To clean or not to clean?

Rhodes · Jan 12, 2015

Almost the question, besides the one that the answer is 42!

Got a almost new x-700, but the focusing have some black spots of dirt. I already tried to blow them, with a blower, but no success.
Reluctant in trying to clean it with a q-tip and lens cleaner fluid, do to risk of damaging and I know that dirt in the focusing screen does dot affect the photograph, but I do find it annoying.

Should I try to clean it? leave it alone or send the camera to some one to clean the screen?

Mainecoonmaniac · Jan 12, 2015

Those spots won't show up in your pictures so I would leave it alone.

jimjm · Jan 12, 2015

If it doesn't come off with a blower and small brush, I'd stop there and just live with it. Using a q-tip with any type of liquid on it, you run the risk of smearing it and making the spots worse.

If a brush doesn't clean the spots off, it may be something sticky like residue from the mirror damper foam. That stuff's nasty when it gets on the plastic focusing screen.

Nodda Duma · Jan 12, 2015

For stuff like that at work where I don't want to clean them but they have to come out, I have a vacuum pump and a hypodermic needle on a vacuum tube to basically suck each speck off.

Can you pull the focusing screen out (I don't know if you can or not on that model). If so, you can wash it under warm water with soap and then blow the water drops off with canned air. Do that in a lint-free environment and it might get it clean without risk of marring the focusing screen.

Sirius Glass · Jan 12, 2015

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Those spots won't show up in your pictures so I would leave it alone.

jimjm said:
If it doesn't come off with a blower and small brush, I'd stop there and just live with it. Using a q-tip with any type of liquid on it, you run the risk of smearing it and making the spots worse.

If a brush doesn't clean the spots off, it may be something sticky like residue from the mirror damper foam. That stuff's nasty when it gets on the plastic focusing screen.

What they said. The prism would need to disassembled, cleaned, assembled and recollimated. All that so spots that will not show up on the photograph.

Alan Gales · Jan 12, 2015

Many years ago my old Contax 139 had black spots on the focussing screen. I tried to clean it with Q-tips and lens cleaning fluid. It turned out that the dirt was bits of gummy foam seal so I made the situation worse.

Either live with it or take it all apart and clean it like mentioned above.

tkamiya · Jan 12, 2015

Definitely NOT lens cleaning fluid. Qtip may leave fuzz behind, too.

If blowing doesn't work, I'd try soft brush. REALLY soft brush. I won't go any further. I know some people use purified water to wash it, but I'm afraid to take that far.

kobaltus · Jan 13, 2015

I was cleaning many focussing screens with pure alcohol . Magic liquid: kill dirt and fungus.

my Flickr:https://www.flickr.com/photos/92377102@N08/

Rhodes · Jan 13, 2015

First, thank you for the replies.
Now, my first thoughts were as said, pieces of foam, but the foam is complete and does not crumble at touch, so it's not from there, or it was replaced. From what I read in the manual, x700 have interchangeable screens, but it has to be done by "minolta service", so it may not be easy to do so. Pure Ethanol alcohol is now forbiden here, so every ethanol has a small denaturing substance. Pure isopropyl, I have access to it, so I can use try and use it!

Xmas · Jan 13, 2015

If you mar the screen it still wont appear on the photographs.
Lots of cameras get debris on bottom of prism surface or top of screen.
If the debris does not move with a blower bulb Id leave it...

PentaxBronica · Jan 13, 2015

If you can remove the screen from the camera then try the following:

Put a pair of surgical gloves on, grab a bottle of thick bleach, and put a blob on both sides of the screen. Gently wipe it around with a gloved fingertip, then rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Dry with a blower bulb and reassemble.

I have done this a few times now with no ill effects, it even removed pencil marks from a Bronica ETR screen. It won't repair scratches or scuffs but it will remove dust and decayed foam.

David Lyga · Jan 13, 2015

This Minolta has an unually well-sealed prism area. That is good. I would take a VERY soft, VERY clean brush and gently wipe the area inside the mount opening next to the prism area. In other words, the fresnel area. Do so WITHOUT touching the foam. Important to avoid that foam. Tkamiya is right here. - David Lyga

John Koehrer · Jan 14, 2015

IF! It's on the bottom of the screen get a large feather, duck or goose is good clean it with alcohol to remove the grease and use it to brush the stuff off.

Don't wipe the feather on your fingers before you use it, It'll just pick up oil from your fingers.
BTW ducks & geese don't really like to be plucked and are very likely to pluck back.

Rhodes · Jan 15, 2015

John Koehrer said:
BTW ducks & geese don't really like to be plucked and are very likely to pluck back.

Nice! Thanks for all the replies, I will decide what to do with the cons and pros of cleaning the screen!

To clean or not to clean?

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