getting my xl1 cleaned
 

has anyone taken their xl1 to canon to get a yearly clean? i am taking mine on 8/9 to get it cleaned. I have the standard xl1 body with the b/w viewfinder and a manual 14x lens. Will they completely take the components apart to clean them? what are some of your results? i really want them to clean the lens inside and out... i think i may have some dust in it... will they do that? thank you.

Dust inside a lens is not normally a cause for concern. The light rays have not come to focus yet, so the dust doesn't affect the image. The cleanliness of the front and rear elements are of much more concern. Particuarly the rear element, because it is closer to the CCD and the light is almost in focus. Greasy smears, and large amounts of dust will soften the image. A lens can be disasembled for cleaning, but this is only recommended if the lens has sand in it or is wet. The cost is probably $200 to $300 to disasemble a lens, clean and realign the lens. Small specs of dust inside the lens should not concern you. Canon will advise you and provide an estimate or the repair can be preappoved with a credit card. Request an estimate for the lens cleaning and see what they say.

Jeff