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Splashed oil on 7D's body, what to do?

smn121
Apprentice
I accidentally splashed a bit of oil on my 7D's body's back side, on lcd and buttons, i tried to clean it with tissues, but it seems it has gone into the sides of lcd and buttons, how can i clean it properly? Can anyone help me about this?
My camera is working properly right now, but I'm worried about oil which may enter inside the camera, will it go in or the bady is good enough to prevent it?
Thank you
4 REPLIES 4

TCampbell
Elite
Elite
The 7D is "weather sealed" -- meaning there are gaskets and o-rings on all body seams, buttons, and dials. This does not mean it is "water proof" (don't ever try to submerge it in water) and also keep in mind that just because the body is weather-sealed does NOT mean the lens is weather sealed. But if you were using a weather-sealed lens and got caught in the rain... it would be no big deal for the 7D... just towel it dry before opening the battery door, memory slot door, access port flaps, or removing the lens.

To clean it, you just need something good at cutting oil which is also not going to harm the body finish. The safest thing to do that... is ordinary dish-soap. Dampen a cloth with some soapy water and give the body a good wipe-down. You may want to give it a second pass with a damp cloth that has only water just to remove any soapy residue or you'll have streaks on your LCD screen. A soft cloth works better than a paper-based tissue.

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

I'm an auto mechanic & I'm presuming you are talking about automotive oil. How much hit the camera? A small amount might penetrate the body but I doubt it would harm the inside as much as maybe the rubbery grip stuff on the outside. As for the LCD there is a protective cover over the actual LCD and unless the oil gets between them & softens your view of the images on the LCD. As for a clean up you're really only going to be able to get oil on the outside at this point & I'd do it with dry methods (paper towels or the blue shop towels that are like paper towels etc.    

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."


@cicopo wrote:

I'm an auto mechanic & I'm presuming you are talking about automotive oil.  


That's funny, shows how different all our minds are based on our backgrounds.  I'm an engineer, and I pictured it as a light oil like a mineral oil such as sewing machine oil or for a bike chain (well, now I use teflon for that).  I wonder if a chef would have imagined a cooking oil.

 

I would probably be more worried if it was a thicker oil.  But a little light oil shouldn't gum up things too much.  In fact usually you'd use a light oil to keep the seals functioning smoothly.

 

If it was me, I wouldn't spend the money sending an older camera in like a 7D.  I might be tempted with a new camera, but even then, I think I'd just wipe it down with soapy water and let it dry a bit.  If I was really worried I'd probably pull it apart and clean it up a bit inside.

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

The EOS 7D is weather sealded against water or rain.  Not oil. Smiley Sad  Any oil.  I think I would send it to Canon and tell them what happened.  A cleam and check is around $200 bucks.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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