH? return it. Canon Service center will most likely not cover you. It is not manufacture defects and falls into user error/physical damage. Unless you say orginal screen fell out and hope for the best.

i spoke with the tech support and they said that it's a simple enough install that there's no way that it should be falling down repeatedly... its unlikely they will replace my matte eg-d screen, but they will at least take a look at everything and try to figure out why it keeps falling down.

returning it to B+H wouldn't be the right way to go about this... not to mention i dont think i'm within their 30 day return policy... if canon doesn't cover it then they don't cover it, whatever, i'll replace the screens and go along my way, but it wont hurt to have them look at it and figure out why it keeps falling...

camera was shipped and i got an email saying they are repairing it under warranty... whether or not they replaced my eg-d screen who knows.. but i'm glad it's being taken care of properly... thumbs up to great customer service

update:

canon sent me back the camera without essentially doing anything... didnt call me while they had it to discuss the issue, i'm not overly happy...

ordered a new SI plate and eg-d screen and im just going to fix it myself...