how to clean lens/view finder

While out walking around the lake on a semi-breezy day, something seems to have gotten into my view finder. I can

see it while taking a photo, but it does not appear in photos. I have a Pentax K100d Super. It has a dust removal

system, but I don't think that covers the view finder. Is there a way without taking it to a repair shop to blow out the

speck of dirt and if there is, what would I use? Thanks!

You probably have some dust on the mirror or on the bottom of the prism above the mirror. You can usually blow this off

with a bulb blower. I would not use canned air. If you can't blow it off, then a soft brush such as you would use for the

sensor will work. Under no circumstances put a finger or anything but that fine brush on the mirror itself.

Thanks, I have never cleaned my camera at all. This is my first DSLR and I have had it for a year. How would I clean the mirror or the bottom of the prism? Is that what I can see when I take off the lens? I am afraid to do something wrong and really mess up the camera. Thanks!

I would suggest that you do *not* try to clean the mirror. It is a front surface silvered mirror and can be easily damaged if you are the least bit ham-fisted or unsure of what to do. Furthermore, unless there is a huge chunk of crud on the mirror, it won't be visible in your viewfinder (anything on the mirror would be out of focus).<br>

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You likely have a fleck of dust or debris on the the exposed underside of your focusing screen (#5 below). You should be able to remove it by taking the lens off, holding the camera so the lens opening points down, and then blowing on the focusing screen with a blower bulb. Do NOT use canned air to do this.

<br><br>

<img src=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/SLR_cross_section.svg/360px-SLR_cross_section.svg.png><br>

<u>Cross-sectional view of DSLR viewing system</u><br>

1 - Lens<br>

<b>2 - Reflex mirror</b><br>

3 - Focal-plane shutter<br>

4 - Sensor<br>

<b>5 - Focusing screen</b><br>

6 - Condenser lens<br>

7 - Pentaprism<br>

8 - Eyepiece

Thanks, I will try that.

<p>Most camera repair shops will do a thorough cleaning for around 30-50 dollars, which includes a sensor scrub, viewfider cleaning, etc.</p>