the question is, how do i go about removing it without damaging anything?

it's not in or on my lens, and not on the sensor, because it doesn't show up on any photos (thankfully) and still shows up when i remove the lens and look through the VF. but i can see it in the viewfinder, as illustrated in the photo below.

i've gone through several threads regarding cleaning, and there seem to be different methods for different types of dirty. already tried some (canned) compressed air and nothing doing--still there.

so i humbly come before those who know more than me to do a little brain-pickin.

i'm going to be ordering a B&W UV filter from B&H, so if there's some product you folks recommend me picking up i'll grab one at the same time. my only request is that we keep cost within reason for E-4 (lower echelon of enlisted military pay grades) salary...so, under $50 would be much preferred.

anyway...here's a (bad) artist's rendition of where the hair would appear if you were looking through my viewfinder.



as always, thanks so much for all the help!

You probably need to remove the focusing screen and blow the hair off the upper side of that or the bottom of the pentamirror

David

In case you hadn't noticed....you also have a squirrel on your head.

it's a ferret.

wife gave it to me (beanie baby) so that i'd have something to remember my 6 ferrets back at home. i retaliated by making sure it's in as many photos i take as possible.

how do i go about removing the focusing screen? i'm very mechanically inclined, just need some direction. thanks!!

Mark...the focussing screens usually just clip out, then you can use a blower to remove the piece of hair/lint.......sorry for not recognising the ferrret.....good luck .

hehe no probs. thanks for the tips. i'll give it a try here in a couple minutes and report back.

Be very careful, last time I tried blowing air up in the pentamirror area it ended up with a lot more dust than when I started. I would try brushing the focus screen before taking it out, if that doesn't get it out take the focus screen out and clean both sides and replace. It has a tab on one side so take note exactly how it comes out. I think if you blow air up in the pentamirror cavity you will be very unhappy with the results.

good tip, chief. to be honest, i'm a bit taken aback on how to remove the focus screen. i'm actually apprehensive to touch anything just because i'm nervous that i'll remove either the wrong thing, or the right thing the wrong way, and then really be up the proverbial creek.

so....who wants to dumb things down a bit for me to put me at ease, and walk me through the process?

I agree with John that you should be careful.. You should also be aware that there is probably a metal shim involved, so you should be careful to not lose it and to replace it properly. I learned about this stuff when I installed a Haoda split-prism focus screen in my 20D for manual focus lenses (it works great). It looks as if Haoda's online link to this manual is currently dead, so you can see it at my site via this link Haoda split screen installation guide. Good luck, and don't get any sand in it.

Do a google search for canon focus screen replacement and you will find pictures that show exactly how to take the focus screen in and out. It is held in place by a metal frame that has a tab on the top (closest to the flash) that you pull slightly down (away from the flash) and the focus screen and metal frame then tilt down. You can then lift them out. Pay careful attention to how the metal frame and focus screen go in place and it won't be a problem. Replace the focus screen first then the metal frame and it snaps back in place.

You will be sorry if you blow air up in the pentamirror cavity as it will end up with more dust than when you started.

Thanks for your service.

dont touch the focus screen with your fingers, get a pair of tweesers or something to push the metal clip and grab the little tab on the screen, it is really pretty easy although I have't tried it on the rebel. Good luck

SUCCESS!!

Jim, John, David, Deadeye, Wade--thanks for all the help!

The hair is gone, and life is good.

new rendition:

mrgardner wrote:
SUCCESS!!

Jim, John, David, Deadeye, Wade--thanks for all the help!

The hair is gone, and life is good.

Excellent, well done.

Do check you have the screen back in straight and aligned properly. I've never taken out a 350D screen so this may not apply but sometimes they can go back skewiff

David

hey now, i didn't say how many replacement tries it took.

learning by trial and error is how i've learned all through life--like the time i learned not to fire both barrels of a double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun at the same time (i was 8 at the time, so hilarity ensued). :P

"as always, thanks so much for all the help! "

From one x-enlisted (black shoe) Gardner to another, I salute you and thanks for your service.

Dad was SAC out on Lincoln (Maj/Lt Col, B-47) in 57 and Step-son is currently a Senior Master Sargent out of Alaska as I was a fleet sailor, SK3 (E-4) in the Navy, 71-75.

Can't help you with the wild hair, other that what other's suggested. But the first thing I'd do before using the air, is see if you can remove it from the inside of the mirror chamber with some sort of light adhesive as if you blow the thread off the viewfinder from the inside, and you don't remove it from the chamber, it's going be there to blow around and maybe get on your sensor the next time. Not good. Next, I'd try a Rocket handheld air blower to clear out the mirror chamber. It's under fifty bucks.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=318545&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Eyes on a swivel and be safe dood.



P.S. Late to the party, glad to read you were able to correct the hair problem.

BeeMan458 wrote: Late to the party, glad to read you were able to correct the hair problem.


no such thing in my mind. thanks for your service, and your step-son's and father's as well. B47 in the early days of SAC had to be a nerve-wracking time. back home i spend a great deal of time in the bowels of USSTRATCOM.

"back home i spend a great deal of time in the bowels of USSTRATCOM. "

Forgive me all for going political for a moment and it's everybody's free will if you feel it necessary to tear up this thread because of my below. I'm writing to a fellow military person who's putting it all on the line so remember as you tear me up, you have the right and the ability to tell me to shut up for one and only one reason, because of his and other's efforts like him.

Living just south of SF politics, they have no idea how much you folks are giving and refuse to show appreciation because it's folks like you who "give" them the stability so they can have what they have today. No military, this country's toast and would have been toast years ago as in "War of 1812" years ago.

In my book, you're all a special breed and I shake my head in wonder as I wonder where you fine folks come from as I don't see any (not to say they're not here, I just don't see them) like you and your fellow Soliders/Airman/Sailors/Marines and Coast Guard personel around here as Winston Churchill's words ring as true today as they did in the early days of WW II.

"Never was so much owed by so many to so few."

If San Francisco and every major city in the world disappeared with all it's inhabitants and politics from the face of the world today, the world would still be the same; another day, another dollar as the world would adapt and other than a memorial service, the world basically wouldn't change one bit but if just the US Military disappeared from the face of the earth today, the world will be changed, irreversably, for the bad, in a heart beat.

Hoo-Rah!

eh, you just have to shrug off the ignorant ones (like oh SO MANY in the san fran area).

back home in omaha, there's a walmart not too far from Offutt that has one of the most arrogant and ignorant individuals i've ever met pushing carts. he's in his mid-30's (or at least looks like it), and every time i have to swing over there during lunch or something when he's working, he feels the need to accost me. normally, he's spouting off his opinion of Politician X, so it really doesn't bother me.

one day, however, he decided to ask me how many innocent people i'd murdered that day. my response was as follows:

"none yet, but there's plenty of daylight left and i'm feeling frisky. how 'bout you?"

smiled and walked off. a retired army CSM, who had been walking back to his car, followed me back into walmart and thanked me for saying what i did. granted, i just wanted to slug the jerk, but obviously that wouldn't solve anything. perhaps he gave some thought to my reply and realized how asinine his statement was. probably not, but hey...there's always a chance.

Thanks for your comment, I hope it caused him pause as to his uncalled for, verbally agressive (assult) behavior.

Shameful at best is how to characterize his behavior and in real terms Walmart's management needs to be informed of this individual's behavior as he's a representative of Walmart and is a direct reflection of Walmart if they condone his behavior, using "Free Speech" as their overarching shield for there's free speech on your dime and there's free speech while on the boss's dime. In short, don't alienate the customer base and expect to stay in business long.

I'd take some down time to write Walmart's corporate headquarters and see what kinda response you get cause as a Walmart customer, military aside, you deserve better treatment from Walmart employees or they should get another job.

Proudly wishing you safe service in Kuwait or wherever you're stationed.

Edited by BeeMan458 on Nov 17, 2006 at 09:25 AM GMT

This is a photographic forum right?

I'm sure you can find somewhere better for your testosterone fuelled garbage, no?

David

"for your testosterone fuelled garbage, no?"

Garbage is it? Nope, sorry, best I can do Mr Thoughtful. Sorry you find my being supportive of the American troops so offensive.

Edited by BeeMan458 on Nov 17, 2006 at 09:28 AM GMT

Garbage it is, pure and simple

Typical 'American' gung-ho twaddle

"Typical 'American' gung-ho twaddle "

Thank-you for your thoughts and wishing you well with your photographic efforts.

Just a thought, wasn't Winston Churchill an English photographer?

BeeMan458 wrote:
Thank-you for your thoughts and wishing you well with your photographic efforts.

If you want to talk about photography then fine, that's why we're (supposed to be) here, it's a photographic forum after all, it wasn't me that went all John Wayne, no doubt you'll be telling us how marvellous the Republican party is next

And considering I was writing to the person who started this thread, who's away from home, on active miltary service in Kuwait, in the service of America and the world as opposed to living the gifted life of a civilian in Omaha, NE or Great Britian, my comments were appropriate.

I'll be happy to remove any post of mine, in this thread, which you find offensive as the person I was writing to has read my comments of support and that's what's important.

Give me the word and they're gone. I'm stepping away from the computer for a short bit so don't be upset as I'll be happy to censor my posts to your personal satisfaction. And if I don't remove them in the next few minutes, I will in the next twenty of so.

Edited by BeeMan458 on Nov 17, 2006 at 09:43 AM GMT