RZ67 - Cleaning the mirror?

YamanoteE235 · Jul 18, 2017

I've tried searching the forums and Google but nothing comes up for the RZ67.

Does anyone have any recommended method for cleaning the mirror? I purchased one off that auction site (that everyone either loves/hates) and it's got some serious caked on dust. The rest of the camera looks great except for that part. Anyhow, a hand powered duster/blower isn't going to get this stuff off the mirror. I took one look at it and then mistakenly ran my finger briefly across it as I couldn't really believe it was that caked on. However, it did clean up that spot! haha. So I know it can be removed. I just want to know what's safe to use on the mirror and how best to tackle it. I'm assuming I can't remove the mirror and clean it that way so I'll have to clean it in the body.

Thanks!

Scott Micciche · Jul 18, 2017

YamanoteE235 said:
I've tried searching the forums and Google but nothing comes up for the RZ67.

Does anyone have any recommended method for cleaning the mirror? I purchased one off that auction site (that everyone either loves/hates) and it's got some serious caked on dust. The rest of the camera looks great except for that part. Anyhow, a hand powered duster/blower isn't going to get this stuff off the mirror. I took one look at it and then mistakenly ran my finger briefly across it as I couldn't really believe it was that caked on. However, it did clean up that spot! haha. So I know it can be removed. I just want to know what's safe to use on the mirror and how best to tackle it. I'm assuming I can't remove the mirror and clean it that way so I'll have to clean it in the body.

Thanks!

In other cameras with first surface mirrors, I've allowed some Zeiss lens cleaner to sit on it for a few seconds, then carefully used a Zeiss wipe, with only the folded paper pressure, to remove the residue. It may take one or two tries. I then use a rocket blower to dry it. Some first surface mirrors are tougher than others but they all will scratch with too heavy pressure. I just cleaned my old C220 mirror this way and it worked very well.

YamanoteE235 · Jul 18, 2017

Scott Micciche said:
In other cameras with first surface mirrors, I've allowed some Zeiss lens cleaner to sit on it for a few seconds, then carefully used a Zeiss wipe, with only the folded paper pressure, to remove the residue. It may take one or two tries. I then use a rocket blower to dry it. Some first surface mirrors are tougher than others but they all will scratch with too heavy pressure. I just cleaned my old C220 mirror this way and it worked very well.

Are these the correct wipes?

https://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Pre-Mo...TF8&qid=1500389060&sr=8-3&keywords=zeiss+wipe

or should I just go with something like this and buy a rocket blower?

https://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Lens-C...&qid=1500389225&sr=8-2&keywords=zeiss+cleaner

Thanks for the reply!

Scott Micciche · Jul 18, 2017

YamanoteE235 said:
Are these the correct wipes?

https://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Pre-Mo...TF8&qid=1500389060&sr=8-3&keywords=zeiss+wipe

or should I just go with something like this and buy a rocket blower?

https://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Lens-C...&qid=1500389225&sr=8-2&keywords=zeiss+cleaner

Thanks for the reply!

Yes! I have both of those ... wow, you found those fast. I bought both to clean the FSM in my nikon coolscan and it worked absolutely perfectly, and that mirror is a critical mirror, whereas TLR mirrors aren't so much aside from viewing.

jim10219 · Jul 18, 2017

I don't have that camera, so I don't know if the mirror can be easily removed, but if it can, it's usually not a bad idea to do that. Often times, if the mirror is that dirty, you'll find other areas that need cleaning while you're in there. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to soak the mirror in something and allow the dirt and grunge to gently fall off, rather than risk scratching off the mirror finish by wiping something across it. I've cleaned a good number of rangefinder beam splitters and none of them like to be touched.

You might also consider some DSLR sensor cleaning kits. They often come with these swabs that allow you to mitigate the pressure on the mirror by not putting your had directly on top of the mirror. I would image the solution they use should be fine on a mirror, but I've never actually tried it, nor do I know what's in those. I do know that if it's anything like a rangefinder beam splitter, the less you touch it, the better.

YamanoteE235 · Jul 18, 2017

Scott Micciche said:
Yes! I have both of those ... wow, you found those fast. I bought both to clean the FSM in my nikon coolscan and it worked absolutely perfectly, and that mirror is a critical mirror, whereas TLR mirrors aren't so much aside from viewing.

Hahaha, I have Amazon to thank for finding things so easily. I'll give these a shot!

YamanoteE235 · Jul 18, 2017

jim10219 said:
I don't have that camera, so I don't know if the mirror can be easily removed, but if it can, it's usually not a bad idea to do that. Often times, if the mirror is that dirty, you'll find other areas that need cleaning while you're in there. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to soak the mirror in something and allow the dirt and grunge to gently fall off, rather than risk scratching off the mirror finish by wiping something across it. I've cleaned a good number of rangefinder beam splitters and none of them like to be touched.

You might also consider some DSLR sensor cleaning kits. They often come with these swabs that allow you to mitigate the pressure on the mirror by not putting your had directly on top of the mirror. I would image the solution they use should be fine on a mirror, but I've never actually tried it, nor do I know what's in those. I do know that if it's anything like a rangefinder beam splitter, the less you touch it, the better.

Thanks, Jim. I'm almost certain the mirror isn't removable (at least, without some considerable effort). It seems pretty complicated and while I feel comfortable taking some things apart this camera is a bit more of a beast than I'm accustomed to. I'll look into the DSLR sensor cleaning kits as well.

Scott Micciche · Jul 18, 2017

Removing the mirror might lead to slight misalignment, resulting in soft images. If you can level the rz so that the mirror is parallel to your work surface, the zeiss cleaner can sit and work nicely.

YamanoteE235 · Jul 18, 2017

Scott Micciche said:
Removing the mirror might lead to slight misalignment, resulting in soft images. If you can level the rz so that the mirror is parallel to your work surface, the zeiss cleaner can sit and work nicely.

Good to know. Thanks, Scott.

BTW, how do you like your GW690III? I almost bought one but was already eyeing a different MF camera at the time.

Scott Micciche · Jul 18, 2017

YamanoteE235 said:
Good to know. Thanks, Scott.

BTW, how do you like your GW690III? I almost bought one but was already eyeing a different MF camera at the time.

The GW is a phenomenal camera for the value. The negatives are really big, the camera has been very reliable, including the rangefinder, which I thought I would have to adjust, but haven't (yet).

EdSawyer · Jul 18, 2017

remove the focus screen and trip the shutter, should lock up the mirror for easier cleaning.

chassis · Jul 18, 2017

Denatured alcohol and a cotton swab on a stick cleaned the foam light seal crumbs from one of my RB67s. This was recommended to me by a long time site member with professional repair experience.

YamanoteE235 · Jul 18, 2017

EdSawyer said:
remove the focus screen and trip the shutter, should lock up the mirror for easier cleaning.

I noticed this might work. Just wondering if the pressure from "wiping" would cause the mirror to tilt back downward. I guess I might be OK to hold it from underneath while I clean it. Will give it a shot.

chassis said:
Denatured alcohol and a cotton swab on a stick cleaned the foam light seal crumbs from one of my RB67s. This was recommended to me by a long time site member with professional repair experience.

Will keep this in mind! Thanks!

chassis · Jul 18, 2017

There shouldn't really be any pressure from wiping. Just the lightest pressure, really only the weight of the swab/wipe. When I cleaned my mirror, I let the solvent do the work.

Scott Micciche · Jul 18, 2017

chassis said:
There shouldn't really be any pressure from wiping. Just the lightest pressure, really only the weight of the swab/wipe. When I cleaned my mirror, I let the solvent do the work.

Exactly this! I just wad up the lens wipe and let it do the sweeping action.

AlexBC · Jul 25, 2017

Photographic Solutions' Eclipse cleaner and some Pec Pads are what you need. Strong cleaner with generally scratch proof wipes. I find that the Zeiss wipes aren't wet enough for thick gunk marks. After locking the mirror up, you may consider holding the camera with the mirror pointing to the ground for the first few cleaning swipes to prevent the stuff from sliding off the mirror and into the camera. That said, the internals are pretty exposed with the back and lens removed so you can blow the inside out pretty well after.

YamanoteE235 · Jul 25, 2017

AlexBC said:
Photographic Solutions' Eclipse cleaner and some Pec Pads are what you need. Strong cleaner with generally scratch proof wipes. I find that the Zeiss wipes aren't wet enough for thick gunk marks. After locking the mirror up, you may consider holding the camera with the mirror pointing to the ground for the first few cleaning swipes to prevent the stuff from sliding off the mirror and into the camera. That said, the internals are pretty exposed with the back and lens removed so you can blow the inside out pretty well after.

Thanks Alex. I did notice that the Zeiss wipes weren't quite as saturated as I'd hoped. However, I was able to get the mirror cleaned very well with no streaking or any apparent scratching. The view from both the prism finder and the WLF are now excellent.

Thanks everyone for all the help and suggestions! I may look into the Pec Pads and the cleaner you mentioned for future use. For now, the Zeiss spray and wipes definitely helped.

I actually did use the technique you mentioned so as not to get any of the heavy dust in the camera body itself. It was amazing how caked on it was. It cleaned up very nicely, though! So I'm happy! Can't wait to get shooting.

Scott Micciche · Jul 25, 2017

I saturate the zeiss wipes with their lens cleaning spray first.

GRHazelton · Aug 10, 2017

I've often wondered if something like the facial mask used for removing blackheads, etc, might work. Some sort of "solid" in its solvent, after the solvent evaporates the resulting film is removed, along with the gunk on the mirror, or lens or whatever. A thread laid on the surface to be cleaned would aid in removing the "film."

RalphLambrecht · Aug 10, 2017

YamanoteE235 said:
I've tried searching the forums and Google but nothing comes up for the RZ67.

Does anyone have any recommended method for cleaning the mirror? I purchased one off that auction site (that everyone either loves/hates) and it's got some serious caked on dust. The rest of the camera looks great except for that part. Anyhow, a hand powered duster/blower isn't going to get this stuff off the mirror. I took one look at it and then mistakenly ran my finger briefly across it as I couldn't really believe it was that caked on. However, it did clean up that spot! haha. So I know it can be removed. I just want to know what's safe to use on the mirror and how best to tackle it. I'm assuming I can't remove the mirror and clean it that way so I'll have to clean it in the body.

Thanks!

I wouldn't attempt to clean a mirror myself; they are extremely sensitive.

Sirius Glass · Aug 10, 2017

Only use clean cotton balls, wet cleaning fluid and a very light touch.

YamanoteE235 · Aug 10, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
I wouldn't attempt to clean a mirror myself; they are extremely sensitive.

Had this been posted any sooner, I probably wouldn't have bothered cleaning it myself. Alas, I bought the supplies mentioned above (basically a camera cleaning kit) and went at it very carefully. I'm 100% happy with the results. The mirror was completely caked in dust (I should have taken a photo) like it was sitting for a very long time. I read a number of threads that indicated these mirrors were coated with something that would turn a blue-ish color if mistreated but I guess I might have been lucky? Mirror stayed the same color, no issues after cleaning and the view through the ground glass is 100% clearer and brighter. It makes sense too, though. The mirror is merely providing an image for me to see THROUGH the ground glass. I'd be far more wary about cleaning the ground glass on the camera. Still, they're replaceable and I was able to find a split prism recently for my RZ so I wouldn't be totally out of luck.

Appreciate the concern, though!

Sirius Glass said:
Only use clean cotton balls, wet cleaning fluid and a very light touch.

I ended up using the Zeiss wipes recommended above. In combination with the Zeiss cleaner spray they made quick work of cleaning the mirror. My experience with auto detailing gave me a good idea of what I would be dealing with should I use anything too abrasive on such a delicate element. I fired the shutter to keep the mirror up then sprayed the mirror directly with the Zeiss cleaner. I let that sit for a few minutes to let it work through the dust as much as possible. After what I felt was a good amount of time, I began to dab at the excess fluid with the zeiss wipes, reapplying the spray as I want along to make sure the surface was constantly wet. If I was screwed at this point, I felt like I would have known. However, with no visible signs of any problem, I continued to work my way around the entire mirror until it was mostly clean. I used very little pressure with the wipes and was glad to see the dust come off with ease. After a few passes the mirror is now 100% clear with no streaking. Used the blower beforehand to get any major particles off and also after to make sure nothing was clinging to any part of the mirror. Hopefully this helps for anyone looking to clean their mirror in the future. View through the WLF is fantastic now.

Thanks everyone. This was a great learning experience even though it's probably seen as a simple cleaning! Fun being able to DIY on these great tools.

chassis · Aug 10, 2017

Good work and great result!

RalphLambrecht · Aug 11, 2017

YamanoteE235 said:
Had this been posted any sooner, I probably wouldn't have bothered cleaning it myself. Alas, I bought the supplies mentioned above (basically a camera cleaning kit) and went at it very carefully. I'm 100% happy with the results. The mirror was completely caked in dust (I should have taken a photo) like it was sitting for a very long time. I read a number of threads that indicated these mirrors were coated with something that would turn a blue-ish color if mistreated but I guess I might have been lucky? Mirror stayed the same color, no issues after cleaning and the view through the ground glass is 100% clearer and brighter. It makes sense too, though. The mirror is merely providing an image for me to see THROUGH the ground glass. I'd be far more wary about cleaning the ground glass on the camera. Still, they're replaceable and I was able to find a split prism recently for my RZ so I wouldn't be totally out of luck.

Appreciate the concern, though!

I ended up using the Zeiss wipes recommended above. In combination with the Zeiss cleaner spray they made quick work of cleaning the mirror. My experience with auto detailing gave me a good idea of what I would be dealing with should I use anything too abrasive on such a delicate element. I fired the shutter to keep the mirror up then sprayed the mirror directly with the Zeiss cleaner. I let that sit for a few minutes to let it work through the dust as much as possible. After what I felt was a good amount of time, I began to dab at the excess fluid with the zeiss wipes, reapplying the spray as I want along to make sure the surface was constantly wet. If I was screwed at this point, I felt like I would have known. However, with no visible signs of any problem, I continued to work my way around the entire mirror until it was mostly clean. I used very little pressure with the wipes and was glad to see the dust come off with ease. After a few passes the mirror is now 100% clear with no streaking. Used the blower beforehand to get any major particles off and also after to make sure nothing was clinging to any part of the mirror. Hopefully this helps for anyone looking to clean their mirror in the future. View through the WLF is fantastic now.

Thanks everyone. This was a great learning experience even though it's probably seen as a simple cleaning! Fun being able to DIY on these great tools.

I'm glad it worked for the OP;I would have been too scared but will get some of the Zeiss fluid and wipes.

YamanoteE235 · Aug 11, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
I'm glad it worked for the OP;I would have been too scared but will get some of the Zeiss fluid and wipes.

It was definitely nerve wracking but I didn't want to return this beautiful camera, haha. So I decided to take the plunge and clean it myself. I think, as long as you take your time and you're careful with it, you shouldn't have any problems!

RZ67 - Cleaning the mirror?

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