Table of Contents
Advertisement
84
port ring completely free of dirt and de-
bris. Clean this surface, as well as the
threads of the lens lock ring using alcohol
or a multi-purpose cleaner applied to a Q-
tip.
5.2.3 Camera Gate
The gate should be cleaned of film particles by means of a pointed
wooden or plastic orange stick. The tool used should be of a soft
and pliable enough material (like wood) to conform to the grooved
side channels of the gate without breaking. Make sure to inspect and
clean the left and right channels, the frame of the aperture opening,
the lateral pressure plate, the tip of the claw and the timecode
LEDs.
Afterwards, run your finger across the left and right rails of the gate,
if your hands are clean. The oil from your finger will provide just
enough lubricant for the film to pass these surfaces smoothly. Ins-
pect the gate; if the rails are still dirty or are carrying any debris (su-
ch as the adhesive from recanned rolls of film), with a Q-tip, use a
cleaning fluid that will do the job. Alcohol
and lens cleaner are safe to use on the sur-
face of the gate. Make sure the Q-tip does
not leave any cotton threads behind.
5.3 VIEWING SYSTEM
The following components of the viewing
system should be cleaned whenever dirt
particles are visible through the view- fin-
der. Use lens fluid applied with a cotton or
preferably a foam Q-tip for all areas.
By cleaning the viewing system in the or-
der described below, you will clean the
more dust-prone areas first, which may
help you track down most dirt particles
Warning !
Remember, the camera gate is
a sensitive and high precision
area directly responsible for
the exact focus of the image;
be careful not to use hard,
damaging materials (like
metal) on the its surface.
Under no circumstances
should you perform any func-
tion within the aperture ope-
ning, lens port or near the
claw with power attached to
the camera. Accidently run-
ning the camera while perfor-
ming such tasks can cause
serious damage to the shutter
and mechanism
Cleaning the
Mirror Shutter
Do not attempt to clean the
surface of the mirror shutter;
any small dust particles visible
from the lens port will not
come into focus in your view-
finder. If large particles of dirt
must be removed, do so using
an air syringe. Never use can-
ned air on this surface.
If the mirror is in need of a
deeper cleaning, to remove
smudges or oil, take your
camera to a qualified techni-
cian to be cleaned.
Advertisement
Table of Contents
