Clean mirror 5DII (Air Spray)

[Lauvau]

<p>Hello,<br />I need to clean the mirror my 5DII. I dare not touch the mirror with a cloth to cleandust. I wanted to know if it is advisable to use a compressed air spray has anti-dust? There's a risk to the sensor? Or Other? If you know an other trick without risk, I'm interested ...<br />Thank you,<br>

L.</p>

[keith reeder]

<p>Why do you need to clean the mirror, Laurent?</p>

<p>It would take an <em>awful</em> lot of dust on the mirror before image quality was impacted at all.</p>

[ronhartman]

<p>Compressed air can be risky to direct inside the camera. I use a squeeze bulb type blower, like the Giottos Rocket Air Blaster, which is much more gentle. I hold the camera upside down and give it a few blasts. If that doesn't move a piece of dust, you could use a lens cleaning brush to lightly loosen it.</p>

[keith reeder]

<p>I'll ask again - why clean the <em>mirror</em>?</p>

<p>If you're seeing spots in images, <em>they're not on the mirror</em>, and because the silvering on mirrors is thin and very delicate, it's really best left alone.</p>

[pto189]

<p>Don't touch the mirror and the focusing screen. I did try to wet clean once and ruined both of them. The focusing screen is very soft and was permanent damage. The mirror was better, but the more I cleaned the worse the mirror would be. Eventually, I had to make a trip to the Canon Service Center in Jamesburg, New Jersey to have them clean the mirror for me. I don't know how they did, but the they cleaned the mirror like new with a warning: Never touch the mirror except using the rocket air bluster. If you can't remove dust using the air bluster, leave it there.</p>

[jim_j2]

<p>If anything . . . use a Rocket Blower, but <strong>not</strong> compressed air!<br>

Again, as Keith indicates . . .</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If you're seeing spots in images, <em>they're not on the mirror</em>, and because the silvering on mirrors is thin and very delicate, it's really best left alone.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You'll most likely damage the mirror if you touch it in any manner!</p>

 

[paul_wheatland]

<p>Two caveats I've learned after 40 years of "tinkering" with photo equipment: never use compressed air anywhere near any camera equipment be it internally and in many cases externally with respect to bodies, lenses, sensors. I once saw the results of a lens iris that had the nozzle hit it after it accidentally disconnected and destroyed the leaves. Speaking of iris leaves very early ones on antique brass lenses were often made of "shellac" similar to 78 rpm records. Using a solvent like lighter fluid immediately destroys the iris(curling and ultimate disintegration).</p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>There are multiple places where dust might end up in your camera:</p>

<ul>

<li>The mirror</li>

<li>The front of the lens</li>

<li>Inside the lens</li>

<li>The ground glass display screen</li>

<li>The sensor</li>

</ul>

<p>Dust on the <em>sensor</em> can affect your photographs in visible ways depending upon the subject of your photograph and what aperture you use. If you shoot a DSLR you will almost certainly have to clean the sensor eventually. </p>

<p>Dust on the display screen can be visible when looking through the viewfinder. It is annoying <em>but it has absolutely no effect on your photographs</em>, and will not be visible in them at all. Cleaning this part of the camera is difficult and probably not necessary.</p>

<p>Dust on the <em>mirror</em> has<em> absolutely no effect at all on your photographs - it will not appear in them.</em> The mirror is a rather fragile thing in several ways, and cleaning it is rarely necessary and generally not advisable. I wouldn't do this unless you have a very, very unusual situation - let's say a big gob of mud hit the mirror while you were changing lenses. If there is a minor smudge or a bit of dust, let it go.</p>

<p>While I'm at it... a bit of dust on the front of the lens or even inside the lens (yes, it happens) will have essentially no effect at all on your photographs. When the front element gets objectionably dirty you can clean it carefully, but you don't have to baby it either. Lens glass is a fairly tough material. In general, you can simply not worry about a bit of dust inside the lens - it may offend your sense of neatness, but it almost certainly will not affect your photographs. </p>

<p>Dan</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>I just puff mine with a rocket blower. Whatever doesn't become dislodged will just stay stuck there, harmlessly. I do this as part of a first step of blowing out the mirror chamber, before performing a sensor cleaning. The mirror chamber does accumulate small amounts of dust, and it's a good idea to blow away whatever is loose, IMO. As pointed out by others, dust is otherwise not harmful and is probably best left alone (i.e. whatever dust you can't easily blow away with a bulb blower). I also agree with others that compressed air is too strong to be used on delicate parts.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Most of the manufacturers specifically warn against "canned" air, and it--as everyone says-- is a bad idea even without the warning. Get a "rocket" blower (so-called, well never mind...)</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>ah, the "rocket" blower for clarity, now that picts can be posted from my location.</p>

<p>Rocket from the fact that Giottos version ( http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31X%2ByyPQtUL._SL500_AA300_.jpg ) had rocket-like fins on it.</p><div></div>

[michael_josefsson]

<p>"iris leaves very early ones on antique brass lenses were often made of "shellac" similar to 78 rpm records. Using a solvent like lighter fluid immediately destroys the iris"<br>

Paul, now you tell me... I inadvertently moistened the iros of my old Bessa f/6.3 with /the tiniest/ amount of ethanol and the leaves immediately stuck:( Lost 2 leaves but succeeded in salvaging the other 10. Phew. That was a close one! It works now but with a disfigured aperture. Gaaah! How clumsy! Still I learned something (the hard way).</p>