Tech-ish question of the day

We're shooting with a Rebel XTi. Love it. DH noticed today to hairs, or fuzzies through the viewfinder this afternoon. After ruling out the actual viewfinder, and the lens....we attempted to remove said fuzzies. BIG, HUGE, GIANT mistake!!:eek: We actually removed one of them, but in the process left behind a lot of smaller particles. I am beyond crazed at this point. We used the correct tool, well at least what we think is the correct tool, a bulb syringe type instrument with a brush on the end. We held the body shutter down towards the ground, set it on bulb setting, and gently puffed and brushed for about 10 seconds. Did this a couple of times. Still see alot of crap. I really don't see it on the LCD when I review the pics. Haven't put any on the computer yet. I'm guessing I'm going to have to send it in for a professional cleaning now? Welcome any ideas or suggestions.:(

Huge goof...sorry!

The fuzzies in the viewfinder were most likely on the top side of the focusing screen. the Rebel doesn't have a solid prism for the viewfinder, but what's caused a porro-prism made of glass panels and mirrored surfaces. Having fuzzies inside your viewfinder is irritating, but not a threat to image quality.

Brushing the sensor with a regular blower brush, however, is...

In you look on page 114 of you manual, it describes the method for locking the shutter open for manual cleaning, For this you need either a very, very clean statically charged brush to remove dust or a sensor cleaning swab and a specialized cleaning fluid like Eclipse to remove oils or other pollutants from the sensor. The sensor is very delicate, but can be cleaned by a user with care and some knowledge.

The Luminous Landscape has good articles here: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/sensor-cleaning.shtml and here http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/arctic-butterfly.shtml

I use a Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly 724 to dust my sensor and since I have never used anything but a sensor brush, I've never had to use a sensor swab and cleaner.

You may have to send it in for a cleaning and inspection this time since you used a regular brush...especially if it had ever been used on the outside of the camera or on a lens.

Good luck..

Dave

Pretty much what I expected, but did not want to hear. No one wants to send their baby away on vacation. My DH is definitely in the club "Directions, we don't need no stinkin' directions". Proof to the opposite here. Thank you, I was hoping I'd see you here, off to bed for now. I'll post tomorrow with what the camera shop has to tell me. Note to all other Rebel owners....don't do what I did!!!:o