Cleaning mirror and focus screen on Pentax MX

edumad

I've recently gotten 3 MXs (yes thats 3... Rolling Eyes

)
I'm keeping 2 (one for spares) and selling the other one.
I've just finished giving it a good clean and resealing (Jon Goodman's) last night but it still has some dust and marks (from old foam) in the mirror and screen.
I'm afraid of doing mistakes with these more delicate parts.
What should I use to clean them?
Gently apply zippo fluid? Use one of those glass cleaner sprays (which one)?
Pec pads?

When I'm done I'll run a roll through it an develop it to check out if the camera is fully working. Wink

Cheers.

ryan s · Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 384 Location: Madison, WI

I've used window cleaner (regular window cleaner...not the "all surface" kind) on my ME Super's mirror to get rid of the stickyness.

For the screen...if you can't use a blower to get the specks off, you'd have to live with it unless you can find a different screen. Touching it (even with Pec pads or something similar) can drive the material deeper into the grooves...

SkedAddled · Expire: 2021-08-12

I knew I had come across something about this...

Found at the Katz Eye website, some information on cleaning their focusing screens.
I would have to imagine that the information can be applied to other screens, as well.

edumad · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:16 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the input guys.

rick_oleson · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:08 am Post subject:

For the mirror, I use 2 cotton swabs and 2 lens tissues, and lighter fluid: first wrap one lens tissue around the end of one cotton swab, wet it with lighter fluid, and wipe the mirror VERY gently until the foam debris is gone. Allow it to dry; it will leave prominent "water marks" on the mirror. Now, wrap the other tissue around the end of the other cotton swab, and leave it dry. Breathe on the mirror to fog the surface, and wipe away the fog with the dry tissue. It will now be perfect.

For the screen, I get a sharp sewing needle and carefully pick off any particles of foam on the surface. If any of it is pressed into the grooves it will be very difficult if not impossible to remove.