jemini_joseph Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 There are some spots/dust/water/stain collected on my F5 morror. I can see them through view finder. I tried to wipe it out using a soft tissue and cloth. Didn't work. I believe this happened when I changed the lens in the field. I'm not sure how much pressure I can use on the mirror to clean it. Can anybody please tell me if I can aply some spirit (cleaning liquid) on it and wipe it out? I've another question too. This might not be an issue. But would like to clarify. I've noticed my F5 view finder is 'duller' than F100's and n80's view finder. Is this true? or It's just mine? I bought it used. Is there any other view finder I can buy which will be brighter than the standard one? I guess the color is slightly muddy. Thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas k. Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Send it to a decent repair shop. Trying to clean a mirror on your own is highly likely to result in more serious (and expensive-to-fix) scratches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3 Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Whatever you decide to do, DON'T use the dishwasher. When it dries it leaves water spots. hehehe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luc roymans Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 hey Jemini, i wouldn't even think about touching the mirror myself...just bring it to a repair service!! i believ the RGB meter of the F5 needs more light to work properly, and that's why more light is redirected to it, instead of to your viewfinder itself...not sure about this though!! cheers, Luc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efusco Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 First, I agree with everyone, have the camera professionally cleaned....period. Next, are you sure the problem is your mirror? I wonder if it may be your focus screen/viewfinder...maybe not, but the comment about the dim view finder and your inability to more specifically describe the debris on the mirror makes me wonder. Is there visible stuff on the mirror? Finally, remember that other than the fact that it bothers you and is a distraction stuff on the mirror doesn't matter and doesn't affect your photos. Thus, have it taken care of at your convenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted March 21, 2003 Author Share Posted March 21, 2003 Thanks guys. I have no idea how much they are going to charge for this. Do you know?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
william_patterson Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 I agree with Evan. Make sure that it is the mirror that is causing the dust spots. Remove the metering prism and see if there is any dust on the bottom or it or in the focusing screen. If there is, gently blow it away or use a lens brush to brush it away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 I find it highly unlikely that you will ever notice any amount of crud on an SLR mirror. The plane of focus is so far away from the screen that it would never be possible to see it. It could (in very seriously dirty condition) cut enough light to the viewfinder/meter that your exposures would be inaccurate. I;ve cleaned front silvered mirrors before in cameras but you probably stand a good chance of ruining it unless a pro shows you how. Check the focusing screen for dirt. Take great care when cleaning it as you WILL notice every single flaw you introduce in your viewfinder. What I do is to use scotch tape to gently lift the dust spots off my F3 screens. In the worse case (fingerprints, other stubborn crud) I use pure ethyl alcohol, folded lens papers and apply absolutely gentle cleaning action (no pressure!). Use one wet paper, then immediately one dry paper to remove the solvent before it streaks. Its best to change papers frequently if there is a lot to remove. Seriously, get a professional to do this if you feel the least bit apprehensive about doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted March 21, 2003 Author Share Posted March 21, 2003 Evans I'm sure it's mirror. Dullness is a second issue. Overall the viewfinder is not that bright like F100. May be it's like that. I've removed the prism and checked it. But could not find anything. The spots I remember it happened when I changed the lens in front of a small artificial water falls. I've removed the water immediately, but when it drained the spots were visible. Anyway either of these issues doesn't affect my pictures because the light path is different to the film... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry n. Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Holy cr*p! I can't believe you really wanted to apply "pressure" to the mirror or use "liquid spirits" to clean it!!! I admit I have, on one occasion, used a tiny puff of canned air to blow an annoying piece of dust off. But that was the limit. Have it professionally cleaned. Shouldn't cost too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted March 21, 2003 Author Share Posted March 21, 2003 If the water is pure the there shouldn't be any marks left when it's drained. But if there's any kind if impurities in water it's possible to get this mark. It can happen to any surface. I didn't put any pressure. That may be the reson it's not cleaning it properly. I'll definitely try to get it cleaned by a professional.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilkka_nissila Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 You should check that the camera focuses correctly after the thing you did with the mirror. The mirror should not be touched at all by the user as it can be misaligned and thus cause focusing errors. Good luck ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted March 21, 2003 Author Share Posted March 21, 2003 Wow!! All these messages scares me. I've already touched it!! But I guess it's ok so far because I've washed more than one film after that. There's no focusing error or anything... Mike I've doubt about what you said. Because I'm sure you can see what's in the mirror. I guess that's what it's converted into image in view finder. Right? So the light starts from mirror can be in focus... I'm not sure though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 The image can't be focused at the point of the mirror because it must be focused at the film plane. The screen and mirror are carefully aligned so that the image in focus at the screen matches that of the film plane when the mirror flips up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted March 21, 2003 Author Share Posted March 21, 2003 I'm going to check the camera carefully today. I'm sure it was not there when I got the camera. About the viewfinder brightness. Does any of you have F100? Did you notice any difference? Thanks Jemini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luc roymans Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 i suggest you reread my previous answer concerning the dimmer viewfinder Jemini! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted March 21, 2003 Author Share Posted March 21, 2003 Luc That means it's normal. Right.. Thanks againJemini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_rubenstein___nyc Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 You have water spots on the focus screen and that's what you see. It has already been pointed out that you can't see anything on the mirror through the view finder. The focus screen can be removed from the F5. It can be taken out and cleaned with lens cleaner and a microfiber cloth. It is plastic and can be damaged. Mirrors can be cleaned by blowing the loose dust off (I do not recommend canned air), or with a soft brush. You can wipe it off with lens cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Now the mirror is front silvered and can be scratched if you get carried away. (I've cleaned old foam goo off the mirror with solvents and a cloth without scratching it.) You aren't going to screw things up if you touch the mirror! Did you every fire the shutter on a camera, with the lens off, and watch the motion of the mirror? The mechanism isn't going to go out of kilter from lightly wiping off the mirror. I mean, come on folks, this camera was designed to be used by combat photographers in wars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry n. Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 It was said: "It has already been pointed out that you can't see anything on the mirror through the view finder" I don't believe that to be true. If there's spec of dust on the mirror it may well be visible through the viewfinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 Dust/dirt on the mirror is most noticable in the viewfinder when it is near the bottom of the frame and/or the lens is stopped down to a small aperture. I have learned to just "tune it out" until it gets to be annoying. When I was in the emission spectrography field, we had to clean lenses, front surface mirrors, and diffraction gratings. Each component had its own technique. The mirrors could be from a fraction of an inch wide up to 12 inches or more. The best way was to immerse the mirror in a mild detergent and drag a ball of cotton batting across the surface. Almost no weight is placed on the ball, but using its own weight to touch the surface. This may be done several times, then washed with distilled or deionized water, then a final wash with ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Now, obviously, you cannot do this with your camera so the next best thing is to select a solution to remove the dirt or whatever is there. If it is fingerprints, alcohol will do the job. Dirt or unknown smudges can be best handled by Kodak lens cleaner. Use a moistened (with alcohol or lens cleaner), not drenched, cotton ball held with plastic tweezers and drag it across the mirror under its own weight. Several attempts may have to be made to really get it clean. DO NOT USE Q-TIPS as they can abrade or buff the mirror as they concentrate the force in too small an area. After using any detergent, use distilled water and then alcohol. Make sure that there is nothing added to the alcohol, like Oil of Wintergreen in rubbing alcohol, which can really mess things up (I had this happen to me). Methanol or denatured ethanol is usually safe. Probably the best optical cleaner is "Opti-Clean". It may be available from Edmund Scientific in Barrington, NJ. It is applied to the optical surface, and when dry just peels off leaving everything underneath sparkling clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doron_b1 Posted April 3, 2003 Share Posted April 3, 2003 Hi, I have the same problem, but only with the focus screen on my FG. How can i take it of the camera ? its imposible to clean it now. Regards, Doron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted April 3, 2003 Author Share Posted April 3, 2003 I'm not sure how can you remove the focusing screen on FG. But I've done this on n90s, F100 and F5. The instructions are there in the camera instruction manual itself. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oownomis Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 <p>Hi all please pardon a very newbie question. I'm using a Nikon D60 and I think the inside of the body has some dirt or smudge. I think one surface is the mirror, and the other one I'm not sure what it's known as? I have been using the air blower and the brush from the other side of my lenspen to try and remove it, but I think there is still a bit of a smudge left that I just can't get rid off (and I don't want to apply pressure on the mirror and the other surface).<br> My lens are in great condition - the air, brush and lenspen combination does the job great. It's the inside that has these 2 diagonal surfaces which I am having some difficulty trying to clean (I don't suppose the lenspen is a good idea, plus the angle is not right so I don't want to risk sticking it inside and damaging any surface).<br> Short of going down to the shops, is there anything else I can do just to remove that little little smudge?<br> Thanks!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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