# Polishing Scratches Out Of Displays?



## Cortian (Jan 23, 2018)

So this "mint" 40D I just acquired isn't _quite_ "mint."  Not as *I* define "mint," anyway.  (I'm quite OCD, so...)  But it's pretty close.  Providing everything works as it should I'm disinclined to get nit-picky over what constitutes "mint" for a ten-year-old camera body.

What makes it un-minty is tiny scuffs/scratches on the top and back LCD displays.  They're not bad.  Just normal use stuff, but, like I said: OCD.

I'm _guessing_ the material is plastic, not glass.  So I'm wondering if there's a plastic polish anybody can recommend that'll take most of that stuff out?


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## Designer (Jan 23, 2018)

If you wish to contest the grade, contact the seller.


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## otherprof (Jan 23, 2018)

Cortian said:


> So this "mint" 40D I just acquired isn't _quite_ "mint."  Not as *I* define "mint," anyway.  (I'm quite OCD, so...)  But it's pretty close.  Providing everything works as it should I'm disinclined to get nit-picky over what constitutes "mint" for a ten-year-old camera body.
> 
> What makes it un-minty is tiny scuffs/scratches on the top and back LCD displays.  They're not bad.  Just normal use stuff, but, like I said: OCD.
> 
> I'm _guessing_ the material is plastic, not glass.  So I'm wondering if there's a plastic polish anybody can recommend that'll take most of that stuff out?


I know there are plastic scratch removers because a friend of mine used to use them on a very expensive piece of scanning equipment that was part of the Scitex system in his printing plant. They came in squeeze bottles (like Elmer's Glue) and in different grades, like sandpaper. If I still have any, it is 3000 miles from where I am now. Sorry I can't remember the name; I'll try to get more info.


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 23, 2018)

It doesn't sound minty to me. Maybe the rating was for working condition more than appearance, but still... I didn't realize there was anything specifically made to get scratches out of plastic, but I wouldn't expect to have to do that with something I just bought mint (not til I get it scratched up myself!).


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## Cortian (Jan 23, 2018)

Mind you, when I say it "has scratches," I mean if you hold it _just so_ in the light.

How to explain...?

Ok, y'all know how the instrument cluster in your automobile has a big plastic lens covering it, right?  Well, most people (maybe not photographers, though) will clean that with plain old paper towels and Windex.  Not me.  I use lotion-free facial tissues (e.g.: Kleenex) and Windex.  I wipe with very, very little pressure.  So little as to barely collapse the gently-wadded tissues.  Sounds goofy to most people, but, then again I've had people get in my ten-year-old car, look, and ask "What happened to the glass over your speedometer?" because _they can't see it_   (_Barely_ stopped one passenger from poking the thing smack in the middle with exceedingly dirty hands, one day.)

So, when I say "scratches," I'm talking the kind of scratches most people wouldn't even notice.  I'm talking the kind of scratches where the _worst_ of them on the back LCD display were rendered invisible by the nose-print from my looking through the view-finder 

I _will_ tell the seller "Not what _I'd_ call 'mint,'" and why, but, other than that the camera so far looks good.

Oh yeah: It was $150, incl. battery, charger and an EOS 50D strap.  I'm sure if I wanted to spend $300-$600, I could probably acquire a pristine example.  I'd rather spend the additional on lenses


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## SCraig (Jan 23, 2018)

I always used either Plexus or Novus to get scratches out of plastic motorcycle windscreens.  Whether it would work on an LCD I have no idea but personally I'd just leave it alone.


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## katsrevenge (Jan 23, 2018)

*blink* Last time I bothered cleaning the car dash I think I used a damp rag.  

Maybe a wax based polish? But really, I think no one but you would see those marks.


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## Designer (Jan 23, 2018)

Cortian said:


> Mind you, when I say it "has scratches," I mean if you hold it _just so_ in the light.


You might be a bit more picky than I am, but to me, I might care more about how many shutter clicks and whether the light box is dusty than some very minor scratches on the plastic.  

Just me.


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## Christie Photo (Jan 23, 2018)

I wonder about what a jeweler might use to polish a watch crystal.  There used to be a jeweler around here.

Good luck.
-Pete


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## Cortian (Jan 23, 2018)

SCraig said:


> I always used either Plexus or Novus to get scratches out of plastic motorcycle windscreens.  Whether it would work on an LCD I have no idea but personally I'd just leave it alone.


And unless I can find a plastic polish I know won't do more damage than harm I'll do just that, and be happy 



katsrevenge said:


> *blink* Last time I bothered cleaning the car dash I think I used a damp rag.


LOL!

See what I mean? 



Designer said:


> I might care more about how many shutter clicks and whether the light box is dusty than some very minor scratches on the plastic.


Seller was told "Less than 10k" when he bought it.  He only put about 100 clicks on it.

EOSInfo says "943."  The image count is at 9674.  I don't know what this means.  TTBOMK the shutter clicks info EOSInfo retrieves cannot be reset.  OTOH: How did the IMG sequence number get that high with a shutter count of only 943?  And a shutter count of only 943 on a ten-year-old camera? 

ETA: Oh yeah: The dusty light box.  There were spots on the sensor.  Hit the chamber and sensor with the Rocket.  Made it worse.  Tried the The Dust Patrol Brush.  Made it better.  Hit it with a dry swab.  I'll need a clear blue sky to tell for sure, but looks good now.



Christie Photo said:


> I wonder about what a jeweler might use to polish a watch crystal.


Watch crystals aren't plastic, are they?

But good idea.  If I'm feeling ambitious I'll stop by the jeweler's down the street and see what they think.

Thanks for the feedback, everybody!


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## beagle100 (Jan 23, 2018)

Cortian said:


> SCraig said:
> 
> 
> > I always used either Plexus or Novus to get scratches out of plastic motorcycle windscreens.  Whether it would work on an LCD I have no idea but personally I'd just leave it alone.
> ...




Ok ... good luck on that old 40D
*www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless*


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## ac12 (Jan 23, 2018)

Problem cleaning screens like that is the surrounding material.
As you polish the clear screen, you could also polish the matt surrounding material.  You would have to mask the screen before doing any polishing.

Also polishes work by abrading the surface of the screen/item to reduce the thickness of the item, and thus reduce the depth of the scratch.  So if you are not careful, you can make the situation worse, and introduce surface variations.


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## zulu42 (Jan 23, 2018)

"Mint" is...mint, like a quarter right out of the coin mint. So, I agree, it's not mint.

We had a laugh on a guitar forum about the use of "near mint" when describing guitars for sale. One member posted a photo of a rather beat up guitar, describing it as near mint. Took a good while before somebody figured out that, in the photo of the guitar, there was a flower pot in the background with mint growing in it...

I've polished out scratches in plastic before, you do have to remove some significant material. Scary.
I'd try a really light leveling wax, like an automotive finish wax with no abrasive. Try to fill the scuffs and make them dissappear. Have you got any Rain-X  in the garage?


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## Cortian (Jan 23, 2018)

ac12 said:


> Problem cleaning screens like that is the surrounding material.
> As you polish the clear screen, you could also polish the matt surrounding material.  You would have to mask the screen before doing any polishing.


You unintentionally brought up another issue.



zulu42 said:


> "Mint" is...mint, like a quarter right out of the coin mint. So, I agree, it's not mint.


 Yeah... there's another thing: The back of the grip on the right-hand side is worn smooth. It is no longer matte.

I think this thing is going to have to go back to the seller


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## Designer (Jan 23, 2018)

Cortian said:


> EOSInfo says "943."  The image count is at 9674.  I don't know what this means.


Wouldn't you suspect that there is a digit missing?  Shall we presume it is the fourth digit?  (Whatever it might have been.) 

Some people lie, and some people are simply careless about writing numbers.


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## RowdyRay (Jan 23, 2018)

A few scratches really won't affect it, but send it back if not happy. 

For what it's worth, I've used Novus plastic polish for many years. Get the three step kit. It's an excellent product and does what it's supposed to do. Polish plastic. Tried it on several camera screens and it did nothing but make a bigger mess to clean up.


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## Cortian (Jan 23, 2018)

Designer said:


> Some people lie, and some people are simply careless about writing numbers.


I believe *my* seller is on the up and up. I _suspect_ his seller wasn't, and my seller was just being optimistic. (Many people have honest, but unrealistic views about the condition and value of their stuff.)



RowdyRay said:


> A few scratches really won't affect it, but send it back if not happy.


If it was _just_ the scratches I could probably overlook it, but I get the impression this thing has seen a good bit more service than was suggested and it's certainly not "mint."  "Very good," for a ten year old camera, certainly. Perhaps "excellent." It is not even "near mint," much less "mint," IMO.


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## jcdeboever (Jan 23, 2018)

Meguiars plastic cleaner 17 and then Meguiars plastic polish 10

I've never used on cameras but have used on golf carts plastic and airplane windshields.  I would use a seperate micro fiber towel for each product. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...tic+polish&dpPl=1&dpID=41-tq6ikVVL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...tic+polish&dpPl=1&dpID=41QxMfNiZEL&ref=plSrch


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## Derrel (Jan 23, 2018)

jcdeboever said:


> Meguiars plastic cleaner 17 and then Meguiars plastic polish 10
> 
> I've never used on cameras but have used on golf carts plastic and airplane windshields.  I would use a seperate micro fiber towel for each product.
> 
> ...



Oh hell's no! That camera hasta' go baaaaaack to the un-minty seller's casa!!!

Now...I really thought the LCD screen on the 20D and 5D I own is/was solid glass, not plastic. There are plastic covers for the LCD screens for most d-slrs...I take those and throw them in a drawer,and use the rear LCD the way it was born: buck nekkid!

So...on this not-mint 40D...is the rear LCD's actual glass the issue? Or is it the $10 plastic LCD cover that snaps on over the glass?


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## jcdeboever (Jan 24, 2018)

Derrel said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> > Meguiars plastic cleaner 17 and then Meguiars plastic polish 10
> ...


If it's glass, won't do a thing but make a mess. If it has a plastic cover, he has OCD and is far sighted....


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## Cortian (Jan 24, 2018)

Derrel said:


> Oh hell's no! That camera hasta' go baaaaaack to the un-minty seller's casa!!!









(A nit: I don't know that the _seller_ is un-minty, but this camera body certainly is .)



Derrel said:


> Now...I really thought the LCD screen on the 20D and 5D I own is/was solid glass, not plastic. There are plastic covers for the LCD screens for most d-slrs...I take those and throw them in a drawer,and use the rear LCD the way it was born: buck nekkid!


Do you mean the protective film that most virgin displays sport?  That most people peel off and toss?  Kind of like screen protectors, but not quite as nice?

It looks like the 20D a buddy gave me still has those on it.  They're actually in better condition than the "glass" on this 40D!  So I'm leaving them on it.



Derrel said:


> So...on this not-mint 40D...is the rear LCD's actual glass the issue? Or is it the $10 plastic LCD cover that snaps on over the glass?


There is nothing I can tell that's snapped-on to the screen.  Looks like nekkid glass.  Except... is it really glass, or simply scratch-resistant plastic?  (I suspect the latter.)

(N.B.: The discussion is academic at this point, as I've already decided to return the item.  Just letting my missive to the seller sit and "perk" for a bit, before reviewing it a last time and sending it off.)



jcdeboever said:


> If it's glass, won't do a thing but make a mess. If it has a plastic cover, he has OCD and is far sighted....


I *do* have OCD (think something along the lines of Sheldon Cooper, but not _quite_ that bad), and I use both reading glasses _and_ driving glasses.  (Too many years spent staring at computer screens precisely an arm's length away, I suppose.)  But I have examined the offending surfaces in detail, with the aid of eyewear, and am certain the unsatisfactory condition is, in fact, on the "glass."


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## BananaRepublic (Jan 24, 2018)

Cortian said:


> So this "mint" 40D I just acquired isn't _quite_ "mint."  Not as *I* define "mint," anyway.  (I'm quite OCD, so...)  But it's pretty close.  Providing everything works as it should I'm disinclined to get nit-picky over what constitutes "mint" for a ten-year-old camera body.
> 
> What makes it un-minty is tiny scuffs/scratches on the top and back LCD displays.  They're not bad.  Just normal use stuff, but, like I said: OCD.
> 
> I'm _guessing_ the material is plastic, not glass.  So I'm wondering if there's a plastic polish anybody can recommend that'll take most of that stuff out?



Step 1: Open out the lcd, if its a rotating one, and gentle wrap it with Styrofoam and secure it with five or six wraps of duct tape.  
Step 2: Bash the hell of the unprotected body with a bat or a 2x4.
Step 3: Unwrap the LCD and compare.


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## Cortian (Jan 24, 2018)

Wouldn't that render the item un-returnable


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## Dave442 (Jan 24, 2018)

I think you are going to be returning a lot of "mint" cameras.


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## katsrevenge (Jan 24, 2018)

Dave442 said:


> I think you are going to be returning a lot of "mint" cameras.



That's my thought as well. My 'very good' d300 has a chunk out of the side... No effect on the device itself other than looks. 

OP, my bought new sealed in a box fitbit wrist device had those bitty markings on the front lcd, it's just a thing sometimes. A year and a half later..it looks about the same and I wear the alta nearly every day.


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## Cortian (Jan 24, 2018)

Dave442 said:


> I think you are going to be returning a lot of "mint" cameras.


Don't think that thought has not occurred!

I'm reminded of a NetGear WiFi access point I bought a number of years ago, as a backup to one I already had that is being used as a network bridge to the home theatre stuff.  Was advertised as "like new."

*snort*  Scratched and scuffed seven ways from Sunday.  Complained to the seller and he volunteered to knock $20 off the price, to which I agreed.  In that case I didn't care, except on principle, as it's not something that'll be right in front of my face all the time.

So it has occurred to me my quest may well be in vain.  I may just give this up and be happy with the 20D my buddy gave me, which *is* mint.

Then again I _did_ acquire off eBay a flawless, _literally flawless_ Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Ultrasonic AF Zoom Lens, in the box, for $99.  Seller billed it as "mint," and it certainly was that.  So... *shrug*



katsrevenge said:


> OP, my bought new sealed in a box fitbit wrist device had those bitty markings on the front lcd, it's just a thing sometimes.


See, if that were me it would've gone back.

I bought my wife and I used iPhone 6S' and myself a used Apple Watch (Gen 2).  The displays on all three were advertised to be flawless and all three were.


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## zulu42 (Jan 24, 2018)

I may have a similar level of OCD, but I'm also a stickler for accuracy in language, especially in a product description, I insist on it. Seller should have said "shows only the slightest signs of use upon close visual inspection". Heck even "mint-". But, once you throw the word "mint" out there, you're telling me I wouldn't be able to pick this item out of a lineup of BNIB items. The product description is no longer accurate, and that may have been the factor that influenced the buying decision.


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## Cortian (Jan 24, 2018)

Nailed it, zulu42, in all respects.

Mint is defined as "Undamaged as if freshly minted," "as new," "In near-perfect condition," "Like new; in brand-new condition; unworn, as a coin recently made at a mint."

Now I expect _some_ liberties to be taken with descriptions.  Thus I was inclined to let the display flaws slide--at first.  But then I noticed the worn-to-glossiness grip and thought "Can't do it.  That's going to annoy me forever."

It's like somebody else wrote: It's be one thing if those cosmetic issues were caused by my use.  That's just patina .  But to bill something as "mint" and have it be nowhere _near_ mint?  Nah.


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## katsrevenge (Jan 24, 2018)

katsrevenge said:


> OP, my bought new sealed in a box fitbit wrist device had those bitty markings on the front lcd, it's just a thing sometimes.


See, if that were me it would've gone back.

I bought my wife and I used iPhone 6S' and myself a used Apple Watch (Gen 2).  The displays on all three were advertised to be flawless and all three were.[/QUOTE]

Sometimes things come off the truck with wee marks. The tamper seals were intact, it wasn't used. It would have been more expense and trouble for the return and rebuy then it was worth.  I mean, I planned on using it, not museum piecing it.  

Do these issues of yours show up in photos? I admit to wondering what they look like...


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## Cortian (Jan 24, 2018)

katsrevenge said:


> Do these issues of yours show up in photos? I admit to wondering what they look like...


I think they can be _made_ to show up in photos.

And, believe me, I will be working on that, because the seller is balking: First trying to re-word his description as if the "In mint condition" applied only to the _functioning_ aspect of it, now implying the scratches I claim are there are unsubstantiated.

This guy's turning out to be a real piece of work


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## katsrevenge (Jan 24, 2018)

Cortian said:


> katsrevenge said:
> 
> 
> > Do these issues of yours show up in photos? I admit to wondering what they look like...
> ...



Unless the seller has a no questions asked return policy you may be stuck with it. But I will say, from what you've said, sight unseen, I'd consider that mint. One of my lenses was bought for half retail as it was a display model and if I hadn't been told it was a display (and seen the broken box seals) I wouldn't have known. 

Good luck.


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## Cortian (Jan 24, 2018)

katsrevenge said:


> Unless the seller has a no questions asked return policy you may be stuck with it.


We'll see.  eBay's policy says "If your item hasn’t arrived or isn’t as described..." and it was described as "In mint condition."



katsrevenge said:


> But I will say, from what you've said, sight unseen, I'd consider that mint.


Wait until you see the photos my wife's preparing to send me from her iPhone.  She looked up "how to photograph scratches" or the like.



katsrevenge said:


> One of my lenses was bought for half retail as it was a display model and if I hadn't been told it was a display (and seen the broken box seals) I wouldn't have known.


Ok.  Like the lens I bought for a fraction of retail that, had I not _known_ it wasn't NIB, I would've assumed was.

This is the opposite: Claimed to be mint, but not anything remotely approaching "mint."



katsrevenge said:


> Good luck.


Thanks!


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## Cortian (Jan 24, 2018)

Photos (cropped to the same size for space and bandwidth)...


























Comparison between a 14 year old 20D and 11 year old 40D.


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## Cortian (Jan 25, 2018)

Update

Seller balked at taking the un-mint body back, but finally acceded to my demands.

Re-reviewed the Canon line from 20D through 70D. Came to the same conclusion as before: A 40D was what I wanted.

Re-checked eBay. Decided I didn't feel up to trying that with camera bodies again.

Found Adorama had an E+ used 40D for $224. Pulled the trigger on it. Should have it NLT Wednesday.


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