Need advice on what to do! [mirror/sensor cleaning]

Whappers

Whappers

Whappers

Soldato
Joined
4 Nov 2003
Posts
4,496
Location
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Good evening fellow OcUK Photographers,

I happen to have a little problem. I have got smear marks and a small black spot on my mirror/sensor/whatever else there is (apologies for lack of technical jargon, I'm a bit new to all this).

Basically I can see the marks before I take a photograph and it is bugging the hell out of me. I phoned the local photography outlets to ask them if they would repair/service my camera. I was told that they would probably just send it off to Nikon and that it was probably best/cheaper if I did this myself.

As far as I can see, the marks do not show up on the photographs but it still bugs the hell out of me knowing that it is not clean!

I am tempted to clean the mirror myself (where I believe the problem lies) and posibly just use a blower (such as the Giottos GTCL 1001 Rocket Air Cleaning Kit) for the sensor in the hope of fixing it myself.

What do you think I should do?

1. Clean it myself (as I'll probably need to learn how to do this at some point anyway)
2. Send it back to Nikon (£26 service charge, £6.99 approx recorded delivery, £15 postal insurance = £48 approx)

If you think I should choose option 1, can you reccomend the name of a cleaning kit? - Not the retailer, as this is this is against forum rules, just the name of the kit please.

If you think I should choose option 2, do you think they will clean the sensor AND the mirror?

Thanks guys.

Whappers.
 
I'd start by having a look at the camera before making a decision. Take the lens off and look inside. Is there anything on the mirror? If not then put the the camera into cleaning mode (this locks the mirror up) and take another look to see if there is anything on the sensor. If not then look a the focus screen (this is the glass screen at the top of the camera internals).

Don't touch anything inside, especially the mirror or the focus screen. Make sure your battery is charged as well.

Once you have an idea where the item is you will be better placed to decide what to do.
 
Thanks for your help Gord!

Ok. I've just had a look at the sensor and it is spotless, so it must be the mirror or focus screen then (the mirror I can actually see is smeared).
 
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:( The mirror is the worst one of the three especially since it's a smear. If it was some dirt then you could blow it off with a rocket blower. The mirror is a fragile object and is finely balanced. If you put too much pressure on it you will stop it working correctly. Having said that if I were in your shoes I'd still go ahead and clean it myself. I would use cotton buds (the ones you use to clean ears) and Eclipse Solution or Pure Isopropyl Alcohol. Be very gentle and use no more than two drops of cleaning solvent.
 
^^Gord^^ said:
:( The mirror is the worst one of the three especially since it's a smear. If it was some dirt then you could blow it off with a rocket blower. The mirror is a fragile object and is finely balanced. If you put too much pressure on it you will stop it working correctly. Having said that if I were in your shoes I'd still go ahead and clean it myself. I would use cotton buds (the ones you use to clean ears) and Eclipse Solution or Pure Isopropyl Alcohol. Be very gentle and use no more than two drops of cleaning solvent.
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Thanks. Any idea where I can get Eclipse Solution or Pure Isopropyl Alcohol? Will this stuff also do the focus screen if need be?
 
Whappers said:
Thanks. Any idea where I can get Eclipse Solution or Pure Isopropyl Alcohol? Will this stuff also do the focus screen if need be?
Click to expand...

Errr, I do but I'm not sure if they are classed as a competitor or not. If you google....

eclipse solution uk clean

...you will find uk stockists.

As for the focus screen I'm not sure I would attempt to clean it all apart from using a rocket blower. The focus screen (unlike the mirror) is part of the camera peformance. The 40D has interchangeable focus screens so I could just get a new one for £20 is a rocket blower didn't fix it. The 30D doesn't have interchangeable focus screens but I'm led to believe it isn't hard to swap them out. But, to be honest short of sticking your hand inside your camera I can't see how you could get anything other than dust / dirt on the focus screen which a rocket blower will shift.
 
Thanks for that Gord. I think the problem may well lie in both the mirror and the focus screen unofrtunately. Surely if I am careful, could I not use the PECPADS and Eclipse solution to clean the focus sreen as well, or is this extremely unadvisable?
 
Its quite likley that you'll struggle to see the offending bit of dirt with your naked eye, you'll be better off using a decent magnifying glass and a powerful spotlight, you can use swabs and fluid on the mirror but be VERY gentle, also I'd highly avoid going near the focussing screen with any fluid as i've heard that it can have problems with the coating of the screen, I use a micro hoover to suck up dust from inside the actual camera, and a delkin sensor cleaning kit for the sensor..

If your not 100% confident, send it back to Nikon or take it to a camera specialist for cleaning <cheaper and quicker> there is a chain of specialist camera shops based in London who have shops all over the UK who will clean it for you while you wait...
 
Whappers said:
Thanks for that Gord. I think the problem may well lie in both the mirror and the focus screen unofrtunately. Surely if I am careful, could I not use the PECPADS and Eclipse solution to clean the focus sreen as well, or is this extremely unadvisable?
Click to expand...

As V-Spec says the focus screen has a special coating and whilst Eclipse Solution is safe for use of lenses and sensors etc I still wouldn't use it on a focus screen.

I suppose you could argue that if you can't live with it and your only other option is to replace the screen then how much worse can you make by cleaning?

It's up to you really. I clean my own sensor and would tackle the mirror if I had to but the focus screen I would look to replace.
 
I had a similar hiccup with a brand new out of the box 40D, there were a couple of specs visible through the viewfinder. Quick blast inside with a rocket blower shifted it.

Hope you get it sorted
 
Whappers said:
Which cleaning kit do you reccomend?
Click to expand...

Dont ask me, im complete amature, just remember how u take it apart, so then you can put it back together, be careful, slow, dont rush. Least you know its been taken care of :)

Just like building your first computer.

I dont even have a camera yet so i cant tell you what to use?

Im buying a 350D with lens for 300 soon though so!

Your about to see me learn some skeelz and hopefully come out with some amazing stuff, lets see.
 
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James07 said:
Dont ask me, im complete amature, just remember how u take it apart, so then you can put it back together, be careful, slow, dont rush. Least you know its been taken care of :)

Just like building your first computer.

I dont even have a camera yet so i cant tell you what to use?

Im buying a 350D with lens for 300 soon though so!

Your about to see me learn some skeelz and hopefully come out with some amazing stuff, lets see.
Click to expand...

Woah no one said anything about stripping it down aws far as im aware these parts are all accessible via the lens mount opening .
 
33L said:
Woah no one said anything about stripping it down aws far as im aware these parts are all accessible via the lens mount opening .
Click to expand...

Told you im amature..

I thought you may have to take something apart to get to the mirrow..

Shows how much i know though!

Lol, be prepared to see more of this proness!!
 
have a look at this:
35mm_ph001.jpg
 
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