Dust on viewfinder...

[cinq]

Hi there,

Five weeks ago, I got my new camera, a Canon 40 D. This weekend, I discovered there was dust and something looking like a curly hair on the viewfinder. This morning, I went back to the store where I bought it and their reaction was rather unsatisfying :mad: They told me this was normal and that they can send the camera back to Canon but that it will take ages to have it back. I should just learn to live with it. I told them that one of the reasons I choose the 40 D was that it was supposed to be better sealed than the 400 D model but that didn't help either.

Does anybody know if I can clean the matte glass of the viewfinder myself without too much risk?

Kind regards,

Cinq

[Steve]

It's not an uncommon thing.

Is the dust showing up in the photos? If not, then it's not on the sensor, which is a good thing. If the dust is on the sensor, it's easy enough to clean, or to have cleaned.

The manual will tell you how to go about locking the mirror up so you can blow off (with a rocket blower)the sensor. The 40D has a sensor auto-clean function but, personally, I think it leaves a little to be desired.

Whatever you do, do NOT touch the sensor. Woe and heartache will ensue.

If, however, the dust is, in fact, on the viewfinder (say, on the mirror), it'll just be the nuisance that you've found it to be. While the guy at the camera store probably shouldn't have referred to it as "normal", it is a very common thing to have happen.

Something about the weather sealing on the 40D: While it does surpass what you'll find on the 400D, keep in mind that anytime you change a lens, you violate that weather sealing. When you first bought the camera, if the lens wasn't installed on the body when you got it, the weather sealing was violated as soon as you took the body cap off.

I've got some dust in my 40D and my 20D, and have thought about having them cleaned (neither is still under warranty), but haven't gotten around to it, and it stopped freaking me out a while ago. When it starts to impact the images I get, I'll address it...

[cinq]

Thanks Steve! The dust is not on the sensor that's for sure. Since I don't have additional lenses, I don't have a reason to take it off. I was a bit surprised how light the salesperson took my complaint. The camera is after all only 5 weeks old and hardly used.

He told me that when you buy a different matte glass (is this the right word for the milky glass of the view finder?), for example a version with a raster, there is a tool provided to remove the glass. Once the glass is removed, dust can easily be blown off I guess.

Kind regards,

Cinq

[Steve]

Yeah, I'm surprised he was that cavalier about it. The 40D isn't the most expensive body out there, but it ain't cheap.

If it's not on the sensor, then you're dealing with a simple annoyance. Unfortunately, it's not something that would be covered under the Canon warranty. You could likely take the camera to a local (and qualified) repairman to have the situation rectified, and it would only set you back a few bucks.

That beats the heck out of having to pay for shipping and for Canon to do the work...

[cinq]

I found a videoclip about replacing the focusing screen and used it to see where to blow off the dust. I got rid of the two larger dust particles and now there are only a few minute specs left.

http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/...ocus_screen.do

Check out the main site too (http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/index.do) there is a lot of info and there are more video clips in the Masterclass section.

Kind regards,

Cinq