Dust inside viewfinder/weathersealing?

Lare

So I'm out happily shooting wildflowers in the desert and I notice a spot just off center. Turning off the camera and rotating the lens tells me it's not on the lens, so I didn't worry about it and planned to clean it when I got home.

When I did get home, I took off the lens and verified that the spot is still visible. So I got out some PEC pads and Eclipse and went over the mirror and bottom of the pentaprism. I also cleaned the viewfinder eyepiece with a micro-sized Lenspen. The spot remains (and I'm positive it's laughing at me.)

I'm forced to conclude that, somehow, a bit of dust got up into the viewfinder area.

I realize the D7000 is not weather sealed to the extent the professional bodies are, but I guess I'm surprised that this happened. I would have expected some amount of resistance to this.

Am I wrong or is this just the way it is? Is it common to all you folks and do you just grin and bear it? It doesn't affect the images at all, but it's like that first scratch on a new car to me!

NSXTypeR

If the dust is not showing up in your pictures, I'm not sure what the problem is?

I mean, you can't expect it to be pristine. On my D40 somehow dust got behind the LCD glass.

As long as it doesn't affect the normal operation of the camera, dust in the viewfinder should not a big deal. It might even be on the mirror itself. Try blowing it out with a rocket air blower.

PB_PM

The OP already said he cleaned the mirror. Sometimes I wonder if people even read the OP's post before commenting. :-? Dust in the viewfinder can be really annoying, as it can obstruct your view, depending on the size of the partial.

Dust can get into the viewfinder of the camera, and not just consumer models. I had dust in the viewfinder of my D700. Thankfully Nikon cleaned it out when I took the camera in for a sensor cleaning. My old D200 has a dust spot in the finder as well, in a very distracting location, but I just live with it since it isn't worth the expense of having it cleaned.

starralazn

a while back i had some dust in my viewfinder(d800). being a bit overzealous i ended up scratchig the focusing screen a little bit and after that let it stop bothering me.
i sent it in later for sensor cleaning, and they replaced the focusing screen/cleaned the viewfinder. i'm pretty sure that was free, so that seems to me to be the easiest thing.

Lare

I guess I was just a bit surprised that a camera with any implied level of weather sealing would let any dust inside. I mean, water molecules are quite a bit smaller, you know?

Anyway, since I managed not to mess anything up while not succeeding in getting it to go away, I will just learn to live with it until such time as it ever goes in for anything else.

starralazn

which lenses do you have? although some have the rubber gasket, theyre not all perfectly weather sealed..

PB_PM

Any dust that gets into the mirror box can get sucked into the prism of the viewfinder by the mirror moving. It doesn't happen a lot, but when it does, the dust is hard to miss.

Lare

The lens I was using was the 18-300. And I admit I was doing a fair amount of zooming.

This is hard to miss all right! Two perfectly round, black dots, just to the left of the focusing marks. It's very easy to see even in low light. Guess I'll have to convince my brain to ignore them, like the floaters you get in your eye.

adamz

if You can see dust in viewfinder than it must be a HUGE one... seriously, I went through many different bodies and had dust in VF in d3s, d300s, d200, f100, d800, d90... small dust is not a problem, and there's no way You can see it. if You see it, than it must be somewhere else... I would say most likely on the mirror - which is a problem. also, You can't see dust in the lens. even if You put a 1cmx1cm square in front of Your lens, You will not be able to see it through VF.

Lare

It's most definitely not on the lens since I can see it if I take the lens off. I'm also sure it's not the mirror because I can slide a pec pad over the mirror and still see the spot in the viewfinder. I've cleaned the base of the pentaprism with as much pressure as I feel comfortable doing and it's not making a difference. Thing is that it's perfectly round.which makes me think it's not dust at all--almost like what people are seeing with the dreaded oil problems. But there's not much moving between the eyepiece and the prism, is there?

MichaelNikon

I have checked at least 10 cameras most of them D7000s at several camera stores and to be honest most of them had some minor dust particles in the viewfinder. If you decide to ask NSC to clean it theres a chance it wont go under warranty, more over there are cases known were the camera comes back cleaned but then again after a few weeks period of time the dust comes back....The situationis the same with Canon cameras as well. I have checked this with a reliable source at one particular service center. I guess we have to live with this dust thing...as long as the sensor remains completely dust free... Take care :-D

Lare

Hi, Michael,

Thanks for the comment. I've been off line for the past week (yes, it is possible--I recommend everyone try it once in a while!) so I didn't see your response until today.

I agree that I will probably just put up with it until such time as the camera may need some other work and then have this piggy-backed on. But I am still surprised that the general weather sealing of the camera didn't prevent it happening in the first place.

spraynpray

I had a shed load of dust appear in my viewfinder after giving my D7000's sensor a good blow-out. I just took the lens off again and blew it out with the mirror down and it all disappeared. I hadn't blown my sensor for a while and had probably got a fair bit of dust in there which I had moved to the viewfinder when I blew the sensor.

John

The unfortunate fact about photography using a system with removable lenses is that dust will always get in.
You might do your best to avoid it but you'll never be 100% safe from dust.
It was that way with film and it's still that way with digital.
(Digital might even be worse the film because each new film was a new, dust free "sensor". Then again, you did open the camera a lot more and some bodies do have sensor dust removal features.)

Seeing as how you already tried some cleaning yourself I suggest that you send it in to Nikon for cleaning or just live with it if it doesn't pose a problem.
Weather sealing helps against dust (and water) but no system is perfect. And as soon as you change lenses dust can (and eventually will) get in.

Lare

@spraynpray: I tried that a couple times. Sadly it didn't work. There's one spot in particular right over a focus point. Just enough to remind me every time I fire it up.
@John: Yeah, the thing is that I just thought that the viewfinder would be a bit more resistant to this. To be clear, the dust isn't on the sensor, the mirror or the bottom of the pentaprism. It's actually inside the viewfinder. I could see it getting on one of the other places and I'm ready, willing, and able to clean those. But I don't have the skills (or inclination) to try to get up inside there--and I was surprised to see that something else could, so easily! As a matter of fact, from this particular day, there was no dust on any of the other surfaces--or if there was, I got rid of it in a fruitless pursuit of the speck I can't get to.

Benji2505

Lare, try a rocket blower to move it. If it does not work, send it to Nikon.

Ironheart

Or take it to your local shop. They may have some tricks for getting it out...

RenardRichie13

i've had this problem and right now its still visible a little bit on my camera as it produces no image quality deterrent. I have no idea how the dust got inside between viewfinder and pentaprism in the first place. I have nikon d800. I even opened up the viewfinder on the back (yeah it was.....scary for me but it isn't hard to put it back together there are two screws holding it. and i clean that part and it still there.

I tend to just ignore it. I know it botehrs you but after a while (mine at least got away a little bit over time).
It doesnt affect anything btw. Just that it bothers you. If you can't handle it i suggest sending it to nikon.

abhijit

I am facing the same problem with my 2 month old D7100. Instead of dust there is small insect inside. I really don't know how it has gone there. I had contacted NSC, after 2 days of inspection they replied "it is not covered under warranty and will be done at INR 4000 (US$ 72)". I have escalated the matter in NSC to cover under warranty and waiting for their reply. Will upadte once i get the reply from them.

Msmoto

My D4 has a hair like thing in the viewfinder......or somewhere other than in a position it will cause image problems......and the exterior is showing some wear on the paint.....

While these things may be irritating, I doubt seriously Nikon is going to get excited about doing and cleaning of this nature under warranty. They have no control over how the camera is used once it is sold. For me, it probably came in when I was changing lenses on my bed....

spraynpray

My D4 has a hair like thing in the viewfinder...... it probably came in when I was changing lenses on my bed....

So long as the hair is too curly I wouldn't worry about it! ;;)

Golf007sd

If you send it to Nikon and have them give the body a "full-check up" to make sure it is working at it should. The service center will, upon inspection clean the viewfinder and remove the hair for you. This is kinda the sneaky way around them trying to charge you for something that is not covered under warranty.

Msmoto

OK, I took the lens out and using my little blower bulb blew air all around inside the mirror box with camera facing downward....and no more hair.....

Golf007sd

Good job msmoto. At home I'm always worried about getting Misty (our cat) hair inside my sensor or else where. :P

ShaunBarnesBideford

I bought a Nikon D7100 not so long back. Apart from setting its clock and settings I didn't use the camera? I was about to leave for Lundy Island on a birding trip when I spotted two small internal specks inside and I hadn't even used it!! Omg I was going to Lundy and they weren't done by me! So I forgot about it even though I was mad but needed the camera! Then returning I did a Wedding job and forgot about it? This weekend 31st August I see a bigger speck or mite or whatever inside the camera as well right in the centre of the viewfinder! You cant get inside, its not on the sensor and none are my doing! Emailed Nikon who send a link to how to clean a sensor! (Mad) 30 years a photographer, a new camera, internal gremlins and fobbed off on how to clean my sensor! Reading this blog I can see that some of their factories may need to be cleaned up! Now I'm being told I have to send my new cameras with up to 15 days wait and may have to pay! Omg hello Canon again I can see it coming! I have Swarovski a Scope and Binoculars and their service is so fast you get it back before you finished mailing them, usually free to! Sort it out Nikon

Golf007sd

First, It is unfortunate that you had an object in your viewfinder. With 30 years as a photographer, you did not notice that when you first took it out and looked threw the viewfinder? If you had inspected the body upon purchase, you would have found it then and just had it exchanged on the spot. Second, despite being annoying, the object has no bearing on your images. In short, D7100 did its job and allowed you to take some great photos, I'm sure. In fact, it did such a great job you forgot about it and did a wedding with it. Thus, if it was such a big deal to you why did you not address it before the wedding? 3) Depending on where you live in relation to a Nikon Service center the turn around time could be a factor.