spot seen in viewfinder, how to clean?

jerseygirl

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i have a spot in my viewfinder but can't seem to figure out where it is. it's not lens specific as i've swapped out a couple and see the same thing. it's not affecting my pictures (as far as i can tell), but is completely annoying. if it's not on the viewfinder itself, where else would it be and how to clean it? i have a digital rebel and the cleaning sensor instructions in the manual frighten me :lol:...
 
It's either in your viewfinder itslef, or on your mirror. In either case, it doesn't affect picture quality so forget about it. You'll do more harm than good trying to get at it yourself.
 
Here's a story about a method I developed for my Canon Digital Rebel XT(350D):

When I asked to use a camera shop's lens for testing, somehow a huge piece of stubborn dust that couldn't be blown out got stuck to the bottom of my pentaprism. What I did, used a piece of scotch clear tape, took the big black spot (about as abig as a canon AF point) right off and even cleaned the rest of the small fibers. The only problem is getting the tape to lie flat without jaming your finger up into the camera and risk messing up/smudging the mirror. I bent a paper clip to just under 90 degrees, used the rounded edge of one side (wax the sharp ends as a safety precaution) and pushed the tape up, the leave a little extra so you can pull it off, pull really slowly (the Rebel XT has this foam in front of the viewfinder, put the camera upside down and cover this with a small folded sheet of paper to keep the tape from pulling it off)
 
if you "get in there" without the proper tools. you will quite probably do a lot more harm than good. If you do you will have to send it back for repair. The people doing the repair will not look kindly on your attempts to "D.I.Y." and will charge you a large sum to put things right. You will have your camera away for a long time while it is posted around the world and each person in the chain charges a "Handling Fee".

As said it will not effect the quality of the end result. If you can learn to live with it then this is the best idea. If not send it off to start with. It will be quicker. and cheaper to have your local camera shop look at it. Many do a cleaning service any way, so it is worth taking it to a few to see if one of them will clean it for you on site. If the worst comes to the worst and they foul it up big time. It is then THEIR fault and they will have to fix it...
 
DSLR noob be very careful with this method. Scotch tape has the risk that a bit of the adhesive will remain on what you stick it do. As do all other tapes. If that happens it's all over, and just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't.
 
It's dangerous to mess with the pentaprism but if you have to stick a piece of tape in (madness) use painters tape as it won't leave the same amount of residue.
 
I have the same spots on mine!! I hear ya loud and clear when you say they are annoying.
However, I've asked camera stores and the kind folks on this forum and I got the same response... learn to live with it.
What gets me is that I can never figure out where the speck actually is. It's not on the mirror... I've examined it very closely!!! And it's not on the outside of the viewfinder glass... it's a mystery speck really. But doesnt show on pictures that I know of.
 
Couldn't your local camera store or wherever you purchased that camera clean it for you?
 
Please remember that most " tapes " use solvents in their products

Just drop some Glue on some Polestyrine

Watch it Burn

If it bothers you that much get the camera serviced

If its only in view not in the shot then maybe live with it until you get marks on your shots

Cheers

Steve
 
thanks everyone, i've decided not to touch anything. i will take it in for repair only if it starts to affect my images...
 
Please remember that most " tapes " use solvents in their products

Just drop some Glue on some Polestyrine

Watch it Burn

If it bothers you that much get the camera serviced

If its only in view not in the shot then maybe live with it until you get marks on your shots

Cheers

Steve

Your point has a certain amount of truth in it but tape isn't glue and a camera sensor (or the protective screen in front) isn't polystyrene.
I wouldn't expect any sort of tape to dissolve any part of my camera but you're right in that it's a bad idea to use tape.
 
if you se tape, it won't destroy your sensor, but if you are unlucky, the tape will leave lots of residue on the sensor and a wet cleaning will be the only way to go then ... I would never use tape ...
 
spot seen in viewfinder, how to clean?

spot ignored in viewfinder, do not clean :mrgreen:
 

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