Fuzz on the INSIDE of my lens at DVinfo.net

Andrew Wilson · February 24th, 2008, 01:15 PM

This morning I was looking at footage I shot yesterday and saw a black thing floating toward the bottom of the frame.

When I checked my camera, there was a little piece of white fuzz on the inside of the lens - on the bottom of the main glass!

I had to unscrew the inside threaded ring that keeps the lens in place, pull out the glass and blow the fuzz out. Have no idea how that would get in there... I also have a UV filter on the front of my glass.

Steven Thomas · February 24th, 2008, 01:29 PM

Wow...
I'm trying to picture what you did.
Did you take pictures of this process?

Piotr Wozniacki · February 24th, 2008, 01:49 PM

Looks like you're not the only one:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=126432

Andrew Wilson · February 24th, 2008, 01:53 PM

heh. no pictures. I got two very small eyeglasses screwdrivers and used the holes in the ring to twist out the ring. After that, it was just a matter of picking out the lens by an outside rim using the same screwdrivers.

It was all pretty easy but taking pictures was the last thing on my mind.

Brad Vaughan · February 24th, 2008, 06:36 PM

Very weird and frustrating!

I hope we can figure out where that opening is so we can seal it up.

Nothing like something getting on the inside of the lens only to see it on the footage later!

Andrew Wilson · February 24th, 2008, 08:30 PM

There's also no reason to believe that the fuzz wasn't always in there and some bolt of static electricity brought it forward and stuck it to the backside of the lens.

That piece of glass in the lens comes out pretty easily. Makes me wonder if the placement of that piece of glass had anything to do with the vignetting issue.

David Hadden · February 25th, 2008, 12:36 AM

Nothing like a story like that to scare the poop out of ya when you're looking to buy :)

Thanks for the heads up on this being a potential issue to watch for.

Dave

Paul Joy · February 25th, 2008, 03:13 AM

Sounds scary, but it's good to know that swapping out the front element is possible without major disassembly of the lens if it gets damaged.

Mind you, I'm not sure how easy it would be to get hold of a replacement.

Andrew Wilson · February 25th, 2008, 06:24 AM

Impossible to handhold...

reusable (digital) magazines...

Having to "check the gate" after every take...

We wanted a more film-like experience, we're the only ones to blame. ;)

Alexander Kubalsky · February 25th, 2008, 08:28 AM

Andrew, seems we had the same problem at the same time. Are the holes you mean the four on front of the lens of the Ex? By putting two awls in two of the holes and turning you could unscrew the front lens? When I looked close at this piece I noticed a small residue of one side of something like a sealant/glue that may have sealed this piece on permanently. Not the case? I don't want to risk turning this only to hear the crack of glued plastic shattering along with my limited warranty.

Andrew Wilson · February 25th, 2008, 09:13 AM

Yes, there was about 1/4 inch of little blue-tinted sealant along the edge of the ring with the 4 holes. I just ran an exacto knife around the edge. It was pretty hard to get started but once it started urning, it came of pretty easily and went back on just as easily.

After the ring was off, I just rubbed off any flaking sealant.

George Kroonder · February 25th, 2008, 09:27 AM

The sealent may also have been there to prevent water/damp/codensation from entering the lens.

Andrew, I think you're a brave man for taking a wrench to the lens! Just make sure you're not getting into more trouble...

George/

Alexander Kubalsky · February 25th, 2008, 09:50 AM

I was thinking that too. Maybe the sealant is important. But does it run the whole circumference or is it just run for a token section to hold the lens in place? Im going to ask at a few repair shops in Akihabara on saturday about this and also whether a tool is available that is designed to open it. I imagine sony has a spherical device with four small posts that lock in so you can twist it off easily.

Im whimping out of breaking the seal on this thing at the moment.

Awesome that you did it though.

Andrew Wilson · February 25th, 2008, 05:36 PM

The seal was very tiny. Definitely did not go all the way around the ring. Probably as wide as my little finger.

Brave?? not so much. I needed to use the camera and sending it in for something I could fix in 10 minutes wasn't an option. It was pretty clear I could do it myself. It was a substantial piece of fuzz.

Chris Aaron · March 22nd, 2008, 04:53 PM

I just found shavings inside my lens...very irresponsible of them...

Will Sony pay for shipping? They better...booooo on Sony...

February 24th, 2008, 01:15 PM	#1
Andrew Wilson Tourist Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vermont, USA Posts: 123	Fuzz on the INSIDE of my lens This morning I was looking at footage I shot yesterday and saw a black thing floating toward the bottom of the frame. When I checked my camera, there was a little piece of white fuzz on the inside of the lens - on the bottom of the main glass! I had to unscrew the inside threaded ring that keeps the lens in place, pull out the glass and blow the fuzz out. Have no idea how that would get in there... I also have a UV filter on the front of my glass.

February 24th, 2008, 01:49 PM	#3
Piotr Wozniacki Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Poland Posts: 4,086	Looks like you're not the only one: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=126432 __________________ Sony PXW-FS7 \| DaVinci Resolve Studio; Magix Vegas Pro; i7-5960X CPU; 64 GB RAM; 2x GTX 1080 8GB GPU; Decklink 4K Extreme 12G; 4x 3TB WD Black in RAID 0; 1TB M.2 NVMe cache drive

February 25th, 2008, 03:13 AM	#8
Paul Joy Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 627	Sounds scary, but it's good to know that swapping out the front element is possible without major disassembly of the lens if it gets damaged. Mind you, I'm not sure how easy it would be to get hold of a replacement. __________________ Blog: www.pauljoy.com Company: www.videotrader.co.uk Last edited by Paul Joy; February 25th, 2008 at 07:48 AM.

February 25th, 2008, 06:24 AM	#9
Andrew Wilson Tourist Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vermont, USA Posts: 123	Be careful of what you wish for Impossible to handhold... reusable (digital) magazines... Having to "check the gate" after every take... We wanted a more film-like experience, we're the only ones to blame. ;)

February 25th, 2008, 08:28 AM	#10
Alexander Kubalsky Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Japan Posts: 172	kubalsky from Dvx here.. Andrew, seems we had the same problem at the same time. Are the holes you mean the four on front of the lens of the Ex? By putting two awls in two of the holes and turning you could unscrew the front lens? When I looked close at this piece I noticed a small residue of one side of something like a sealant/glue that may have sealed this piece on permanently. Not the case? I don't want to risk turning this only to hear the crack of glued plastic shattering along with my limited warranty.

February 24th, 2008, 01:29 PM	#2
Steven Thomas Trustee Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 1,896	Wow... I'm trying to picture what you did. Did you take pictures of this process?

February 24th, 2008, 01:53 PM	#4
Andrew Wilson Tourist Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vermont, USA Posts: 123	heh. no pictures. I got two very small eyeglasses screwdrivers and used the holes in the ring to twist out the ring. After that, it was just a matter of picking out the lens by an outside rim using the same screwdrivers. It was all pretty easy but taking pictures was the last thing on my mind.

February 24th, 2008, 06:36 PM	#5
Brad Vaughan Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Va Beach, Va Posts: 241	Very weird and frustrating! I hope we can figure out where that opening is so we can seal it up. Nothing like something getting on the inside of the lens only to see it on the footage later!

February 24th, 2008, 08:30 PM	#6
Andrew Wilson Tourist Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vermont, USA Posts: 123	There's also no reason to believe that the fuzz wasn't always in there and some bolt of static electricity brought it forward and stuck it to the backside of the lens. That piece of glass in the lens comes out pretty easily. Makes me wonder if the placement of that piece of glass had anything to do with the vignetting issue.

February 25th, 2008, 12:36 AM	#7
David Hadden Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Fargo, ND Posts: 149	Nothing like a story like that to scare the poop out of ya when you're looking to buy :) Thanks for the heads up on this being a potential issue to watch for. Dave

February 25th, 2008, 09:13 AM	#11
Andrew Wilson Tourist Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vermont, USA Posts: 123	Yes, there was about 1/4 inch of little blue-tinted sealant along the edge of the ring with the 4 holes. I just ran an exacto knife around the edge. It was pretty hard to get started but once it started urning, it came of pretty easily and went back on just as easily. After the ring was off, I just rubbed off any flaking sealant.

February 25th, 2008, 09:27 AM	#12
George Kroonder Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Utrecht, NL \| Europe 3rd Rock from the Sun Posts: 612	The sealent may also have been there to prevent water/damp/codensation from entering the lens. Andrew, I think you're a brave man for taking a wrench to the lens! Just make sure you're not getting into more trouble... George/

February 25th, 2008, 09:50 AM	#13
Alexander Kubalsky Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Japan Posts: 172	Open heart surgery... I was thinking that too. Maybe the sealant is important. But does it run the whole circumference or is it just run for a token section to hold the lens in place? Im going to ask at a few repair shops in Akihabara on saturday about this and also whether a tool is available that is designed to open it. I imagine sony has a spherical device with four small posts that lock in so you can twist it off easily. Im whimping out of breaking the seal on this thing at the moment. Awesome that you did it though.

February 25th, 2008, 05:36 PM	#14
Andrew Wilson Tourist Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vermont, USA Posts: 123	The seal was very tiny. Definitely did not go all the way around the ring. Probably as wide as my little finger. Brave?? not so much. I needed to use the camera and sending it in for something I could fix in 10 minutes wasn't an option. It was pretty clear I could do it myself. It was a substantial piece of fuzz.

March 22nd, 2008, 04:53 PM	#15
Chris Aaron New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Baton Rouge Louisiana Posts: 14	annoyed at manufacturing defects I just found shavings inside my lens...very irresponsible of them... Will Sony pay for shipping? They better...booooo on Sony...