Help! How to rescue my focusing screen!

J

johnha

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John
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Not sure how to get on the message board here. I think I may have ruined my focusing screen, whilst trying to quickly clean it. It is a canon a1 and I startedto clean it without thinking and seem to have got grease on it. Can anybody help me on how to clean it safely.

I would be eternally grateful.

Thank You

Johnha
 
Well first off - a disclaimer that I wouldn't attempt this yourself unless you're working on the assumption that any damage is probably already done and you've nothing to lose.

Carefully wash the screen with something which will break down and remove any grease - washing up liquid or similar should do it. Once you're satisfied that the screen is clean and all traces of the grease have gone, thoroughly rinse it under clean water, then put it somewhere to dry naturally. A dust free environment such as the bathroom is probably best.

Be very careful of rubbing too hard and scratching the screen -particularly the dull ground glass side.
 
On second thoughts John - I'm guessing that you've tried to clean the screen without removing it? The screen in the A1 isn't meant to be user replaceable although it's not too difficult a job if you have a small enough screwdriver.

There's not much room to work through the lens opening and it's all too easy to transfer grease off the mirror hinge assembly onto the focusing screen as well as damage the mirror if you're not very careful which is why dust and hairs on your screen are really best ignored - they don't show on your images.

I think you'll struggle to clean it now without removing it and unless you're the patient type who can work carefully and blessed with fingers like a piccolo player you could do more harm than good. Your best bet is to just live with it or bite the bullet and get a pro to replace it.
 
Ah - beat me to it Ced... I thought that the A1's focusing screen replacment was meant to be a service centre job. I'd definitely be making a call to someone like Miles (as recommended by Yardbent...

Miles H. Whitehead Photographic Engineer
Phone: 01732-848358
Fax: 01732-848358
Email: MWcamerarepairs@aol.com
www.MWcamerarepairs.co.uk

59 Barleycorn
Leybourne, West Malling
Kent. ME19 5PS England

Charged £38 + postage for sorting the Canon Cough, lightseals and a CLA - which should sort your focusing screen problem, and prevent the onset of the dreaded cough for a good while...
 
Why have you posted the same question twice John? first at 11.57am then again now at 14.40.
If you had bothered to check you would have seen I had already replied on your first posting.

Realspeed


(original post from other thread...)
Have a look at the Eclipse range of products for cleaning camera parts . this is the type of thing but have a look at other suppliers as well as this is a USA site, but posted so you can see what the product is. obviously you would look for a UK supplier.

Link

http://www.photosol.com/store/pc/home.asp

Realspeed
Click to expand...
 
realspeed said:
Why have you posted the same question twice John? first at 11.57am then again now at 14.40.
If you had bothered to check you would have seen I had already replied on your first posting.

Realspeed
Click to expand...

Bazza, cut the guy a little slack - all you really did was post a link to some cleaning products from a company in the US. He's just joined up here, and may not have known where to post. We're supposed to be a friendly lot here, let's try and live up to it, shall we?
 
Thanks for the help. I have just joined and couldn't see my first attempt at posting, so I retried sorry for the inconvenience.

Johnha
 
johnha said:
Thanks for the help. I have just joined and couldn't see my first attempt at posting, so I retried sorry for the inconvenience.

Johnha
Click to expand...

If you want to check your prior postings, an easy way is to click on your name on the left, and you'll get a pull down list - one of the entries is "find more posts by..." click this, and you'll see the most recent posts you've made...

It's no bother - i've closed the other thread and copied Bazza's comment into here for the sake of tidyness. Gave me a bit of MOD'ing practice - i'm new at this you know :lol:
 
Dear Realspeed
I am afraid I don't accept your apology, your comments were unacceptable and unnecessary under any circumstances. I have been on number of forums and my rule now if there are any toxic members I do not want to know. You gave the least help for the most unpleasantness.

Others on the site seem very helpful, but I do not want people like you in my life, so I won't come back to this site and will delete my details.

Johnha
 
John - I hope you'll reconsider - I wasn't joking about this forums friendly nature as a rule - maybe just put it down to the excessive heat today, and come back and give us another try.

Either way, I hope you get your camera back into working order - i've a real soft spot for the old A-1's myself, and would hate to see one turn into a shelf-camera.
 
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