do not clean the pentaprism on your brand new 5D.

anyway, to get to the point. i just received my brand new 5D yesterday and noticed that it had a speck on the viewfinder. so i figured id clean the mirror, and the removeable focusing screen. well, speck was still there.

i now decided to clean the pentaprism (yes, where the focus points are located). i now have LOTS of specks on the viewfinder!!! AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!

i immediately went to my local photography store and got some eclipse solution, some pec pads, and some sensor swabs. but alas, MORE SPECS!!! ive made my situation worse!

do you guys know how much it would be to send this thing into Canon and get the pentaprism replaced?

You poor sod, it made me cringe reading your post.

Hope you get it sorted soon

Oh man, I can almost feel a bit of your pain. I picked up my 30D a while back. Tried to use a blower to get some of the dust off the sensor. The stupid blower blasted my sensor with specs of rubber! It''s still not clean, but I have an entire cleaning kit being flown in by FedEx via overnight priority. (from visibledust) Hopefully I can get it all cleaned up.

But the pentaprism. Ouch, especially on a 5D. Sorry to hear that. Really sucks that it happened so soon. I at least had a chance to fire over a thousand shots before my little mishap.

Well lesson learned I guess. And good you posted it, so others who read this won't fall into the same trap.

Good luck!

argh.. that's terrible man.. almost as bad as when I blew on my sensor to try and clean it

BrandonSi wrote in post #2520201
argh.. that's terrible man.. almost as bad as when I blew on my sensor to try and clean it

Yeah, I don't think those are meant to be spit-shined... (sorry, I couldn't help it. Hopefully it didn't damage anything or cost you any money!)

It sucks though, I hate that. You get this awesome new toy or even tool for work, and a simple innocient mistake messes things up.

Another really stupid thing I the day I got my 30D (not as bad as sensor/pentaprism related) was I bought that stupid LCD screen hood protector thingy. So the plastic guard would cover the LCD, and when it popped up it blocked the sunshine. (This is before I realized how retarded it seemed to be. Every time you go to take a picture, you have to collapse the guard thing. Then after you take it, you have to open it to see the LCD. Then collapse it and take another pic, etc etc etc etc. ANNOYING!) ANYWAYS.

It said to take off the rubber eyepiece or something like that. So I took the rubber off the eyepiece. No, I didn't just 'slide' the whole thing off like it's supposed to. No, I pulled the RUBBER right off. Then I realized how stupid that was. DUH. I tried to get the rubber back into the grooves like it was when I bought it, but I can't get it all the way in. It's close though, so it doesn't look too bad. But still, one of those little things you mess up right away with a new expensive thing.

Tried using a Rocket blower to remove dust from my 350D's pentamirror and all I did was make it worse. Have no idea how Canon does it.. they do a truly outstanding job! They can get the prism/mirror clean every single time..

For me it's a drop off and collect at my local service center, $15. Can't beat that with a stick. (yes I tell them to take care of the prism/mirror while they're at it)

Lightstream wrote in post #2520305
For me it's a drop off and collect at my local service center, $15. Can't beat that with a stick. (yes I tell them to take care of the prism/mirror while they're at it)

are there really only 4 service centers in the US?

Wouldn't know. Never been there.

Where do you take yours then..?

I have one near me. Not everybody lives in the US, yaknow.

I'm lucky enough to have a repair centre in my home city. (Calgary AB) If my cleaning kit (which will arrive tomorrow afternoon) can't get my sensor clean, thats where i'm taking it. Just have to take a day off work though, since their hours are between my office hours.

I had almost the exact same problem.Sent my three month old 5D to Canon Factory Service Center in Irvine Ca. 10 days ago. Camera arrived back in Tacoma about 3 hrs. ago.Service details:clean sensor, VF mirror,update Firmware and replace scratched focusing screen as a courtesy.
No Charge all under Warrenty. Now thats what I call customer service!!
Dick

dickbanks wrote in post #2521004
I had almost the exact same problem.Sent my three month old 5D to Canon Factory Service Center in Irvine Ca. 10 days ago. Camera arrived back in Tacoma about 3 hrs. ago.Service details:clean sensor, VF mirror,update Firmware and replace scratched focusing screen as a courtesy.
No Charge all under Warrenty. Now thats what I call customer service!!
Dick

this is very reassuring!! i hope im as lucky as you are and get it covered under warranty when i take it into the NJ service center. YES, i will drive 3.5 hours and take it there myself!

If you register your 5d on canon's web site they will send you a nice little packet including a 100.00 repair voucher for out of warrenty repairs.
Dick

dickbanks wrote in post #2521183
If you register your 5d on canon's web site they will send you a nice little packet including a 100.00 repair voucher for out of warrenty repairs.
Dick

Wow I never got mine.