cleaning the gate

[shady chaaban]

hello,

 

i read on cinematography- kris malkiewicz and M. david mullen, asc that when using compressed air cans it is recommended to spray from the open lens port side through the aperture rather than from inside the threading area in the aperture (preventing blowing particles into the mirror area).

my question is if we sprayed through the aperture wouldn't all the particles go into the threading area where the film passes,therefore having more chances to have particles stick onto the film ? rather than blowing off particles from the threading area towards the opening of the aperture and having particles go "outside" the camera ? and since the mirror shutter is used for the viewfinder then would be less dangerous to have it "dirty" and seing that in the VF rather than not seing it and be recorded on film. ?

 

excuse my ignorance :)

[Tebbe Schoeningh]

hello,

 

i read on cinematography- kris malkiewicz and M. david mullen, asc that when using compressed air cans it is recommended to spray from the open lens port side through the aperture rather than from inside the threading area in the aperture (preventing blowing particles into the mirror area).

my question is if we sprayed through the aperture wouldn't all the particles go into the threading area where the film passes,therefore having more chances to have particles stick onto the film ? rather than blowing off particles from the threading area towards the opening of the aperture and having particles go "outside" the camera ? and since the mirror shutter is used for the viewfinder then would be less dangerous to have it "dirty" and seing that in the VF rather than not seing it and be recorded on film. ?

 

excuse my ignorance :)

 

take off the mag, then spray from the lens port side through the aperture of the gate. on cameras like the arri SR the dust will be blown out of the camera, on other cameras like 535 or BL the dust will be blown into an area which is much more accessible than the mirror shutter area.

you will be able to get the particles out of there in an easier way.

if you try to blow out the dust from the other side it´s probable that some of it remains in the area between filmgate and mirror shutter, therefore there will be a risk that it sticks to the gate again and you´ll have hairs etc in your frame. not very nice.

dirt on the mirror shutter negatively affects the quality of the image you see in the viewfinder. it´s not only the black spots you see in the image, a dirty mirror leads to loss of brightness too. so, do as kris and david told you!

 

cheers

 

t.

[shady chaaban]

i wasnt questioning kris and david and have no doubt they are right. just a thwught that came to my mind that needed to be cleared :)