If you still keep this camera, you'd likely find fungus inside the lens of the camera. The service centre may suggests to change the lens module and the cost is not worth the repair anymore. However, it is a pity if you throw it away. This article shows you how to clean the lens by yourselves. You need to dismantle the camera in order to have access to the lens module.

 

 

First, remove the battery from the camera.

 

Remove the label on the side of the camera. Gently use a screw driver to peel the label off. Then remove the two screws found underneath it. It is a good idea to keep the screws one side and identify them because it will be useful when you reassemble the unit.

 

 

 

 Then, remove these screws.

  

 

If you've been snapping photos recently with the unit, the capacitor will contain high voltage. In order to avoid nasty electric shock, discharge the capacitor before you continue. There are various ways to discharge a flash capacitor, you can Google it. The manual suggests connecting a 2 kilo ohms 5 watt resistor across the capacitor leads (location as show in picture below). You have to carefully peel off the tape (use an insulated plier or something) in order to access the capacitor leads.

 

Some people suggests using a voltmeter. If the voltmeter is used, because the internal resistance of the the meter is in the mega-ohms range, the discharge will take a long time (probably several tens of minutes). If you have the patience, you can even remove the battery and leave the camera unused for several days for it to self discharge.

 

 

Or simply use a screw driver (do this only if you are an experienced electrician and wear protective eye shield). Insert the tip of the screw driver so that the metal part touches both leads of the capacitor. You will hear a loud and bright spark. Don't panic, do it again to ensure it's completely discharged.

 

 

After the capacitor is discharged, remove the following connectors (below).

 

For the connector marked 1, gently pull it out. For connector marked 2 and 3, gently pull the tighteners first before pull out the cable. If you are not familiar ribbon cable connectors, Google it. If the tighteners are not loosen up and force is used to pull out the cable, you may spoil the cables or connectors.

 

 

Gently pull out the cable (gray & black as in above picture) that connects the lens cover so that it is easier to work. If glass cover (above) is dirty, clean it with cleaning solution.

  

Remove the these two screws (above), and move the black and brown cable in order to remove the lens module.

 

 

 Remove the following 3 screws (below) to separate the lens and finder modules.

 

 

 

Take note of the location of back-plate on the finder modules. The groove on the back-plate should match and hook to the lens sliding mechanism (see above). Note that the back-plate may drop off. If it does, the finder lens could be out of alignment; you need to re-align the finder lens (... when I have time, I'll post something) when fixing back the back-plate.

 

 

Remove the top printed circuite board (above). Then, remove the bottom printed circuit board (below) by removing the two screws as shown. Becareful not to touch any electronic components as static charge on your body may destroy the components. You can "ground" your body (by touching the water tap) before working with electronics components.

  

 

 

Handle the sensor with care, unless necessary, do not clean the surface of the sensor.

  

 

In order to remove the focusing lens, the spring (above) must be removed. The spring is very tiny, so if it bounces off position, it will be extremely hard to find. I suggest that you use a length of fine thread, tie it to the spring before removing it so that if it bounces off, the thread will lead you to it. Fixing the spring back is extremely challenging without the right tools, so if you don't have a very tiny plier (or pincette) and a good eye-sight, you should consider using a cotton bud to clean the lens without removing the focusing lens. I actually spent more than an hour trying to fix back the spring with a pincette, inclusive of the time I spent trying to look for the spring (LOL!) when it bounces off position.

 

Removing the screws as show below allows you to remove the aperture lens module.

 

 

Tips 1: Use a camera lens blower to blow off dusts before using a micro-fiber cloth to clean the lens. When cleaning the lens with micro-fiber cloth, apply one or two drops of cleaning solution to the cloth instead of directly onto the lens. Wipe the wet part of the cloth on the lens surface once or twice, then quickly wipe the lens with dry portion of the cloth. Do not wipe the lens with the same area of the cloth to avoid dusts on the cloth from scratching the lens. Always change the cloth area every time you wipe the lens.

 

Tips 2: When the micro-fiber cloth becomes dirty after several uses, it is harmful to lenses if you continue to use it. However, you can reuse the cloth by washing the cloth with distilled water. Wash and rinse the cloth several times, then let it dry in a dust free environment. Do not use tap water as it contains minerals or salt crystals that can get caught in the cloth. If you feel more comfortable getting a new cloth, by all means do it.

 

Thats it!. Reassemble them is straight forward, just follow these pictures in reverse order. Hope this article is helpful to some of you who still uses this camera. Enjoy!