Pentax K10D focus screen

help, how do I remove the focus screen from my K10d to clean it? Pentax UK does not answer my E-mails. Thanks John

1: Are you sure you need to remove it?
2: Are you really sure you need to remove it?
3: If you are absolutely certain that you need to remove it . . .
4: DON'T touch it as its easily damaged.
5: Have a pair of surgical tweazers at the ready (to avoid you touching it) . . .
6: Remove the lens and fit rear lens cap . . .
7: Usinger finger nail or suitably blunt instrument pull the tab at the front edge of the focussing screens mount towards the front of the camera.
8: Did I mention "DON'T TOUCH IT".
9: The focussing screen holder will drop down enabling the cleaning of the inside surface with a blower. The focussing screen itself is loose inside its holder so beware of it falling out. If it does . . . . "DON'T . . . "you've got the message.
10: Ensure that the screen is sitting squarely in its holder before returning the holder to its original position.

Easy really, as long as you DON'T TOUCH IT.

years ago I removed the focussing screen from a SLR to clean it. It only made it worse and after "cleaning" it seemed to attracht a lot more dust.

If there is a spec of dust on it, just leave it there.

As it has no effect on the image, cleaning a focusing screen is best avoided.

The screens are very soft and fragile and can be easily damaged.

I had another bad experience with removing a focussing screen, I removed one to clean it (it was a split/microprism screen) and I put it in upsidedown... This caused all of my pictures to be out of focus...

It was this old beast, my first SLR... I still have it but it doesn't work anymore...

Well said Mannesty i love it
Sitting at work laughing my head off like an idiot

Thanks for the advice.

Regards John

Just searching the forum for info on cleaning behind focus screens. I've been getting a build up of dust and small hair like crap behind my K20D focus screen. I've tried to ignore it until now as it doesn't affect the image but now there's a hair like creature sitting right in the centre and is affecting the AF ( as well as being highly annoying ). I think I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and clean it.

I do have a question if any pentax design engineers are reading ( as if ) .... Why not design the camera so the area behind the focus screen is sealed? Unless I'm missing something that would actually make some sense.

An hair on the focusing screen will never be able to affected auto focus, by the simple fact that the AF doesn't look through it.

The AF is placed on the underside of the camera and use a special smaller mirror fitted behind the large mirror.

Here is a drawing,
4 is the focus screen
7 the AF sensor



What a dirty focus screen can have an effect on is the exposure metering, that sensor does look through it and i'ts #1 in the drawing.

hmmm? interesting. Thanks for the diagram maybe there's some crap over the AF unit at the bottom then. Coincidentally the AF ( on all lenses started randomly not working well when the crap on the focus screen appeared. Coincidence I guess.

Focus screen looks like a farmyard anyway, so I think I'm going to give it a clean anyway. Does someone make a small vaccuum cleaner?

I think Peter is on the right lines with this post, but I am not sure he has emphasised enough - DON'T TOUCH IT.

Heard loud and clear

Yes that could be the problem, or the smaller mirror is dirty but that's so hard to clean.

Some do make a vacuum cleaner, I believe it works with special compressed air and I don't know how great the suction is.

Cleaned mine the other day. Just whipped it out and dusted it down with a jet of air from the blower. Wished I had done it ages ago instead of trying to ignore all the bits that were there.

Getting it out is quite straightforward but you will need some tweazers, I have a sprung pair that grip when released.

There is a video here link shows you how to change the screen.

OP,

Judging by your user-name and picture, you're presumably the captain of the Sloop John B, the one who wasn't around when the crew had the famous fight off Nassau Town, and felt so broke up that they just wanted to go home?

Hope your focussing screen is still usable.

Cheers

G