Marks visible through viewfinder

DoctorJ

DoctorJ

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David
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Hi, when I look through the viewfinder of my camera I can see a couple of marks or smudges. I have tried changing the lens but they are still thee (so not the lens),I have cleaned the glass of the viewfinder but they are still there and so far as i can see they are not visible on any images. So two questions, where would the smudges be, on the sensor? If so would they be visible on my images and how could I properly check? If i photographed a plain white wall should I be able to see them? As I said I haven't been able to detect them on images but they may be there!

Thank you for any help
 
Lets start at the beginning......what is the make and model of camera you are using?
 
Thank you, can they be cleaned, now I know they are there they are really distracting!
 
Marks visible when viewed through a viewfinder of a dSLR as noted will be somewhere in the optical path. First step would be to use a good blower like the Giotto Rocket to carefully shift them if they are debris of any sort because if debris it may end up on the sensor.

However if they are finger marks or other such 'contact' smudges left on the mirror or focusing screen then you need to be quite carefull ~ the mirror is top coated and though tough is delicate in that you could damage the silvering especially because it is partially semi transparent with the light passing through to the auto focusing unit in the base of the camera body. As for what is called the focusing screen that a fairly soft plastic and again by all accounts can be permanently marked if mishandled. Somewhere on another site I have a nice schematic diagram showing the light path through a dSLR that would hopefully be of help to you.

So basically if the 'marks' cannot be the removed by using a blower then clean those parts at your own risk. I have no doubt there are folks that have cleaned them aok but will you be as successful?

Oh when I say blower please do not use canned air, the propellant gas used in those cans will really make matters worse!
 
Last edited:
Box Brownie said:
So basically if the 'marks' cannot be the removed by using a blower then clean those parts at your own risk.
Click to expand...
Good advice. The mirror and focussing screen are quite easy to damage if you touch them.
 
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