How to Clean the Mirror of a Digital SLR

Taking care of your digital camera will help ensure its longevity.

Taking care of your camera will maximize its longevity. While dust build-up on a camera mirror is rare, it does happen from time to time. Dust particles show up on pictures as little blotches. Ensure that the dust particles are actually coming from the mirror and not from the camera sensor. You can determine this by cleaning the sensor through the settings on the camera, or making sure that the viewfinder is free of any dirt and debris. If the particles still show up, then you can attempt to clean the mirror of the camera.

Things You'll Need

• Camera
• Small bulb air blower
• Tripod or table top tripod
• Clean work area

Instructions

1. 

   The camera mirror is located inside of the camera, above the image sensor.

   Remove the lens from the camera body and cap it. If there is no lens attached, remove the body cap.

2. 

   With the lens or body cap removed, securely attach the camera to the tripod.

   Attach the camera to the tripod (if applicable).

3. Tilt the front part of the camera so that it is facing down toward the floor. If there is no tripod available, hold the camera at a downward angle.

4. 

   When blowing away the dust particles, make sure the tip does not touch the actual mirror on the camera.

   Place the tip of the bulb blower just inside the camera and give it a couple of puffs. Dust particles should fall away to the floor.

5. 

   Reattached the lens or body cap to the camera to protect the inside electronics of the camera.

   Reattach the lens or body cap.

Tips & Warnings

• If this cleaning method does not remove the particles, another process will have be used by taking a small camera brush to the mirror. This includes using a cotton swab to clean the actual mirror. Many digital photography experts warn people to stay away from this method because the slightest scratch on the mirror can cause damage and possibly void your camera's warranty. If in doubt, contact a professional about cleaning the mirror and let the professionals handle it.

References

• CNET: How to clean your digital SLR camera

Resources

• The Digital Picture: Sensor Cleaning - Digital SLR Sensor Cleaning That Works For Me