Cleaning the insides of a MF folder

[nsurit]

I've recently processed a fair amount of film shot in my Voigtlander Bessa RF and there is a bunch of dust evident on my negatives. Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to get rid of this on the inside of the camera? Canned air, a blower?????

 

[nanthor]

hi, perhaps the dust is hiding in the folds of the Bellows when the camera is closed try opening the Bellows and then using some canned or compressed air but be careful that the air doesn't hit the lens because it can leave a film on there.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Along with using a blower to dust out the inside, I ended up wiping down the bellows folds and other interior surfaces with moist cotton swabs- not dripping wet. I did this a few times and eventually dust on the film stopped happening. I also used a liquid plastic polish on a cotton swab a few times. Brillianize or Novus #1 is basically a light wax so my thinking is that it would help seal the bellows surface. Not certain if it really helped or not.

 

[Harry Stevens]

I use a soft make up brush and a blower on my MF folders I personally would not use any liquid that may result in future mold growth,just my opinion of course.

 

[Dan Daniel]

I use a soft make up brush and a blower on my MF folders I personally would not use any liquid that may result in future mold growth,just my opinion of course.

Oops, forgot to mention to let the camera air out for a day with the back open and bellows unfolded after playing with liquids. A slightly damp swab won't leave much water behind; your concern is quite valid. From the size of particles I got from a couple of cameras they seemed to be pieces of the bellow, not standard dust. Rubbing the bellows did seem to knock a lot loose; and the dampness helps collect them.

Oh, another thing that I did is to have the back open and the lens pointing up, then open and close the bellows repeatedly to get particles moving and hopefully falling out.