Mike wrote: >How do I clean the focusing mirror on my camera without damaging or >stratching it? Mike, I'm pretty sure the mirror is 'front silvered', meaning that the reflective coating is on the mirror surface closest to you as you look into the fron of the camera. The 'silvering' material is usually aluminum, so it is very susceptible to scratching. If your mirror is merely dusty, use a can of compressed air (sold as dust remover) to blow off the dust. If there are fingerprints or other fluid-based marks on the mirror you will have to take some other measures. It is best to leave this job to a professional camera technician, but if you have no other alternative, try the following procedure (I will not be responsible for any damage you may cause by botching this procedure) : Buy a NEW container of Q-Tips (cotton swab on a soft plastic stick), to ensure that they are clean and free of abrasive particles. Buy a new bottle of 70 percent Isopropyl alcohol (same reason). Dip a Q-tip in the alcohol and shake off (don't blot) the excess (too much alcohol on the Q-Tip will run and migrate into parts of the camera where it doesn't belong). GENTLY (VERY gently) wipe the mirror surface with the Q-Tip to remove the marks. Change Q-tips often to prevent picking up abrasives on the sqab during cleaning, then scratching the mirror with them. Remember, the package of a hundred-or-so Q-Tips is vastly less expensive than the cost of a replacement mirror. Don't contaminate the alcohol by dipping a used Q-Tip into it. If you need fresh alcohol, use a fresh Q-Tip. The alcohol should dry spot free once you have removed all the residue from the mirror, so don't keep wiping with dry Q-Tips - you'll only be taking more risk of scratching the mirror. Aproach this job with EXTREME caution. As I said, it's best left to a trained technician. Best regards, Stew -- Photo Web pages: http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart UNIX: It's not just 'User-Unfriendly', it's 'Proactively User-Hostile'! Nothing generates so much silence as confronting a person with an undeniable truth which is contrary to that person's beliefs. Manual cameras, Luna-Pro's and stick shifts.
