Tiny insects inside DSLR?

[Jim Kuo]

Does anyone have good ideas on how to encourge tiny bugs inside my DSLR to come out?

I can see two insects walking around in my view finder, so I tried to shift them by blowing air (using a blower) quite vigorously, but it had no effect. I then opened the view finder latch to pop out the screen and used blower again... not good...

I think the bugs are actually inside the enclosure of the camera.

Any help is appreciated...

 

[Paul Lange]

Hi Jim, I had this exact same problem with my very first digital camera, I think it was a Casio QVX-2800, at the time a pretty nifty camera! It was full of little white bugs, probably around 50! I partially opened up the camera, just a little and then spent about 20 mins with the hoover using it's bare hose. I managed to get most of them out. It was quite funny really because when I got the hose in the right place I could see them get sucked away one by one.

 

[Pete Askew]

Could be mites I suspect and it'll be a devil of a job to get them out. Freezing the camera (well sealed) would probably kill them but they may die somewhere visible. Drying it with desiccant would also work but not for any eggs if there are any and so the problem would come back. Might be a job for a service engineer as part of a clean.

 

[Jim Kuo]

Thanks for the advice Paul and Pete. Those are mites, thanks to the 5D2's clear and bright view finder, I can even count the number of their legs and tails...

I am not sure how to (and don't really want to) open up my 5D2, and killing them (by freezing or poisioning) could be a problem as Pete said they could die somewhere visible.

Looks like I need to learn to ignore them and originise a trip to Fixation in due course...

 

[Hamish Gill]

Careful freezing ... I've read LCD screens don't respond well and anything other than a slow defrost could cause condensation to form!
I'd go with the second idea ... Off to a service agent for a strip down!
I've never hear of anything like it!

 

[Pete Askew]

I've seen them in old lenses before and in a microscope but luckily not in any DSLR I've owned.

 

[Jim Kuo]

Really? Actually I had exactly the same problem with my old 30D... Maybe I need to rethink about where I store my cameras...

 

[Pete Askew]

Leave some sticky tape with the adhesive open in the are and see what you catch. They are probably dust mites and so are in the general environment so maybe a new home for the camera gear might be a good idea. What attracts them I have no idea. Probably the same obsession that Thrips have with computer screen membranes and PIR detectors!!

 

[Jim Kuo]

Thanks Pete. Could you clarify what you meant by leaving sticky tape in? Where exactly did you mean?

I think the mites are actually living above the view finder screen (the piece of screen that sits above the focusing screen)....

 

[Pete Askew]

I'm sure that is probably where they are but the worrying thing is there are probably more and they may decide to have a wander around on the sensor. Sorry, it wasn't too clear was it. I was thinking of some Sellotape or similar left in the same area with the adhesive exposed (ie off the roll and laying sticky-side up) so you can create a sort of mini fly paper and see what you catch on it (you'll need a magnifying glass or similar). So you can see if they are in the area you are storing our camera.

 

[Jim Kuo]

Haha, thanks for your clarification, I misunderstood you and thought you meant inside of my camera. If I went ahead and done that things could go horribly wrong .

 

[Paul Lange]

In retrospect I think a trip to a service agent is more sensible, especially if it's an expensive camera than opening it up a little and attacking it with a hoover.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Yeah, I can just image an expensive repair as some bits of shutter blade ping past a mirror ... Loads of fun

 

[Pete Askew]

I heard a story about someone who decided their F4 needed a good clean and used a vacuum cleaner. Sucked the shutter blades out!! Best left for carpets and soft-furnishings I think!!