How do I get dirt specks from inside my viewfinder?

[secondlevel]

I need to know how to get dirt specks from inside my viewfinder.  I thought it was dirt on the sensor at first, but after several cleanings and blowing it out with the blower the spots were still there.  The spots don't show on the photos and if I look through the view finder without a lens attached the specks still show.

I am using a Canon EOS 60d.

[diverhank]

Get dust inside the viewfinder is a lot easier than on the sensor so you shouldn't be surprised to get that.  Once while I was shooting at an airshow with a 50D and somehow a flea managed to get inside the viewfinder and was crawling around.  I didn't bring a blower and I had to watch it crawling around for like an hour, unphased by the rapid firing.  Finally I opened the lens and shook it out :).

You should  remove the lens, tilt the camera down and give it a few good blows with a blower at the mirror and the prism areas.  Don't use the brush part of the blower as the viewfinder focus screen scratches really easily.

[secondlevel]

What makes this strange is that I really don't thing it is just dust.  I think there is some type of lining in there that is wearing away.  I had large pieces appear before and I opened it up and used my blower to blow out the area and it cleared.  That was over a year ago.  Now I see these little black specs and I tried blowing.  I have a small blower and a large blower.  I used both and the spots are still there. 

[ebiggs1]

"I need to know how to get dirt specks from inside my viewfinder."

If the dust is really in your viewfinder, you can't remove it.  It will have to go to Canon and it isn't cheap.  If it is there it won't hurt your photos but it is an annoyance.

If it is just in the mirror box area you can clean it yourself or have it cleaned by a pro. If it shows on your photos this is where it is.

[secondlevel]

I didn't know how to describe it so I called it dusk.  It is a black material.  I had it happen a while ago and used a blower to blow the mirror and aroound the viewfinder from inside and it cleared away.  Now, no matter how much I use the blower the spot is still there.  It doesn't show up on my photos.  I can't see it in live view.  I changed lens and looked through the viewfinder without any lens.  It's in the view finder.  Is there some type of lining that could be wearing away?  It doesn't bother my photos, but it still drives me crazy when I focus.  I hate to send it away now.  Is there a gap somewhere where I can use a blower to

get air in there? 

[RobertTheFat]

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@secondlevel wrote:

I didn't know how to describe it so I called it dusk.  It is a black material.  I had it happen a while ago and used a blower to blow the mirror and aroound the viewfinder from inside and it cleared away.  Now, no matter how much I use the blower the spot is still there.  It doesn't show up on my photos.  I can't see it in live view.  I changed lens and looked through the viewfinder without any lens.  It's in the view finder.  Is there some type of lining that could be wearing away?  It doesn't bother my photos, but it still drives me crazy when I focus.  I hate to send it away now.  Is there a gap somewhere where I can use a blower to

get air in there? 

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The problem is that the more herotc measures you use to get the goop out of the viewfinder, the more likely you are to have some of it end up on the sensor. If it were me and it were an active camera that I wanted to keep in shape, I think I'd send it in.

Canon's cleanings are very effective. When I bought my second 7D, I noticed after a couple of weeks that there was a lot of dirt in the viewfinder. Since it was obviously still under warranty, I dropped it off at the Jamesburg shop on my next trip to Philadelphia. When I got it back, I'd never (and have still never) seen a camera so spotless.

[secondlevel]

Thanks for the response.  I hate to mail my camera.  It will take me 2 hour to get the the repair center in NJ.  I guess I have to plan a road trip.

[ebiggs1]

"Is there a gap somewhere where I can use a blower to get air in there?"

No, send it to Canon.

[secondlevel]

Thank you for your advice.  I am going to contact the Canon and find out if I can drop it off at the repair center in NJ.

[RobertTheFat]

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@secondlevel wrote:

Thank you for your advice.  I am going to contact the Canon and find out if I can drop it off at the repair center in NJ.

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You can. I do it frequently.

Be sure to print yourself a good Google map. The repair center isn't the easiest place to find. The building itself has a big Canon logo on it, however.