Question about cleaning sensor dust off old film SLR mirrors

I've noticed a lot of folks in the shop using canned air on camera mirrors, and most times it just shoves dust behind the glass or leaves a residue that's worse. I picked up a beat-up Pentax K1000 last month with a hazy mirror, and a gentle swab with a lens cloth and a drop of methanol on the edge fixed it in two minutes. The issue is people treat mirrors like sensors, but the coatings are softer and more delicate, so the rubbing motion traps grit and scratches them. I've seen at least three cameras come in this year with permanent streaks from people trying to blow or wipe too hard. Anyone else have a go-to method that avoids this, or do you just tell clients to leave mirrors alone unless it's really bad?

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shanef3413d ago

Tell that to the guy who tried to "clean" his mirror with a q-tip and Windex, his camera now looks like it has cataracts and a bad attitude. Honestly, the best tool for a dusty mirror is usually just your thumb and a good glare.

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