Cleaning a Coolscan 4000

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guillaume Dargaud
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Guillaume Dargaud

Hello all,
I'd noticed declining quality in my scans before I decided to take action:
on slides the white was bleeding into the dark (or the opposite on
negatives).
From the archives here I saw that this could be due to a dirty mirror, so I
followed indications from some website (sorry, I don't remember offhand
which one it was) and indeed the mirror was filthy.

Unfortunately after reassembling the device the improvement was only
limited: there's still a lot of bleeding of light into dark.

So are there other parts that need cleaning ? With easy access ?

Thanks.
 
Guillaume Dargaud said:
Hello all,
I'd noticed declining quality in my scans before I decided to take action:
on slides the white was bleeding into the dark (or the opposite on
negatives).
From the archives here I saw that this could be due to a dirty mirror, so
I followed indications from some website (sorry, I don't remember offhand
which one it was) and indeed the mirror was filthy.

Unfortunately after reassembling the device the improvement was only
limited: there's still a lot of bleeding of light into dark.

So are there other parts that need cleaning ? With easy access ?

Thanks.
Click to expand...


Though not as easy to get to, clean the lense.

HTH

Mark K
 
Though not as easy to get to, clean the lense.
That was my guess too, but how ? It doens't seem easy to reach. Is there an
explaination somewhere ?
 
I refurbish and service ls-2000's & 30's. A good cleaning of those
requires almost total disassembly of the entire unit, almost down to the
last screw (warning, there are a few screws (very few) that MUST NOT be
removed, they set the CCD alignment). This may well be the case for the
4000/40 also (although I've never taken one of those apart).
 
Barry Watzman said:
I refurbish and service ls-2000's & 30's. A good cleaning of those
requires almost total disassembly of the entire unit, almost down to the
last screw (warning, there are a few screws (very few) that MUST NOT be
removed, they set the CCD alignment). This may well be the case for the
4000/40 also (although I've never taken one of those apart).
Click to expand...

Its not so bad with the 4000, there is no need to play with the scews that
hold the sensor to the lense module in order to clean it. Be prepared for
some nerve wracking work, but dont be scared, you can do it.
It is a bit of a job to get to the lense for cleaning, but it does not
require an expert. If you loosen the clamp that holds the lense and it moves
out of position, that wont be good but the auto focus will still probably
manage. You would know the blunder by the fact that scanning a perfect
circle (or square) wont be output as such. Dont f**k with that area.
Just be careful to remember all dismantling steps and screw locations, and
you will be fine.
I picked up one of these (ebay) in a mess for only 200 or so Aussie dollars
and know it backwards now, it now works as new and i'll say that it's
mechanical focus system is so much better than the 2000 (which I also bought
cheap and fixed up)
As others have mentioned in the past, the lube that was used is crapp and
dry's up. Clean it out and replace with what the industry uses today for
those requirements. (I got a free chunk of grease from the local TV/Video
repair shop)
Dont forget, there are two mirrors. The first (which would be the one you
cleaned and got little results) only directs the LED light souce 90 degrees
to shine through the neg/slide and if it was filthy would only force the
software to compensate. No big deal really, but if this mirror was filthy,
then the other 'much more important' mirror probably is too and the lense as
well.
This second mirror (being on the other side of your image), has to direct
the image 90 degrees to the lense, therefore it is much more important that
this one is clean and the lense too of course.
Try to do the cleaning job in a dust free environment.


Hope to have helped you and others,

Mark Kelepouris
 
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