Cleaning an SLR or DSLR Camera Focusing Screen as Safely as Possible & Why Solvents Ruin Screens

This video shows some different techniques to clean an SLR or DSLR camera's focusing screen. Always take care when cleaning focusing screens as they are fragile and prone to damage. Ideally, never touch them with anything. Also, if you have sticky foam on the screen avoid the brush step as that can smear foam into the focusing screen grooves.
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"Call Waiting" by Future Joust used under active license from Epidemic Sound at the time of this video's upload.

[@raymondchan3587]

It was too late for me to view this clip, I just damaged my viewfinder by alcohol...😪

[@Savage1776_]

So I simply went to clean mine due to having dust particles that would not blow off with the blower. And found that a Q-tip left minor scratches all over it. After watching a brief simple looking tutorial off of RUclips I decided to take my focusing screen out and clean it by hand to see if I can remove the scratches. At this point I used Dawn dish soap and warm water. And that's when I saw that the scratches would not come out. I also went back to look at my camera to see how hard it would be to reinstall for the Canon 90d because there is an extra clip that holds the focusing screen on that is not on a few other cameras and it was at that point that a bunch of other pieces fell out of my camera! So just a warning to everyone. I am very good at fixing stuff especially gadgets and gear and I must say that this was not as easy as I thought it would be and there was parts that were not in any tutorials and now I don't know where to put them back. Unfortunately now I have to take it to a camera shop which the closest one is about 45 minutes away. And I have no idea what the cost is going to be. So just please be careful if you try to do this at home

[@MrScotchpie]

For a removeable focusing screen I've had good results with weak solution of sodium percarbonate. Just drop the screen into the bath and leave for five minutes. Let it air dry and a lot if not all dirt is removed with no smears.

[@dominic.shoots]

Thank you for this detailed tutorial! One time my RB67 focusing screen got "melted" by my own sweat! Luckily it was only a few spots on the corner of the frame; it is still usable.

[@JanneRanta]

If your grocery store doesn't have distilled water then your pharmacy might? It is used to clean eyes in emergency situations for example. Also battery water from gas station would work too.

[@tpf1952]

Distilled water! Who’da thought? Thank you. I have to rescue some dusty old screens now.

[@spookystella]

I sure wish I had seen this before cleaning my in-camera focusing screen with rubbing alcohol 🥲lesson learned! Thank you for such an informative video, I will not be making that mistake again in the future!

[@MRBHV]

Well I wish I’d watched this before cleaning my focusing screen with rubbing alcohol.

[@holyvanguard]

I feel like i may have been lucky. I used ipa on my minolta x700 and xd5 they still focus well but im never doing that again after seeing this video. Thank you. I wish this was shown to me by youtube 5 months ago.

[@user-vt5tx7ts7m]

I recall a product I saw at a trade show that was similar to a piece of tape that could be placed on an SLR mirror and then peeled off to remove fingerprints and dirt. That tape might do a good job removing gooey foam debris from the fine ridges of a focusing screen too. Just an idea to consider.

[@motosandphotos]

Amazing walk-through! Super informative and now I've added a new skill-set to camera repairs :)

[@joshchamberland462]

Your videos have been so helpful to me getting into simple camera repairs and maintenance. It's a new hobby for me, so I'm turning to the internet often with questions, and it seems like you have a video with an answer every time i look something up. Thanks!

[@juliainman9389]

Very informative! Thank you!

[@apistosig4173]

Excellent presentation - I own four AE1+P Canon's - just adore these - I also adore the Pentax ME Super and MX

[@PatrickPecson]

Thank you this was so helpful!

[@IM-Silviu]

Thank you - very useful!

[@vintagevantics]

Now that’s really helpful. Thanks.

[@squareformat]

This is a great video. 👍

[@bogdanandreistoenescu4156]

best video ever! thank you

[@samwestenskow]

This is great, my FM2 really needed a cleaning