[filmscanners] Re: SS4000 fixes to improve quality--dust removal

["Arthur Entlich" <artistic-1@shaw.ca>]

My experience with easily smudged or scratched surfaces, like front
surfaced mirrors, is that almost looking at them causes problems.

I caution people to not use anything but air before doing any cleaning
of these type of surfaces, I would visit my local camera repair shop and
see if they carry any special types of cleaning fluids or tissues to use
with internal lens or front surface mirror surfaces.

  My best experience has been with using a new properly treated leather
chamois designed for lens cleaning.  Finding the right fluid that will
remove oily residue without leaving streaking or damaging the surface is
tricky, so again I'd try to get some advice from a camera repair shop
personnel who works on these types of components.  Even lens cleaning
tissue with silicone can scratch a front surfaced mirror quite easily.

Obviously, these types of cleaning are done all the time industrially,
so there is likely a "best" technique. I've used several methods myself,
but with such delicate surfaces, I don't want to make specific
suggestions which might prove disastrous with a simple misunderstanding
or improper technique.

I guess my caveat is just be very careful and try to know what you are
doing before attempting this or you could end up with a bigger mess than
it was.  Also, with most scanners the mirror likely needs to be somewhat
dirty or smudged before it will cause noticeable change in image quality.

The best thing is to try to prevent the optical path from becoming dirty
to begin with, by using a cover on the scanner when not in use,
pre-cleaning your film before scanning it, keeping your scanner away
from cooking or other smoky or greasy fumes, and not allowing the room
the scanner is in to get too hot.

Art

Charles Stirling wrote:

> ** Reply to note from filmscanners@halftone.co.uk Mon, 26 Aug 2002 17:58:58 
>-0700
>
>
>>Yes this is the mirror that needs to be clean. Your can of compressed
>>air should do a fine job of cleaning it.
>>
>
> Doesn't this depend on "how" the mirror is contaminated.  I've not had to
> clean mine, yet anyway - relativly new, but others things sometimes get
> an oil type contamination maybe just from vaporization of oils from
> within the unit.  This wouldn't just blow off, but I would assume VERY
> gentile cleaning with a tissue and a good lens cleaning liquid might do it,
> am I right?  I assume the mirror will be a front coated one so very soft
> and fragile.
>
>
>
> Charles Stirling
>
>


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