New 350D plus dust?

Dave L

Dave L

Dave L

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Just got a new 350D - but I notice a small black blob in the viewfinder - alongside the seven autofocus squares.

It doesn't show up on any images taken with the camera - so I guess it must be a speck of dust/foreign matter on the mirror?

Can anybody suggest what I should do - is it cleanable?

I've been ultra careful when changing the lens - it was there from day 1 :(
 
Blimey this topic is doing the rounds today. I had the same, it was on my viewfinder. I used my rocket blower and aimed it up at the viewfinder area.

This dislodged the particle, obviously it flew somewhere so i then held the camera upside down and blew in the camera to get the particle out.
 
It happens, I know someone who went through 4 20Ds before they just gave up and bought a 1D a few months later :p
 
if you change lenses you will get dust on the viewfinder glass inside :p I spent weeks at a time getting rid of each spec! bbut after a while you get so used to it they become invisible.

If I could show you this D70 viewfinder you would probably die of shock, it is that dusty!
 
Cheers for that mrk, looks like I'll just have to get used to it....

As you look into the body of the 350, whereabouts is this mirror?

Or am I better off just living with it?

I knew this was a potential drawback of a DSLR, but didn't expect it to happen quite so soon!
 
The mirror is the angled "mirror" you seen when taking off the lens and looking in dead on, the viewfinder glass/focus screen mentioned in this thread is on the roof of the chamber, you can see it if you tilt the body a bit, you should keep the chamber away from open air as much as possible, the more contact with ambient air you give it the more dust that will fall in and settle on it as time goes on.

You shoudl also make note not to apply too much pressure to the mirror! this can slowly damage it, it is also a 2way mirror by the looks of it, notice how you can just about see through it.

Also just below the roof on the frontal edge is a soft pad, this pad is stickie don and can come loose if you wiggle it so be careful, this is important as it dampens the mirror on each shot, try not to press on it etc.

Delicate pieces of machinery!

Just live with it really, when changing lenses you should have the lens mount facing the ground to avoid heavy dust from fallig in and attach the lens in the same position.

The only other option is to buy a super zoom lens or a 24-105 to minimise lens changing!

I once cut out apiece of card just the right size to fit into the chambers roof so could wrap a piece of eclipse pad dabbled in eclipse fluid to easily remove dust from the screen but it became too tedious after a bit.
 
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I remember the disappointment I fealt when I got some pictures back with assorted blobs - misery. Now I tend to take a picture of a white wall at F16 just to check every so often - if I see anything I get the old rocket blower out and give it a good going over. I suggest tyou get into the routine - I'm not about to stop changing lenses just to avoid this problem.
 
but how often do you shooot at f16 :p below f8 most dirt on the sensor is invisbible anyway unless t's heavily dirtied up and when you do shoot small apertures you can easily patch-tool those specs away \m/


how did film users get away with dust bnack in the day?
 
mrk said:
but how often do you shooot at f16 :p below f8 most dirt on the sensor is invisbible anyway unless t's heavily dirtied up and when you do shoot small apertures you can easily patch-tool those specs away \m/
how did film users get away with dust bnack in the day?
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Firstly, I like to shoot landscape - so I'm at F8-F11 a lot and to be honest I'd rather be safe and check than be sorry and get splodges in areas where it's difficult to clone out.

Film users didn't have the problem because you get a new bit of film for each exposure and the chance of dust getting into the development process is not high (I dont think).
 
I would just use a lens cloth if it is only on the mirror for the view finder, i do that and it seems prefectly safe.
 
themask70 said:
I would just use a lens cloth if it is only on the mirror for the view finder, i do that and it seems prefectly safe.
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Yeah, I'm certain that's where it is.......
 
yup it has a special coating that can get damaged if you begin touching it
 
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