hair and dirt in the viewfinder

hi everyone i'm new to this forum but i've read a lot of helpful tips from here.

 

this is my first dslr so sorry for this....

 

just this morning my two filters arrived one clp and one uv. i was so excited.

before i could attach it to the front of my lens i was cleaning the lens so

there will be no dust that will be left covered by the filter. but i didn't

remove the lens from the camera body because i'm so paranoid that dust might

get in to the sensor.

while blowing the dust of the lens using a blower i also blowed the little dust

that are on the body. but take note it's just on the outside and didn't open my

camera. i was so excited after i put the filter on but after that when i look

at the viewfinder there is a tiny hairlike particle on top of the center focus

box. i think it's lent and some particle/dust on the lower part. it is very

annoying to look at hence it's in the center. so i read some of the forums here

containing dust in viewfinder. there suggestion is to blow the mirror and it

will remove the dust so that's what i did but it did'nt remove it.

it does not show in the pictures and my cameras is functioning perfectly it's

just that it's very annoying to look at. my canera is a d40x 5weeks old.

 

any help woul be appreciated.

 

thanks in advance

You may want to research buying a rocket blower. You're going to have to take the lens off eventually so you might as well do it now, it's likely the hair will be obvious either on the mirror or the focusing screen. Sometimes even the movement of demounting the lens and moving the camera is enough to get it off. I got my dust inside my D50 without even taken the lens off, you can't be too paranoid about it, SLRs and dust just happen.

The hair/dirt is probably on the prism, not the mirror. That's why it doesn't show up on pictures. Not sure of the proper way to clean the bottom of a prism (hopefully someone can give a better answer), but I just use a lens cleaning cloth and lightly stroke it across the bottom of the prism when this happens to me.

Eventually you'll get dust inside the body. Take the lens off somewhere smart (ie., not

during a sandstorm) and brush off the ground glass on the bottom of the prism (that's

where the focusing screen actually is most of the time). Hold the camera with the lens

mount facing down so that whatever comes off falls out, and not further into the body. Try

to spend as little time as you can with the body cap off, but I think it's not really as big a

deal as people make it out to be. Of course, I clean my SLR's sensor myself with a bottle of

methanol and lint-free optical wipes.

 

Also, keep in mind that dirt in the viewfinder won't affect your pictures. People have been

shooting great shots for ages with dusty finders.

Robert Frecknall,

yep thats what i use. the rocket blower but the dust is still there. actually i was still taking macro shots with my new the arabian coins that my uncle gave me. and i didn't see that hair/dust there

 

Wayne Suns,

you might be right but i don't know where the prism is.

 

Silvan Linn

when you remove the lens with the camera off is the glass that you see? and prism is on top? sorry for this stupid question.

 

 

actually i was taking picture (macro) when the filters arrived.

and that hair/dust wasn't there. then i use the blower to clean the front of the lens without removing it to the body. it surprise me when i look to the viewfinder. so i carefully removed the lens and foolowed some advicces from this site to blow of the mirror with a rocket blower but it didn't remove the dust.

we are goin to chicago next week and for sure there are moments that i'll ask my friend to take picture of me and my wife and i think its not very good to let them see that annoying dirt. it's just so distracting to look at. it would really take your attention.

i was also blowing the outside camera body. i'm thinking there might be an opening that the air got in and pushed that dirt in. but i just don't know where. if i know where it is i might blow it off again to push that dust away but no matter where i blow ouside it's still there.

i done it agai n this morning blowing it of with the rocket blower but the dust still there. any more help?

thanks

Theddy,

 

Since the dust is not showing up in the pictures it is best to leave it alone - what happens is that when dust gets inside the camera it can get stuck behind the focusing screen. Only removing the focusing screen and cleaning it would get rid of it. This is not recommended if youre not experienced because you will undoubtedly insert more dust. I know it is a pain to look at but try to focus on the scene and not the dust, you will save yourself many headaches.

Theddy,

 

If you have the lens off, and are looking at the mirror, the prism is right above the mirror. The light travels from the mirror, through the prism, and out the viewfinder for you to see what the lens sees. I'm pretty sure that's where this dust is.

well one time i had the same trouble and cleaned the reflecting mirror but it didn't do it. So i cleaned the view finder from the outside with a qtip and that got rid of the problem. If you use an air can its usually not cleaned. so my advise is, wipe it with a clean cloth and a little bit of alcohol or windex, but only in the out side and i was as careful as you but eventually dust landed on the sensor and i had to have it cleaned. Cost me 50 dollars and a day. but it was all worth it

i have similar problem, i bought D60 1 month back and i havent blown anything too, but i can see some particle while shooting, it doesnt come in the pictures but it annoys me, i dont know if its in the lens or anywhere else. Suggest me some way to get rid of it.