Authorized Sony Repair shop?

texkid · Aug 30, 2008

I think I was getting too stupid or having too much fun with my A200 that I have a small spot on the upper left quadrant. On the image it is on the bottom left. There is also a mysterious "mark" when you look through the viewfinder, very small, not easily noticeable. I cleaned the lens and the viewfinder. Both defects are still there. I am NOT going near the sensor.

So, where do I go to find a reputable camera repair shop that can clean my camera? What is the usual price and turnover time?

I live in the southwest area of Houston, TX.

Below is the image that has the spot I am talking about. The mark that I see through the viewfinder does not appear on any of the images. The spot, however, appears in every image.

tirediron · Aug 30, 2008

The mark in your image looks to me like sensor dust; a perfectly normal side-effect of using a digital SLR. You can have this cleaned at any reputable camera store or do it yourself. I recommend the Arctic Butterfly (www.visibledust.com), which while not cheap is the best tool I have found for dry-cleaning sensors. A mark visible in the viewfinder that doesn't show up on the image is not something to worry about. It's likely either on the underside of the focusing screen or the mirror. Remove the lens, hold the camera upside down, and use a good-quality bulb (I like the Giottos Rocket) to clean both. If it's still there, ignore it. I'll go away eventually.

KD5NRH · Aug 30, 2008

Try just popping the lens off and running the cleaning mode from the menu; it uses the IS motors to shake the sensor briefly, and might at least move the speck enough to verify whether it's really stuck or just sitting there. It also locks the mirror up in case you want to do any further cleaning.

Try it first with the lens off and the body pointed down, and if there's no change, try a different orientation and repeat. Put the lens or the body cap on as soon as you're done to keep more dust from getting in, though.

epp_b · Aug 30, 2008

Before paying big bucks to have it cleaned (and if the sensor vibrator doesn't work) use a small manual air blower to blow dust off the mirror, then turn the mirror-up lock on and do the same for the sensor (carefully, of course). It's worked for me with my D40 many times.

texkid · Aug 31, 2008

So would Wolf's Cameras be the only place that carry the air blowers? The nearest store is a good 25-30 minute drive. However, there is a Frys Electronics down the street. Would they carry dSLR cleaing kits?

texkid · Sep 1, 2008

Found a blower at a Ritz camera store. I did as directed, the spot is still in my photos. I guess I'll just leave there. Its not very well visible in the photo's anyway. If more spots show up, then I guess it'll be about time to get it professionally cleaned.