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Author Topic: cleaning the focus screen  (Read 4114 times)

calbisu

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cleaning the focus screen
« on: May 25, 2012, 07:31:16 PM »
Help! I was cleaning the focusing screen of my rolleiflex 2.8, first I blowed some air and later one I used a light brush to gently wipe out some dust specks, to my surprise the the dust specks did not disappear but multiplied, the brush was supposed to be clean, I am pretty sure was clean. Then later on I tried to gently wipe out the specks with the lenspen but with no success, the dust specks now seem to be stucked to the glass  >:(  any recommendations?  :'(

Carlos.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2012, 07:40:29 PM by calbisu »
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Sandeha Lynch

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Re: cleaning the focus screen
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2012, 07:44:05 PM »
I'm guessing this was on the plain glass surface, iow, you didn't remove it from the camera?  I usually remove mine and wash under soapy water with finger tips, with a good rinse after.  The ground glass side should be treated very gently - it's like a lens.  Even more gentle if you wash a fresnel screen.

Maybe you're getting flecks of paint falling onto it?
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Pete_R

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Re: cleaning the focus screen
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2012, 08:56:06 PM »
I'll second the soapy water. I use liquid hand wash soap. After washing and rinsing, I completely soak the screen in isopropyl alcohol to remove the water then gently blow dry with a can of air. The IPA evaporates leaving no water marks.
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"I've been loading films into spirals for so many years I can almost do it with my eyes shut."

calbisu

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Re: cleaning the focus screen
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2012, 09:08:46 PM »
Ooook, problem solved, I removed the hood (which goes together with the focusing screen. The famous dust specks happened to be on the other side of the glass (inside the camera), so must have been there all the time and I just noticed them today..  :o straaaange  ??? anyway, now the camera is cleaner, truth is that the inside was quite dirty. I did not try to remove the focusing screen for its cleaning, it was togehter with the hood and did not thing an easy task, at least for me... anyway, thanks Sandeha and Peter for the advices!  ;D
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Francois

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Re: cleaning the focus screen
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2012, 09:25:48 PM »
Actually, in some instances, blowing canned air on something can create an electric charge that makes things worse. It's called a triboelectric effect. Blowing air creates friction. Friction puts a static charge on the object. If dust is very fine, it will be attracted to it. That simple.
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Francois

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calbisu

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Re: cleaning the focus screen
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2012, 09:53:35 PM »
Francois, copy that! No canned air  8)
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Francois

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Re: cleaning the focus screen
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2012, 10:21:30 PM »
It doesn't really mean no canned air... it just mean not only canned air :)

I don't know if it's still in production but Ilford used to make a very nice anti-static cloth.
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Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

calbisu

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Re: cleaning the focus screen
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2012, 10:43:59 PM »
Not air at all!!  :'(
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