How to fix stuck lens cover on Sony CyberShot DSC-RX100 III

Written By: Erlend Mongstad

Comments: 6

How to fix stuck lens cover on Sony CyberShot DSC-RX100 III

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

Time Required

15 - 30 minutes

Introduction

If your lens cover does not open or close properly, there might be several reasons for that. This guide is primarily for defects caused by dust, sand, salt, etc. It is possible that the same guide will work if it is caused by shock-damage, but be careful. If there are broken parts is the lens, this guide could cause them to fall off and worsen the condition.

Tools

Step 1

Turn on the camera so the lens comes out. With the lens extended, remove the battery so the camera will not shut down.

Step 2

Usa a thin metal blade of some sort to loosen the metal cover from the tip of your lens. It is attached with an adhesive tape. Move the blade gently around the lens, it should come off quite easily. If you have problems, consider using a hairdryer or heat-bag to heat up the lens cover.
When you have gently moved the blade all around the lens a couple of times, gently tilt the blade, forcing the cover away from the lens.
Note the direction of the lens cover for the reassembly. There is a tiny notch on the bottom of the cover, so it will only fit this way.
Be careful not to bend the lens cover! It is very thin and easily bent.
In my camera, the curtains got stuck after cleaning when putting the cover back on. I solved this by pulling the cover a bit. It turned out too much pressure when reassembling will make it get stuck again.
The adhesive on the inside of the cover is possible to reuse when reassembling. Make sure it does not clump or gets dusty, in which case you would need to replace it with a new adhesive.

Step 3

Gently lift up the four clips holding the lens cover in place by using a nail, or a plastic opening tool.
Release all four clips before you try to lift off the lens cover.
Note that the long plastic tip on the cover should fit in the whole marked orange when reassembling the lens.

Step 4

Now it is time to clean the lens cover. First use a brush of some sort to brush away any visible debris. I use a lens pen, but any soft, clean brush will do. If you have some canned air etc, you can use that to clean up the cover.
Personally i used a straw to blow away debris from the hidden parts of the cover. If you choose to do so, be aware that the humidity from your breath will condense on the cover.
to properly clean the curtains, you need to access them. By squeezing the plastic tip towards the clip marked with arrows the curtains should close. By repeatedly squeezing and letting go while blowing, the rest of the debris should come loose and the curtains should move freely.
Be careful! If you squeeze hard, the inner plastic ring will detach from the outer frame, giving you a lot of extra trouble.
DO NOT use any lubricant. This will work perfectly well for a day or two, but the first time you put the camera in a pocket etc, the lubricant will attract dust lika a magnet, making the curtains get stuck again very quickly.

I also used some isopropyl alcohol on a cotton pad to clean the shutters/curtains. It should evaporate rapidly without leaving a residue.

Chris Powell -

Man, you weren't joking about a lot of extra trouble if that shutter assembly comes apart. I was doing a different camera -- the HX90V -- but it was still fairly similar. The whole assembly came apart with just a very slight squeeze, with not even enough pressure to close the sticky lens barrier halfway. (In my case, I think my son spilled sugary soda on it.) It took me probably 90-120 minutes of struggle to figure out how to get it to go back together after cleaning with an isopropyl wipe. Those tiny springs are a nightmare! But I stuck with it and all works perfectly now.

gweilo8888 -

Thanks for this! My lens cover had a dent in it that was pressing on the curtains, keeping it from opening completely. I was able to repair that and it now works well :-)

No1UKnow -

Step 5

When the lens is already fully exposed, this would be a good time to clean up the lens as well, using a lens pen or a cloth.
Using a brush to clean around the lens while holding the camera lens down will remove some dust and debris that has been stuck there for a long time.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Erlend Mongstad

Member since: 12/12/20

266 Reputation

3 comments

Thanks for this guide!

I was able to replace the lens cover with a new one I got from e-bay for about $25.

Arie Schwartzman - 27/03/21

Thanks so much for this guide. It solved the sticking lens cover problem that had stopped me using the camera.

I tried returning it twice under warranty without solving the problem, and it took a bit of Googling to find this.

much appreciated!

Chris Powell -

I never could complete Step 2, Removing the Metal Cover. BUT -- apparently sliding the blade around did something that helped. I've put the battery in, and the stuck lens cover is now unstuck! We'll see how long it lasts...

steve hughes -