Lightbender50 Loc: Santa Rosa, Ca.

Hi there wise and experienced souls of all things photographic! I beg your good graces on advise. I recently cleaned my sensor and successfully removed all debris and have lovely clear images as result. However when looking through my view finder I still see small particulate dust and debris. Can you suggest a way to clean this off? I cleaned the exterior eye piece view and made sure my lens was clean...I have tried the rocket blower but to no avail. Grateful for any suggestions.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Consult your user’s manual.

MtnMan Loc: ID

You should only use the blower on the mirror. Do not touch the mirror. But to do it you need to not put the camera in mirror-up sensor cleaning mode: just take off the lens. Do it holding the camera with the lens opening down.

Bob Boner

The dirt may also be on the square lens that the mirror sends the viewfinder image through. Check that out too.

Lightbender50 Loc: Santa Rosa, Ca.

Sage advice....thank you. Did that.

Lightbender50 Loc: Santa Rosa, Ca.

Thank you. I have used blower on the mirror as well.

Lightbender50 Loc: Santa Rosa, Ca.

What would be the best approach to doing that?

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I usually blow of any dust ( have an electric can of air) and then I use a lens pen to get it nice "crisp". Been doing it this way for many, many years.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

As long as the sensor is clean I do not worry about the mirror. Long as I can see through it and since the dust spots on the mirror do not affect the image so what

Jim Bob

Assuming blowing is inadequate, you can clean the mirror using the same technique you used cleaning the sensor. However, you should make certain the chemical is safe for the mirror surface. I have done it many times on film and digital cameras without adverse effects.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That sounds interesting.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Keep your lens and body caps clean. A lot of dust comes into the "sensor box," mirror and focusing screen that way. Also using lenses that act like pistons, like may zooms, will push dirt and dust into these areas.

I generally don't do anything about junk that I see in the viewfinder. It doesn't affect the image. Once every 12 to 18 months my camera bodies go in for a general cleaning and checkup, and those issues are resolved then. If it really bugs you, take the camera to a repair shop. I think what you are seeing is dust on the focusing screen and to be on the safe side, let them clean it.

Jack47 Loc: Ontario

You need to click "quote reply" if you are directing a question to a specific member.

agillot

i use a vacuum cleaner [small shop vac ] remove lens , hold the hose about 1 to 2 inch away , gently tap the body on table , dust / dirt will be sucked away , same for sensor .

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

In a word... DON'T!

What you see while looking through the viewfinder is merely a nuisance. It won't effect your images at all (unless it somehow manages to find it's way past the closed shutter, onto the image sensor itself).

Assuming it's a typical DSLR, the mirror and focus screen are rather delicate. Many attempts to clean them done by amateurs actually end up damaging them. Some focus screens are relatively easy an not too expensive to replace... but others not-so-much. The mirror, which is usually front-surfaced with vaporized aluminum and, in many cameras, semi-transparent, can be quite easy to damage and expensive to replace.

So, my advice would be that besides a puff of air from a bulb blower and cleaning the eyeport with the same things you use to clean a lens, both of which you say you've already done... don't try any deeper cleaning of the focus screen or mirror yourself. Anything on the focus screen will appear rather sharply in focus in the viewfinder, while things on the mirror will be more blurry. Just leave them and try to ignore them.... Then, the next time you need the sensor cleaned have it done by a pro (typically about $25 to $50 job), who will also clean the focus screen and mirror should it still be needed.

An exception... if what you see in the viewfinder looks like fungus starting to grow in there, get a pro to look at it and advise, immediately. Fungus can all-too-easily spread to other parts of the camera and contaminate any lenses you use upon it... eventually doing irreparable damage. It doesn't happen a lot, but when it does don't wait and don't mess around with fungus. Get it dealt with ASAP by a pro!