cleaning Nikon focusing screens

My Nikon F100 has a Type E focusing screen that keeps picking up
unbelievably annoying dust specks no matter how careful I am when changing
lenses. These appear as black spots in my viewfinder although they pose no
problems to the negative. The screen is made of a soft polymer, probably
PMMA, with laser etched lines. My previous attempts to clean the screen have
resulted in scratches from the brush that I was using despite trying to be
very gentle. I guess that dust stays attached to the screen by static
because a blower brush does not dislodge it.

Has anyone figured out a procedure to clean the screen? Do compressed gas
dusters such as Endust work where a blower brush won't?

Thanks,
RK

In article qTkzd.255969$V41.177809@attbi_s52, RK
wrote:

Has anyone figured out a procedure to clean the screen? Do compressed gas
dusters such as Endust work where a blower brush won't?

Occasionally. I'm pretty familiar with cleaning screen and viewfinders,
as I usually buy used equipment - and shoot mosyly outdoors and changes
lenses a lot.

DISCLAIMER ONE: I don't have an F100, only an N90s

DISCLAIMER TWO: NONE of the following is recommended by Nikon.

DISCLAIMER THREE: If the screen has a separate condenser (like the F,
F2, F3, etc.) and the dust is BETWEEN the elements - leave it alone.

For really stubborn particles that don't respond to puffs of air, I
have a "secret weapon" - Edmund Scientific Tech Spec lens cleaner.
Sadly, it's discontinued; but I'm sure there's an equivalent somewhere.
It was originally designed for astronomical telescopes.

I lay the screen flat and put a drop on the spot. After it sits a few
seconds, I take a soft retouching brush and gently dislodge the spot.
Then a puff of air blows away the debris and the excess fluid.

This particular cleaner evaporates quickly, but never leaves a trace of
resedue - the most important part of this process.

Good luck.

In article qTkzd.255969$V41.177809@attbi_s52, RK
wrote:

Has anyone figured out a procedure to clean the screen? Do compressed gas
dusters such as Endust work where a blower brush won't?

Occasionally. I'm pretty familiar with cleaning screen and viewfinders,
as I usually buy used equipment - and shoot mosyly outdoors and changes
lenses a lot.

DISCLAIMER ONE: I don't have an F100, only an N90s

DISCLAIMER TWO: NONE of the following is recommended by Nikon.

DISCLAIMER THREE: If the screen has a separate condenser (like the F,
F2, F3, etc.) and the dust is BETWEEN the elements - leave it alone.

For really stubborn particles that don't respond to puffs of air, I
have a "secret weapon" - Edmund Scientific Tech Spec lens cleaner.
Sadly, it's discontinued; but I'm sure there's an equivalent somewhere.
It was originally designed for astronomical telescopes.

I lay the screen flat and put a drop on the spot. After it sits a few
seconds, I take a soft retouching brush and gently dislodge the spot.
Then a puff of air blows away the debris and the excess fluid.

This particular cleaner evaporates quickly, but never leaves a trace of
resedue - the most important part of this process.

Good luck.

It's also possible to clean off the screen with ionized air. We
have a set-up where I work where compressed air is passed by electrodes
which ionize it. This air is then blown onto a target. Anything with
a negative charge attracts positive ions and gets neutralized.
Likewise, anything with a positive charge attracts negative ions and
gets neutralized. The result is zero static and dust. I don't know if
anything like this is available for home use.
Bob C.

It's also possible to clean off the screen with ionized air. We
have a set-up where I work where compressed air is passed by electrodes
which ionize it. This air is then blown onto a target. Anything with
a negative charge attracts positive ions and gets neutralized.
Likewise, anything with a positive charge attracts negative ions and
gets neutralized. The result is zero static and dust. I don't know if
anything like this is available for home use.
Bob C.

Kinetronics.com has all the products you need to kill static.....

wrote:
It's also possible to clean off the screen with ionized air. We
have a set-up where I work where compressed air is passed by electrodes
which ionize it. This air is then blown onto a target. Anything with
a negative charge attracts positive ions and gets neutralized.
Likewise, anything with a positive charge attracts negative ions and
gets neutralized. The result is zero static and dust. I don't know if
anything like this is available for home use.
Bob C.