schragkraft
Well-known member
Started noticing specks and fibers in the viewfinder, and after blower-brushing themirror and bottom of the screen, I knew I had to remove the screen to get to the back side.
This is a field technique that requires at the least
1x Tweezers (Something sturdy like in a grooming/first aid kit)
1x Swiss army tweezers or toothpick/small screwdriver
1x Cheapo blower/brush combo
1x lens cloth
1.) Power down the camera and place it face up on a clean, well lit surface. Spread the soft lens cloth nearby.
2.) With the swiss army tweezers or a decently stiff jeweler's screwdriver (flatblade), locate the little clip behind the foam ridge at the front of the body. Carefully slide the tool between the frame and the clip, and push up/away from the screen. The metal frame should pop down just a little bit.
3.) Use the sturdy tweezers to flip the screen out of position if it didn't pop out with the frame. It may now be resting against the frame at an angle. GRIP ONLY THE TAB ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
4.) While holding the tab, use the second pair of tweezers/toothpick/screwdriver to gently clear the frame from the screen, so you can remove the screen from the body without interference. YOU MAY WANT TO COVER THE BODY WITH A CAP WHILE YOU CLEAN THE SCREEN ETC IF YOU'RE VERY WORRIED ABOUT DUST FALLING IN.
5.) Holding the screen by the tab, position it over a spread lens cloth and grab the blower/brush. If you need to switch hands, simply place the screen on the cloth.
6.) While holding the screen vertical, blow & brush both sides lthorougly. Hold the screen up to a light source to see if anything visible remains, but you won't know until it's reinstalled. If you drop it it will fall a short distance to the soft cloth.
7.) OPTIONAL: Flip the body vertical and blow into the penta-mirror chamber. Likely not necessary. Flip body back to horizontal
7.) Carefully place the screen so that it rests on the metal frame, and slowly use the second tool to swing the frame back into position. THE TAB MUST BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. You must make sure the screen sits on the back of the frame and isn't too 'deep' that it will prevent the hinge from closing. Needless to say left and right centering is a must.
8.) If everything is lined up, the focusing screen will slide back to its original position and you can simply apply a bit of pressure against the front-center part of the frame to clip it back to the locked position. Hold the open body towards a window or put a lens on an aim at a light to see how effective your effort was.
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I went from 7 specks and a few fibers to one small speck. The difference is amazing, it's no longer like I'm looking through a 20 year old viewfinder. Less embarassing when you give it to friends/colleagues to take a look.
DISCLAIMER: It's obvious that you'll need steady hands when removing the screen, and that it may be possible to slip the screen into the mirror box or scratch the mirror with tweezers. If you're not confident or a little ham-fisted, go to a service center for peace of mind.
Hope it helps, I haven't seen a step by step here. I suppose I should have photo-documented it, but I think the wording is detailed enough.
Good luck!
This is a field technique that requires at the least
1x Tweezers (Something sturdy like in a grooming/first aid kit)
1x Swiss army tweezers or toothpick/small screwdriver
1x Cheapo blower/brush combo
1x lens cloth
1.) Power down the camera and place it face up on a clean, well lit surface. Spread the soft lens cloth nearby.
2.) With the swiss army tweezers or a decently stiff jeweler's screwdriver (flatblade), locate the little clip behind the foam ridge at the front of the body. Carefully slide the tool between the frame and the clip, and push up/away from the screen. The metal frame should pop down just a little bit.
3.) Use the sturdy tweezers to flip the screen out of position if it didn't pop out with the frame. It may now be resting against the frame at an angle. GRIP ONLY THE TAB ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
4.) While holding the tab, use the second pair of tweezers/toothpick/screwdriver to gently clear the frame from the screen, so you can remove the screen from the body without interference. YOU MAY WANT TO COVER THE BODY WITH A CAP WHILE YOU CLEAN THE SCREEN ETC IF YOU'RE VERY WORRIED ABOUT DUST FALLING IN.
5.) Holding the screen by the tab, position it over a spread lens cloth and grab the blower/brush. If you need to switch hands, simply place the screen on the cloth.
6.) While holding the screen vertical, blow & brush both sides lthorougly. Hold the screen up to a light source to see if anything visible remains, but you won't know until it's reinstalled. If you drop it it will fall a short distance to the soft cloth.
7.) OPTIONAL: Flip the body vertical and blow into the penta-mirror chamber. Likely not necessary. Flip body back to horizontal
7.) Carefully place the screen so that it rests on the metal frame, and slowly use the second tool to swing the frame back into position. THE TAB MUST BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. You must make sure the screen sits on the back of the frame and isn't too 'deep' that it will prevent the hinge from closing. Needless to say left and right centering is a must.
8.) If everything is lined up, the focusing screen will slide back to its original position and you can simply apply a bit of pressure against the front-center part of the frame to clip it back to the locked position. Hold the open body towards a window or put a lens on an aim at a light to see how effective your effort was.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I went from 7 specks and a few fibers to one small speck. The difference is amazing, it's no longer like I'm looking through a 20 year old viewfinder. Less embarassing when you give it to friends/colleagues to take a look.
DISCLAIMER: It's obvious that you'll need steady hands when removing the screen, and that it may be possible to slip the screen into the mirror box or scratch the mirror with tweezers. If you're not confident or a little ham-fisted, go to a service center for peace of mind.
Hope it helps, I haven't seen a step by step here. I suppose I should have photo-documented it, but I think the wording is detailed enough.
Good luck!
