Is it safe to Blow inside the film gate? There is a dust.

[YOSUKE]

I've got my first s8 developed film. (telecine).
So happy with that.. :o
But I found there is a dust on my film. (canon 1014 xl-s)
I can't see thru the viewfinder when I was shooting.
Maybe, there is a dust inside the film gate. (Is there glass inside the gate?)
I always did blow inside the camera when I change film.
But I thought it is no good to blow strongly inside the gate so I blowed very carefully when I blow inside the gate at that time.

But now I think I should clean inside the gate completely with blower.

Is it ok? Is there any tip ?

Thanks..

[BigBeaner]

clean the opening of the film gate with an orange stick.

[Nigel]

If you could take off the lens then you could blow through the gate with a hand blower. Not canned air.

I would give a quick couple puff from my mouth.

Good Luck

[Nigel]

Oh...

Just because the gate is clean when you put your film in doesn't mean that you won't get a hair. Some emulsions are pretty soft.

Good Luck

[aj]

Don't overdo it with blowing etc. The shutter is in place and you don't want to wreck it (I suppose). Don't blow when it is running. The particles will fly into the camera and may deposit themselves on the filter or lensparts.

[Mitch Perkins]

I can't see thru the viewfinder when I was shooting.

This is very telling - your problem might not be in the gate, or you might have two problems, or are you saying you can't see through the viewfinder for some other reason? Viewfinder inches from a wall?

Canned air is unlikely to bend the shutter; there is not enough room for it to bend enough to "remember" any distortion of its plane.

Unscrew the cap on the handle/battery compartment, put the camera on runlock, and use intermittant pressure on the cap to start/stop the camera until it stops with the shutter open, then have a look through the gate.

Mitch

[Bru]

Hi. For my two cents, I must say that you should NOT blow with your mouth. Although the temptation may be strong, as it is so convenient, there is a high probability that drops of spit will end up on the lens or shutter. This has happened several times with me, and it is just not worth having to clean the item properly afterwards. It is a bad practice. If you cannot remove dust with a damp Q-tip (cotton bud) or blower brush/air spray, then either leave it or do a proper disassembly and clean. We all have our ways of going about these things, so this is advice you must make your own judgement on.

[Nigel]

Bru--

You will advocate using a Q-Tip but not blowing with your mouth. That doesn't make any sense at all--Lets wipe hair out of the gate with something that will deposit more hair.

I don't know how you blow on lenses, etc but I rarely spit when doing it.

Change your technique.

Good Luck

[Evan Kubota]

I agree with Nigel. It's far better to avoid touching the lens or gate just to remove loose dust, hair, etc.

If you find yourself blowing spit onto the rear element, try licking your lips/sucking your teeth first so there isn't so much excess moisture that can fly out of your mouth.

[Actor]

Not canned air.

Why not?

I've used compressed air (not canned) but obviously I can't take the compressor with me on a shoot. Maybe I could if I had a pickup truck and a long extension cord. :lol:

[Bru]

Actually, I stated using a damp Q-tip. There is a technique there. It is still more controlled than blowing, and as for spit, well I'm sure we can all appreciate that sometimes some does escape the lips. I don't believe it's a personal failing.

[Blin]

Not canned air.

Why not?

I've used compressed air (not canned) but obviously I can't take the compressor with me on a shoot. Maybe I could if I had a pickup truck and a long extension cord. :lol:

I was always taught that canned air was NEVER to be used inside cameras because the propellant, not just the air, could cause damage.

This is an excerpt from one of Jon Fauer's books:

Falcon Safety Products, Inc. has recently introduced an environmentally safe canned cleaning gas without chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). Falcon's Dust-Off Plus contains hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) which purportedly do not deplete the earth's ozone layer. Other manufacturers will hopefully follow. Earlier versions of the product, Dust-Off, Dust-Off II, and other brands containing CFC, are harmful. Read the label.

Be careful when using canned gas. It can leave a residue on mirror shutters and lenses. Certain areas of the movement should be avoided, because you might blow oil or grease all over the place. Another danger is blowing dirt further into the camera mechanism. Try to clean so the air blows away from camera cavities.

[YOSUKE]

Thanks very much for your tips.