Posted by George L. (165.247.43.64) on December 27, 2003 at 03:20:26:
In Reply to: Canon AT-1 cleaning problem. posted by Kathy on December 26, 2003 at 20:34:13:
: I lent my camera to a friend and they thought they would be nice and clean it before they returned it to me. Well when I went to use it all I seen through the view finder was black streaks. Come to find out they tried cleaning the mirror.So my question is does anyone know how to get rid of the streaks on the mirror?
__________________________________________________
Remove the lens. If the mirror looks clean and shiny, then the problem is NOT the mirror, but the focusing screen, which can be seen by looking up inside the camera above the mirror.
If you see smears or streaks on the focusing screen, your friend did what many nonprofessionals try to do and usually mess up.
It may not be possible to repair even by a pro, who WOULD need to disassemble,your camera and remove the focusing screen before it could be determined if it could be cleaned. The cost of repairs just for labor, might well be greater than the camera's value.
If your mirror is just dirty, depending on its cause, you may be able to clean it yourself with either a small amount of camera lens cleaner, or a SLIGHTLY alcohol dampened "Q tip." If your friend, however damaged the finish on the mirror, then depending upon how bad it is, replacement of the mirror may be necessary.
Your camera's age makes parts availabilty limited, and the cost of them if they can be found,has to be high enough combined with labor , to discourage repairs.
If you are lucky, your mirror may just have smeared black material from the mirror cushion that it strikes when a picture is shot. If such is the case, then, it should clean up nicely with the lens cleaner or alcohol on a Q-Tip swab. But, you will need to replace the mirror cushion which is old and causing the problem. The approximate cost is ten to twenty bucks including labor. Don't let your friend do it. Let him fix the plumbing instead!
end of archived message