Messed-up clearing viewfinder

Confession time, I have screwed-up.

I decided to give it a go in trying to clean the dust spots visible in my viewfinder (K5), as illustrated here link

Now I wish I had not, in that the viewfinder now resembles a barbershop’s floor: Why did my curiosity get the better of me...

To rectify I have tried blowing the particles away with the rocket blower, plus gently applying the Pentax lollipop sensor cleaner; both had zero effect

I understand that the screen can be removed, how can I do this and how can it be cleaned?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Regards
Embarrassed Adrian

Not sure if the K-5 is the same as the K-x and K-m in the viewfinder dept, but with these cameras it's pretty simple to remove the focussing screen, clean it and put it back. It's held in place by a small metal spring bracket that is shaped to fit around the sides of the screen and that clips it to a lug behind. Unclip it and pull it forwards; you can then remove the screen. It's a bit fiddly, but not too difficult.

I hope this helps you see link LET KNOW IF THATS WORKS FOR YOU

Thanks both for the info.
Puma, I have seen the video for the K10, trouble is I do not have the supplied tools for removing the screen.

Regards
Adrian

Adrian, after seeing the video I tried to do the same with my K-7 and it is surprisingly easy with an ordinary pair of tweezers and the clip opened easily with my fingernail.
Thanks Puma I have at last got shot of a shed load of dust.

You can do it with tweezers, or anything small and rigid that enables you to unlatch the metal clip that holds it in place. I don't have any special tools but managed it no problems.

Regards
David

Yeah I agree with all of the above , I made a little tool out of a paper clip and it was a piece of cake to remove and change the focus screen. But the screen is very delicate ,I carefuly tried to clean the one I removed with a sensor cleaning pad and fluid and killed it .... jeff

Thanks for all the replies.

Sorry for more dumb questions, but I cannot see how I can remove the screen..

What do I do to the metal lug that keeps the screen in place, i.e. how do you release the screen?
I can gently move it down, but I'm afraid that this will break it.

Thanks again.
Adrian

You pull that spring clip forward and the focussing screen and it's cradle (the metal frame) will hinge down. You can then remove the screen with a pair of tweezers.

Its easiest of all if you have the proper Pentax tool that comes with a screen. Its terribly easy to mark a screen using tweasers. I know to my cost.

Usually it should be just a quick dust with a dry microfibre cloth/tissue or a blow with the Rocket Blower - it should not need more than this.

Best to avoid wet cleaning if you can.

Regards
David

Adrian is your screen damaged or just dusty , cos if you are gonna clean it with a blower do it with it still in the camera. mine had a very small scratch on it that bugged me and it was a bit dusty, so I bought a replacement from e bay . Sadly it came without the tool,so I made one, and fitted the replacement and the waffer thin copper shim and now its fine.

Then I got the old screen and tried to clean it with a visable dust swab and fluid it just went completely misty and streaky and is now useless. This is on my second hand K100 and I live in a very remote village with no Camera shops!!! I don't know if I try it on a brand new K5... Jeff

I know what you mean, Ken, as the tweesers slipped a few times, resulting in a now scratched screen.

I was shaking like a leaf trying to get it back in, which didn't help matters.

It was still dirty when I eventually got it back in, so I had another go after walking the dog (less shaking when I got back)

Now that I had a better understanding of what to do, I got it out no problem. I gave it a gentle wipe with a anti-static cloth, which worked well. I repeated this a couple of times, and now the screen's useable again (albeit scratched/marked).

I can live with this until I can afford to buy a new screen (£48 cheapest from Taiwan) link.

I would agree that this would be easier with the proper Pentax clipper, which I presume would be supplied with an original Pentax screen.

Jeff, I initially tried blowing the particles off without removing the screen, but this had no effect.

Again thanks for all your help/advice.

Regards
Adrian

These focussing screens are made of a plastic material and should never be cleaned with any solvent, including sensor cleaning fluid which is mostly methanol.

I've never had the need to clean a screen from a DSLR, but in the past, I've had to for film cameras. I washed them in warm soapy water, dried them with a lint free cloth, and re-fitted them with no ill effects.

Careless use of metal tools to remove/refit them can cause damage, but they are tougher than you might think.