Fix PERMANENTLY Autofocus and Shutter DSC H (1 to 9)

Hello everybody! Here is my little contribution.

I have a SONY DSC-H5 too and the problem? The same as you. But in my case the autofocus (when push the shutter button to the middle position) was whom has let to see its failure first, shutter is still in good condition.

When I saw what is going to occur to my camera, investigate more and find a blog where http://www.thelope.com/2007/03/sony-dsc-h2-problems.html show us images of a new DSC-H shutter and the way how the autofocus system fails. In other blog, a guy (latin) related his experience about the mending of the autofocus system when took the experience of opening his camera by himself and making a (temporary) repair in it. The good new was that it come to work again after disconnecting and re-connecting the delicate internal wiring.

I´m a modest Industrial Designer whom nothing know about electronics but some about configuration of all kind of mechanic equipment. Since child I took many things to pieces and assemble them again: watches, my bicycle,.. my motorcycle,.. my car,… sewing machines… machinery… tools… etc. At last never found surplus pieces jejeje.

Meeting all this matter make me take courage for mending my camera and dive in an inexplored terrain… nothing to loose. After I found out from bad experiences with SONY company, more tan ever gonna give away my money furthermore guarantee (expired) is in Belgium were I bought it… and I live close to there: in Colombia… that´s better.

The shutter button is good, I´ll refer to this matter later but autofocus system doesn´t work, then beginning from the images in the blog related before… go ahead!

Here I relate step by step this experience that now could repeat with my eyes closed whitout the fear that it looks. It is not as complicated as seen. Simply you have to be delicated with excessive forces and movements that could give up on the fragile cable system. It is like plastic “tapes” that suffering, for example a snap or excessive twist/bend, could interrupt the current and/or data transmission, due to this the camera will be break down. In fact you must to keep away your fingers off the end of those conductive tapes once removed due to th humidity and acidity of your skin could cause corrosion on them… but don´t worry! This tapes are designed for been flexible precisely for the manipulation in the assembling momment. This process is not made for a robot machine, at SONY this stage is done for a human being like you and me, so don´t feel fear. After all you gonna meet how is your camera inside and gonna to lose that fear to the inexplicable events ocurring into it. By the way, next images were taken with a SONY DSC S60, good looking camera too. It was once of them having a direct visión device for sabe battery or when display was under conditions of intense ambiental light.

I would advise, if you were ready to spend money taking your camera to repair shop, is better than this to invest on printing this documento or asking me for a PDF versión, the same as working on a clean table under daylight (not under sun rays) and your hands absolutely clean, dry and ungreased. Is very good take this hands bath under the water tap for unload the body of statics, avoiding damage the delicate electronics in your camera. Tools will be required next and all of this is at your home… it is better you stand up your chair and go looking for it, with this you will change the activity and get a bit relaxing time. O.K. then let´s begin:

1) Remove the black screws surrounding the camera, has no mystery and they are 6 marked on the photo. It is convenient to use a screwdriver that fits perfectly on them. Put them in a little tea plate and DO NOT MIX with internal ones. For these ones you must to use a method that I explain forward. (I want to clarify that the photo was downloaded from some internet page, please do not going to think I was opening my camera when it was on!).

2) The real fear starts! But don´t worry any connected here, this is only the back cover. The buttons not going to fall, any spring goes to jump away, nor the little monkey whom draws the pics inside the camera (Flinstones style). Simply remove it sliding back using manual forces. Do NOT USE levers (tools) could to produce damage on the plastic finished or the edges.

3) See? It is not complex! Everything is holded and you must to put this piece face-down beside the tea plate, where the black screws are.

4) This is the method for the internal screws: It is advisable to draw this diagram that symbolize your camera as seen from back. The little circles have the location of the screws. The RED numbers have the order to REMOVE when going to DISMANTLE. The BLUE ones have the order when going to ASSEMBLE again. I advise that once you remove one to one the screws, inmediately they could been inserted across the paper where each (and respective) circle is. With this you avoid that any accidental movement on the paper could disorganize them and we´ll be sure all things stay like the beginning.

5) Up: Screw 1 (the first) to dismantling and 9 (the last) to assembling.

6) Up: Screw 2 to dismantling and 8 to assembling.

7) Up: Screw 3 to dismantling and 7 to assembling.

8) Up: Screw 4 to dismantling and 6 to assembling. It is needed to remove the blue plaque a little. Just take it knock out of the position of the little black plastic guides (marked on the second image).

9) Up: Screw 5 to dismantling and 5 to assembling. It is recommended to lift up a little the screen and do this work with the screwdriver a bit tilted. ATENTION: Try to not touch the screen with any finger, nor pushing it. Take the screen by its plastic edges. Avoid to touch internal circuits.

10) Up: Screw 6 to dismantling and 4 to assembling. It is recommended to lift up a little the screen and do this work with the screwdriver a bit tilted.

Sorry for the lack of this image, maybe I forgot to take it but you´ll find the screw easily folowing its location on the diagram. This screw is finded some deep and hidden underneath one of the tape cables on the right side of the View Finder. It is recommended the use of an magnetic srewdriver.

11) Up: Screw 7 to dismantling and 3 to assembling. It is recommended the use a magnetic screwdriver.

12) To this point will be able to begin removing the cable systems require. First you must to preserve without removing those ones in the image up (don´t worry if here this piece looks taken apart, forward I´ll explain this procedure). All the photos in this manual were taken at the moment of assembling… I think it is more important than… you´ll see.

13) First is needed to release this little plaque. Acquire it taking it from these plastic “nails”. On the second image up see that the assembling is simply under pressure and dismantling occurs opening a bit one of them. Be delicate.

14) Remove the blue tape whom control the entrance to the Storaged photos and the View Fider activity. This little plastic card is simply fitted and you can remove it by bending lightly up, this procedure causes that one of the plastic blue nails get out from one of the sides (better that one in the first image up)… try, it is so easy. Try to work wearing shirt without sleeves avoiding something could be tangled up by mistake.

15) Here is where begins the complicated part: The matter is to disconnect 7 systems “tape” type… just follow all of this to the letter and everything will be finished good. After remove the plaque and blue plastic card (steps 13 and 14) you´ll see it is so easy to move (and lift up) the screen and the blue plaque beside. This was done for getting access to the 7 “tapes” (as I´ll refer to the plastic conductive tape type from now on) below the screen that we going to remove. The first tape (first image up) is on the lower-left corner of the camera (back view): This one uses a cable clip system or flap system which opens lift up their lateral ends. This flap has the function to hold that tape. Use a little plane screwdriver then, with firmly, very gently, without hesitation and in a short movement pull up one of the lateral ends… after the other untill you feel a click and the flap lifts up as the car motor cover (See the diagram below). For assembling the mechanism again you must to insert completely the tape… to the end. To do this, help yourself with a tweezers or a little… little pliers, very fine. These must to hold without produce deform or cause damage on the tape. They are two little “nails” at each side of the tape which, before you remove it, are separated one milimeter (1 mm) aproximately to the holding flap. This is IMPORTANT: Simply putting the tape in the mouth of the holding system is not enough, your have to push it ever more into the slot. Please use a medium force and practice here once a time more. Do this and you don´t have any trouble in the future: Memorize the distance “nails” to holding flap, lift up the holding flap, pull the tape outside…. And again: align / insert the tape, push it into the slot helped with a tweezers or tiny pliers… not only the finger (in the picture i used my finger just for show), push down the holding flap till it will be absolutelly horizontal and fitted… that´s all! I swear that this is the most complicated act in this adventure. If you do well, your camera will turn on O.K. but simply two things could happen: A) That the camera looks like to turn on but the screen, and B) Camera turns on and screeen too but a message reads: “Turn on the camera again”. As you see, it is nothing serious. For me, when this happen to me, it was a very… very stressful moment. I came to think to surrender me and take my camera in pieces at service shop to bear the mockery and scolding… was enough to take a deep breath, rest a bit and evaluate what was I did bad. This was do not measure the short distance between the lateral “nails” on the tape and the frontal edge of the holding flap for ensure from this way that the tape was REALLY inserted into the slot. Below there is to be a diagram of this connection system that is present in 4 of the 7 you´ll manipulate.

16) Find this tape (under the lower-right corner of the screen, beside the batteries compartment). Use the tweezers or tiny pliers for pull the tape outside. Do not let the tweezers slip from the tape. As you see, this type of connection don´t use holding flap, first peel off just the needed of the adhesive paper and simply is enough by insert the tape till the bottom. Before remove the tape, is recommended to “take a mental photo” about the depth which the tape is. VERY CAREFUL with the red and black cables beside.

17) Here I utilized the screwdriver just for showing that we giong to pull up the tape (having blue lines) which is holded by that little piece of black plastic. You must to use your fingers and don´t worry that the tape is very flexible… in fact, around that is the meanning and it is made for this type of manipulation.

18) Lifting up the screen (gently) we going to remove that tape having blue lines. Here maybe you´re aware in a better way of the system I call: holding flap. In the first image you can see the way to push up the flap (go to the diagram again if you want). Later pull the tape outside. You know that for isert the tape again MUST TO BE WITH THE TINY PLIERS UNTILL BOTTOM. In the second image is seen the flap lifted.

19) Up: This system use holding flap too, so don´t worry… I don´t know why it is different to others. Remove the tape pulling out and then slice out in that way for getting out from under the black plastic guides which holding it… so don´t forget to slice it below again when assembling.

20) These are the last two tapes that we remove… puf!. Under the smallest tape (right) is to be a little double-cable in red&black color which connect the microphone… we´ll see this at step 23.

21) Beside the View Finder is to be the last two tapes for removing. I began with this that is a bit complicated cause is too close to the Finder and because I had to peel off jus the needed of the adhesive silver-plated paper. It has the holding flap system too (you know). In the next image I utilize the screwdriver just fro showing the tape and its adhesive silver-plated paper covering it.

22) This is the neighboring tape of the previous one. Just pull out. Insert with tweezers or tiny plies again. (In the image up, I´m just marking the tape).

23) The famous little microphone cable: This is a simply but very little plug (the socket is below the electronic plaque) which you´ll be able to hold with security. Take VERY CARE cause if the tweezers or tiny plies slips, they run the risk of pull out by a yank one (or both) of the little cables from the plug… left the plug still into the slot. That plug is not as tight as it looks like. The method I used was with a needle… pricking it SO gently by the sides alternatively… pushing out one side… pushing out the other side and again until it looks to be loose. Then I utilized the tweezers… EASY! (puf). Pushing into the slot was the most easy of all, with the tweezers. IMPORTANT: NEVER LET THE TWEEZERS OR PLIERS SLIP.

24) Good! That´s good! Now we can take away all the mechanism which is composed of: Screen with its blue plaque, Battery compartment, View Finder, and USB connection ports. For getting this simply take the unit with your fingers by the batteries compartment and the USB connection ports, try to slide and the move of the pieces will go telling you which one are the collection of devices for getting out. Don´t worry this is the most secure act. Do subtle movements. I assure you that everything needed are free and disconnected into the camera case. No fear! Imagine you are one of the thousands of workers who assemble this machines in the company! This is a common process for them.

25) Will be better you take away the Lenses Unit, this is a seal device which won´t be affected our mission. The lenses doesn´t go to lose their alignment. This device get out just pulling up whitout problem. Yuo´ll see beside him the motor focusing unit. In the second image appears marked the part that we remove as follow… This It! Al last we came where we want!

26) Up: Screw 8 to dismantling and 2 to assembling. Don´t look that the Lenses Device is into the camera case (I remember you these inages were taken when assembling the camera)… remove the lenses unit is needed for get this last device: the Shutter Unit.

27) Up: Screw 9 (the last) to dismantling and 1 (the first) to assembling. FOR BEGINNING TO ASSEMBLE: First insert the Shutter Device then the Lenses Device later. (Avoid strangulate the little microphone cables whit Shutter device when assembling… it occurred to me).

28) Which one is the piece? This is! Once unscrew the las two screws just take away. Put each device apart, far away from dust, from humidity, from sandwiches, from coffee, from boys, from girls… just take a time to look this piece, curse, swear if you want,… go and take a rest cause the second part of the definitive mending for the Autofocus system is coming!. You´ll see another reason why to Coca-Cola has attribuited so many benefits.

29) I mark here the affected part and which we going to remove for getting to the breakdown point that any original replace won´t fix and make you laugh while curse (again)… even more if you already paied for replacing / new parts at service shop. (Is known this is useless cause this replacement part costs $ 69 US and aaalll you buy are exactly the same to this one) I´ll be hoping for proposes and and opinions from SONY. But come to the work: Do you see the hot-seal points marked into the green circles? O.K. continue reading.

30) Hold the shutter device firmly with your fingers (as seen) and cut those little plastic heads. Then slide up the black plastic piece. Avoid to break the thin plastic guides.

31) In the image you see what is under that plastic cover… we… you have dismantled de autofocus system! So much time ago there is not turn back. In the second image you see a little black circle showing a dent that after a year was like this in my camera. This dent is caused for the continous pressure of the shutter´s tipo over her. That dent keep joined (when it is like this) the power ponits (or contact points) of the autofocus mechanism which are into that little circular and black receptacle (I call it and will call in the future as: casserole). The effect is the same for all DSC H… users whom relate refered to all feature on the camera which envolves the use of pre-focus by pressing the shutter button halfway down.

32) Remove this thin and circular piece as seen in the first image (the dented piece off course). That piece is just glued to the pre-focus system with a soft glue. Be careful of cutting or scratching the blue plastic under her, there are the pre- focus contacts. To the second image I call: the “damn confeti”. This little piece of crap is which had made staggering the SONY´s credibility… thinking that the solution don´t costs nothing much. The guy on the blog told that simply flatten the dent and put it again. This procedure was good… if you are inloved of this piece, do it, but I must to advise that the material of that piece is tired and the problem don´t take a long time to show again… and come back to dismantle the camera? NOOOooooo.

33) If we see, the blue plastic into the casserole, you´ll see (depending the damage level) it is dented too and have to repair. First cut gently a little piece from the edge to the level of the blue plastic avoiding the piece slip from your fingers. The purpose is to insert a thin object with its tip rounded just underneath the higher blue plastic. With the thin located in the center (dented place) make pressure up using the edge of the casserole as a lean point. The idea is to get the blue higher of plastic contact the more plane possible.

34) Come back to the “damn confetti”. I became to compare materials and find that the piece is made in the same material as the traditional film, why? First by the similar features, and second because I found a piece and made a continue pressure on it simulating the tip of the shuter button… the result? It did´t take so much time to be excactly the same as the “damn confetti”!! Who has considered to use that kind of material when it going to be subject to these forces! The conditions of CELULOSE become drawback for this solution of design. Do you remember when I mean to the Coca-Cola atributes? Well, here is once more! The dream material must to be flat, thin, light, hard to deform, must to suport punchy forces… cheap and it must last forverer!.

35) Well this is not exactly a Coke but the material!! It is known as PET. You must to remove a little part… atention!! I advise it must to be from the side, not from the base or the neck. Cut a piece of 2 x 3 cm, enough for manipulating. Do not use another as the used on disposable cups (polyestirene), nor the paper, nor the carton, nor the glass, nor the acrylic one, nor the wood, nor the cement, nor the stone, nor the leather, not .... AT all case it is HIGHLY ADVISABLE the use of the THINNEST part of the bottle or look for a bottle that have this characteristic.

36) I cutted it and made the same test… you must to do it too! You´ll see and feel how the day comes to light encourage you to assemble fastly your camera again. Meanwhile I make my self this question: How much cost to the SONY company change for this material? If they goes to bankrupt? I could invest on it sending a couple of these bottles for they get replacement parts about one thousand cameras… and more!.

37) Well, putt he “damn confetti” on the table and the piece of PET over it. Follow the edge of the circle tracing (scratching) with a needle. It is IMPORTANT you trace a bit more inside the confetti in order that the circle remains slightly smaller, 1mm less diameter is sufficient. Now once made the circle, you must to scratch inside the PET circle. The idea is to generate a nonslip texture for the tip of the shutter button don´t slip and brake (if it is not yet). I saw that the tip of the shutter button don´t come totally perpendicular to the “damn confetti” surface and it produces a little twist force… with the time the thin tip breaks at its narrowest part.

38) Now cut “my blessed confetti”, sharpen and clean the edge. Later apply one LITTLE drop of soft glue, NOT INSTANT GLUE, NOR HOT SILICONE, NOR LESS SILICONE FOR GLASS… just one flexible like the used for aeromodelism… do you meet UHU? A Little drop of glue is enough, avoid the excess, cause increase the cap, it will damage the intention of the new piece and if it goes into the casserole, maybe cause that the contacts of the pre-focus mechanism between the blue plastics could be glued… no way.

39) Put it in the center of the casserole, in the same place than occupied for the other. I think it is looking more good looking… either is seen!.

40) Well, Now we are throw away de devils! “Your camera is safe now” jejeje. Then slide the black plastic cover by their guides. It must to look like as the beginning. The ends of the guides must to be at the same level of the surface where the cuts were done. Later apply a little quantity of instant glue over each one of the cutted points….. mini drops. If you apply much glue, they could go to other areas or to your fingers. This glue is good enough for getting come to all places (call: capilarity property). In this case less is more.

41) Everything is ready now!! How it looks like? I´m sure better than from the factory. Now simply remember all about to the tapes well inserted into the slots and go back steps (reverse) beginning from the step number 27 to the step number 1. Before putting the back cover of your camera, clean the internal faces of the viewers from dust using a soft cloth, some as used for cleaning lenses. Don´t rub so heavy. Don´t blow them, nor the use of degrease liquid or alcohol just for 4 or 5 tiny bits of dust. I assure you that won´t go to have troubles. Assure yourself that the 7 conductive tapes disconnected left at your sight before begin to assembling them. Pay attention, nothing must to be tangled or underneath other components or devices. Everything must to fit without apply excessive forces… the turn back way is easy cause I already had prepared it for you. However here is my e-mail if after this clear explanation you have decided not to take the risk. I can do it for you and don´t charge son much for it out of the shipment costs. Even more, I have the solution well-considered for the shutter button mending!! But as my camera still have in good looking… This mending is forever too, at least while the camera is working. jjnc69@gmail.com, Bogotá – Colombia.

42) I forgot to tell you that my camera is working in perfect condition. If you want this archive in PDF just ask me… it is free. Sorry if I have mistakes in this translation.