Hi,

My SD14 recently returned from Sigma Service UK after having the Viewfinder Screen cleaned, Sigma had done a good job (even cleaning the Sensor too) the screen was spotless.

After minimal usage it has again returned to it's previous debris & dust covered state and the Sensor looked like it had chicken pox, absolutely covered with dust & debris.

The viewfinder screen on my new second SD14 has also acquired some dust & debris as has the Sensor.

As both cameras suffer from dust & debris on the Viewfinder Screen and on the Sensor, it seems that this is a major design fault that I have to accept and live with.

The 'bicycle pump' action of Sigma's zoom lenses is the likely culprit for this dirt and dust getting into the camera.

I wish that Sigma would market true Internal Focussing Zoom lenses, with all the action taking place behind glass, similar to my wife's Leica V-LUX 1.

I successfully cleaned the sensors of both cameras using the Artic Butterfly brush, removing every single speck of dust. An expensive item, but it does it's job superbly, providing the bristles are kept clear of the Mirror Chamber walls thus avoiding picking up any shutter mechanism lubricant.

Now the difficult bit, cleaning the SD14's Viewfinder Screen.

KatzEye Focussing Screen Installation Instructions for the Sigma SD9 & SD10 are of little use as the SD14 is of a different design.

With the camera Bottom facing upwards and the Sigma Logo facing away from you, the Focussing Screen Disassembly is as follows:

Focussing Screen retaining frame.
A plastic magnifying screen.
A horse shoe ('U' Shaped) shim.
A plastic screen engraved with the focussing points.

Tools needed, a good Tweezer, mine are about 6" in length. A pair of Latex gloves (If you can work with them)

To disassemble, remove the IR filter.

Examine the Focussing Screen assembly, make notes about it's position, depth etc.

Place a folded Micro Fibre Lens Cleaning cloth or a Pec Pad over the Mirror, important.

Release the Focussing Screen retaining frame using your fingernail, allowing the screen parts to fall gently onto the protected mirror. For now, Leave them lying there.

Before proceeding further, make notes & sketches detailing the exact position and relationship of each part, both to each other and to the camera. Get your head in gear, you need to know which way is up!

Make notes as you remove each part with the tweezer, which way round in relationship to the camera bottom, which way up is the engraved side etc.

I washed the plastic parts using water and a little washing up liquid. After drying I cleaned the screens with an anti static Coated Lens Cleaner, this is Non-gas, Non-toxic, anti-static formula contains NO alcohol or solvents, made by Specsavers UK.

The difficult bit, re-assembly, only because it's a first time venture and the lack of truly positive parts location.

At each stage of the assembly, look through the Viewfinder Eyepiece (With the Camera Upside down) to ensure that dust has not been re-introduced!

Remember to clean both sides of the Viewfinder Eyepiece, before starting the re-assembly, this may be quite dirty!

Last part out is the first part in, using the tweezer, replace the Engraved screen.

Next, replace the 'u' shaped shim ensuring that it is in close contact and correctly seated.

Replace the magnifying screen, seating the two small tabs, ensure that the screen is level.

With the camera bottom facing upwards, replace the retaining frame, securing by pressing downwards (towards the Flash). You will hear it gently clicking into place.

Note:

Be careful not to deform the retaining frame, successful Viewfinder Screen retaining is dependent upon this frame!

It took me quite a while to position each part correctly.

Focussing screen alignment is not an issue, parts either fit properly or they don't!

Alignment can be checked as follows: (taken from the Yvind Strom's Compendium)

Place the camera flat on a table. Place a mirror (without a frame) at 90 deg in front of the camera so that you can see in the viewfinder where the mirror rests on the table.

If the bottom of the mirror ( where it rests on the table) does not look straight, it is a screen misalignment.

Cleaning the Viewfinder Focussing Screen may be a bridge too far for some, but it's not rocket science, it just requires careful work and attention to detail.

Best regards to all,

iMac24