Cleaning behind the focus screen.

Like an idiot I purchased a split focus screen for my K10D to aid manual focus macro stuff and it was basically a load of rubbish so I put back the original.
I now have half a ton of dust behind the screen and a ruddy great fingerprint on the screen itself (sigh).

So anyway, I am going to buy myself another screen but how do I get rid of all the dust, I have tried my rocket blower and have a brush coming next week which may help but just wondering if anyone has any useful tips.

Thanks.

I don't have any answers to your question but would be interested to know what screen you are buying next. Having recently ventured into macro photography, I do wonder how accurate ny eyes are

The Arctic Butterfly is designed for sensors, but is actually good for the focusing screen and prism as well. An ordinary camera brush might be enough, though.

Katzeye make excellent screens for manual focusing.

Thanks, will wait until next week and see if the brush makes a difference.
I think it will have to be a Katzeye unless Pentax make something similar.

The Ebay one is ok until you go past around F8 and then it totally blacks out in one half which is pretty useless as my camera is basically stuck on F16 these days.

Hi,

Cleaning behind the focus screen is realy easy... (although when I had dirt behind the focus screen of my DS it took some time for me to suss how to do it)

You already know how to take the screen out so just pop it out and blow with our blower. While its outs out use some sensor cleaning solution to remove the finger mark then pop it back in.

Good luck
Bob

I sent an email to Pentax UK and they quoted me a price of £25 plus return postage and VAT to clean it.
I thought that was quite reasonable actually.

Hi

I don't agree - I think £25 + postage is a lot for what is likely to take you just a few minutes

given that you know how to remove and replace the focus screen, you already have a rocket blower, and you have a brush on the way AND you aleady intend to buy a new screen what can you lose by popping the screen out and giving it a blow and brush for free?

The £25 quid saved will go towards that Katzeye screen you want...

More problematic will be if the dirt is sticking to the lower face of the prism then you would have to consider using something like a sensor swab + cleaner to remove it and that would be awkward given that lower prism face is at rightangles to the access through the lens mount and the mirror itself will restrict access. What ever you do do not touch the mirror with figers or anything hard as the 'silvering' is on the front of the mirror and is easily damaged. [mirror should only be cleaned by blower or light brush - never polish it to make it shinnier as that will always scratch it!]

Good luck
Bob

It may be reasonable for Pentax to charge £25, but I agree with Mr Bob that it's not worth it when you can DIY. Total postage would cost over a tenner, and you'll be without the camera for a while.

you really have no idea how bad the dust really is do you, when I say bad, I mean BAD as in dust and little black hairs right in all corners of the viewfinder where I have pushed it while trying to clean.
I will wait for my brush to arrive first though, just to see if it can do a reasonable job.