# 60D Dust Help



## DMITPHOTO (Aug 19, 2012)

So the sensor is spotless, however when you look through the view finder you can see specs of Idk what. Guessing dust, and my local camera cleaner guy said it was in the mirror which he doesn't clean because it has to stay at a certain angel etc and didn't want to mess with it. So my question is the dust and stuff in either the mirror or somewhere in the view finder don't affect the images in anyway but are a super pain because Its blocking my view when shooting macro and some landscape. So if anyone knows exactly what it is or how to slove it please let me now but if it has to be sent to canon so be it


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## paul13walnut5 (Aug 20, 2012)

Could be in the focus screen / prism, more likely to be on mirror.

Any decent repair shop should be able to clean it for you. Your man who didn't want to touch the mirror obviously isn't skilled enough to trust with repairs.

I wouldn;t want to touch the mirror on my camera, but nor would I want to change a shock absorber on my car.
If my mechanic said 'I don't want to replace your brake pads in case I screw up the alignment' I wouldn't trust him to do anything on my car.

That said..

If it's in the viewfinder it's out the optical path during exposure and so won't affect images.


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## neuroanatomist (Aug 20, 2012)

If you're seeing actual small specs, it's unlikely to be on the mirror, since the mirror is not a focal plane (much like a speck on the front element, it won't resolve as a discrete point). Rather, the dust is most likely on the focusing screen (the accessible bottom or the inaccessible top).

I agree with Paul that a competent tech can clean that, and it sounds like your tech was not the best.


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## sama (Aug 20, 2012)

DMITPHOTO said:


> So the sensor is spotless, however when you look through the view finder you can see specs of Idk what. Guessing dust, and my local camera cleaner guy said it was in the mirror which he doesn't clean because it has to stay at a certain angel etc and didn't want to mess with it. So my question is the dust and stuff in either the mirror or somewhere in the view finder don't affect the images in anyway but are a super pain because Its blocking my view when shooting macro and some landscape. So if anyone knows exactly what it is or how to slove it please let me now but if it has to be sent to canon so be it



Will a vacuum cleaner help in you case ? hehe


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## preppyak (Aug 20, 2012)

neuroanatomist said:


> If you're seeing actual small specs, it's unlikely to be on the mirror, since the mirror is not a focal plane (much like a speck on the front element, it won't resolve as a discrete point). Rather, the dust is most likely on the focusing screen (the accessible bottom or the inaccessible top).


I have the same issue, a few specs of something in the top left corner of my view-finder. Since it has no effect on my images, I've decided to leave it as it. Not worth the cost of cleaning/repair to me since it has no effect


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## DMITPHOTO (Aug 20, 2012)

Haha sure I'll try a vacumm cleaner! But ya it doesn't affect the image quality it's just annoying and it's something small but it just makes it difficult shooting sometimes, so I'll have to see if the mighty Denver has a shop that can cleani it thanks for your comments


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## Ryan708 (Aug 20, 2012)

Have you tryed one of those little rocket blowers? might end up on the sensor by the time you are done tho, thats always a risk of blowing in the body


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## RendrLab (Aug 20, 2012)

Just had the same problem after doing nothing but changing lenses while I was at the zoo. In my case, it was dust on the focusing screen that was easily blown off with Giottos Rocket Air Blower. Word of caution...do not use any types of wipes to clean focusing screen. Anything other than air can/will scratch the screen. It is only made of plastic, but it is precisely polished and easy to scratch.


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## preppyak (Aug 20, 2012)

Ryan708 said:


> Have you tryed one of those little rocket blowers? might end up on the sensor by the time you are done tho, thats always a risk of blowing in the body


I actually tried messing with it a few different ways and was never able to get it to move. Mine is in the upper left corner of the frame though, so, it basically never messes with my composition


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## DMITPHOTO (Aug 20, 2012)

I've tried the rocket air blower and didn't change it. Im thinking it's a wet something meaning it would need sme kind of wet cleaning solution which I don't want to mess with. So I'm currently looking for another camera repair type shop who can maybe look at it or clean it.


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## Ryan708 (Aug 21, 2012)

get the katz-eye manual focusing assist screen while you are at it ;-)


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## kaihp (Aug 21, 2012)

Ryan708 said:


> get the katz-eye manual focusing assist screen while you are at it ;-)



I have one (split-prism classic type) for my 50D and I just love it. Why the heck can't won't Canon put one in by default? The normal focusing screen is, IMHO, hopeless for manual focusing.


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## Menace (Aug 21, 2012)

You may want to send it Canon for a service and peace of mind provided you can live without it for a number of days.


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## DJL329 (Aug 21, 2012)

I had the same problem with my 5D2. In June, I took it in to get the sensor cleaned and Canon cleaned the focusing screen, too -- I didn't even mention it to them.


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