7D viewfinder strange circle

Started Oct 24, 2011 | Discussions
MikeBlackburn New Member • Posts: 4
7D viewfinder strange circle

Hi all
Quick question.

My 3 month old 7D developed (yesterday) a strange ring visible in the viewfinder. it is a perfect circle, centrally located with a radius slightly greater than the lateral AF points. It is not part of the LCD system as it is visible with the camera off.

It is too regular and central to be a foreign body. Anyone seen anything like this before?
Mike

Jan Privat Regular Member • Posts: 206
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle

Hard to tell what it it, without an actual picture.
Have you tried to shoot with your cellphone through your viewfinder?

Jan

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OP MikeBlackburn New Member • Posts: 4
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle

Good idea. Will do so tonight and post back

keane_
keane_ Regular Member • Posts: 387
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle

You sure you've not just messed with the AF settings?

There are various changes you can make to the OSD in the viewfinder via autofocus settings / custom functions IIRC. I actually had to read the manual to get my head round this...

OP MikeBlackburn New Member • Posts: 4
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle

Look, anything is possible....

Karl Gnter Wnsch Forum Pro • Posts: 11,408
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle

MikeBlackburn wrote:

It is too regular and central to be a foreign body. Anyone seen anything like this before?

Completely normal. The matte screen of the 7D has slightly differing micro prisms in the center of the screen which can become visible when using slow lenses as sort of a slight shadowy edge where the two types of micro prisms meet...
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regards
Karl Günter Wünsch

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OP MikeBlackburn New Member • Posts: 4
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle - now with images

Here are pictures taken with my phone through the viewfinder to demonstrate the problem. Both with camera off and on.

Hope this helps

Jan Privat Regular Member • Posts: 206
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle - now with images

I cant remember that on my 7D (I changed the matte screen some time ago).

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bdkr65 Regular Member • Posts: 137
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle - now with images

Pardon the newb question- You changed the focusing screen? I had read they were not interchangeable, and I sw KatzEye had a screen for the 7D, but as I read it was non-replaceable I thought KatzEye was in error. To be clear-

You replaced the stock focusing screen, yes?

Thanks in advance.

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kimvette
kimvette Senior Member • Posts: 1,293
Re: 7D viewfinder strange circle - now with images

The focus screen in the 7D is no harder to swap than the focus screen in the XXD or other XD models; you just you have to remove two machine screws to take the retaining clip cover off.

As far as the inner circle goes, that's the spot metering indicator in the LCD. The outer circle I can't explain, but with the stock microlens focus screen installed I do see it if I step my camera down to f/22 or smaller and aim it slightly away from a light source; it is very faint but it is present and noticeable if you're looking for it. There is nothing wrong with your camera.

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bdkr65 Regular Member • Posts: 137
Thanks for answer on scren replacement

@kimvette

Thanks for info on screen replacement

Ben

kimvette wrote:

The focus screen in the 7D is no harder to swap than the focus screen in the XXD or other XD models; you just you have to remove two machine screws to take the retaining clip cover off.

As far as the inner circle goes, that's the spot metering indicator in the LCD. The outer circle I can't explain, but with the stock microlens focus screen installed I do see it if I step my camera down to f/22 or smaller and aim it slightly away from a light source; it is very faint but it is present and noticeable if you're looking for it. There is nothing wrong with your camera.

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Jan Privat Regular Member • Posts: 206
Re: Thanks for answer on scren replacement

Sorry for the delay. Have a look here:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1019&message=39282377

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