Just cleaned my 450D mirror and focus screen !

L

leeboy22001

Messages
676
Name
Lee
Edit My Images
No
I'm pretty new to DSLR's and have had no previous experience with SLR's, but decided to buy myself a 450D off ebay after owning a Fuji S6500FD bridge camera for the last couple of years. The 450D had only done about 900 shots! used EOSinfo to get exact shutter count, so camera had hardly been used :D. But when I looked through the eye piece there was an annoying black bit in the top left hand side of the focus screen!! :( after reading many threads, alot of people thought it was either dust or a scratch :bang:. So I took off the lens and had a good inspection of the focus screen, and could see a speck of something in the area where I was seeing black. Closer inspection looked like it was a scratch, but I wasn't 100% sure.

I then bought myself a pack of foam flexiswabs http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001GHR17G?ie=UTF8&tag=shopwiki-uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738 and some Eclipse solution. I used the swab to try and clean the area, but it wouldn't budge! So I resorted in removing the focus screen... which I have to admit isn't for the faint hearted, or anyone with a shaky hand! one wrong move could either scratch the mirror or focus screen :bang: but I managed to remove the holding plate, and the focus screen, and placed them on a piece of plastic bag for inspection. I couldn't see anything wrong! The removal must have dislodged the bit of dust or whatever it was, so I reversed the process, and focus screen is perfect :thumbs:

During this process I did manage to get a bit of a finger mark on the mirror! so I cleaned it very carefully with a foam flexiswab and eclipse lens cleaner, and is now back to being shiny and clean :thumbs:

Sorry if I've bored anyone, but wanted to share my experience, as I'm pretty chuffed with myself fixing my DSLR camera after thinking I'd bought a dud off ebay :D
 
Welcome leeboy, I see it's your 1st post!

Go out and buy a "rocket blower" it's generally the first thing to use for sensor cleaning or in fact the focus screen too. It that doesn't work, then it's time to go onto the swabs and so on...

But hey... who's arguing, it worked out fine for you!

cheers
 
Yikes.

I'm planning to buy either a 450D or 500D off ebay within the next week or so, and I'm so terrified of something like that happening, I wouldn't even know where to begin when it comes to cleaning the mirror. All I know is that I've heard some bad stories about it.
 
Don't worry about it! Dust is a fact of life with any DSLR. You've got two choices, pay someone else to clean it (expensive and you can be without the camera for a while) or do it yourself.

It's NOT hard, just a little nerve wracking the first time.

The focus screen and sensor just need reasonable care... But... be very careful cleaning the mirror! the silvering is on the surface not behind the glass like a normal domestic mirror. And it's easily scratched. The scratches won't appear in the pics, but they'll drive you round the bend! :)
 
Thanks for your positive posts :). Yeh that was my first post! and thankyou Bill. I heard the mirror was very delicate and easily scratched, I didn't want to risk even using pec-pads so opted for the foam flexiswabs which couldn't scratch a fly! and it worked a treat.. I didn't want to spend alot on sending it to be serviced and cleaned, especially when I'd only bought it second hand :( so thought i'd bite the bullet and do it myself :geek:

guybush, yeh you do need to be careful, the guy I bought it off just said it was fully working and in good condition, I could have complained, but took it on as a challenge to fix it :thumbs:
 
Bill Roberts said:
Go out and buy a "rocket blower" it's generally the first thing to use for sensor cleaning or in fact the focus screen too.
Click to expand...

Hi Bill, I've just bought myself a rocket blower and yeh they're great at shifting even tiny bits of dust of the mirror and focus screen :D take a bit of getting used to as the tip tends to go a little crazy when using it!!
 
That's so true Lee! Just keep it well away from actually being able to clout something and you'll be fine :) Have a look at this LINK as it gives loads of info on sensor cleaning, it's well worth a read.

cheers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top