Try this BEFORE you disassemble:
Several people report that it cleared the problem with no disassembly. One person used a shop-vac
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1009&message=19876805
OK, so that didn't work? Then do this:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1009&message=19895748
Notes:
Tools required:
1 Phillips 00
1 Tiny teeny flat blade
1 Tiny flat blade
1 Basketball Pump
1 Basketball inflation needle with the end open or cut off so that it is open
1 Pair Surgical Gloves
1 Flashlight
1 Pair reading glasses if you cannot look a close objects
1) Decide if you want to leave the battery in.
Pro: Lets you check your work before you re-assemble.
Con: Do not press the power button while you are working on it or the lens will pop out and upset your work.
2) The LCD disengages from the right side first, looking at the back of the camera. Use a tiny flat blade screwdriver in the latch hole to pop the latch. The smallest of force is required. If you are muscling it, stop before you break something.
3) The metal plate disengages from the bottom latch first. Use two small flat blades, one to disengage the latch, the other to lift the plate. This may be difficult due to some adhesive on the Mylar circuit to the left of the latch. Tease the adhesive down off the plate with a tiny flat blade screwdriver. Take care not to damage the Mylar circuit. Once the adhesive is dealt with, lift the plate and rotate it slightly counter-clockwise to unhook the top right tang. Remove plate to the right on top of the now displaced LCD display.
4) After cleaning, put the last two screws back (CCD Screws), power the camera on, and set zoom to 3X. Point the camera at a white card and check the LCD display. Dots gone? No, then open the CCD and blow some more with the bike pump.
5) DO NOT TOUCH THE OBJECTIVE LENS or THE CCD Surface with anything except perhaps a blow bulb brush.
6) Remember to carefully position the packing insert (little black rubber rectangle with a rectangular hole in the middle) over the objective before you re-assemble. Push it, do not drag it. This reduces the probability that you will scratch the objective with the pusher (screwdriver).
7) Perfectionists will want to wear surgical gloves to prevent fingerprints on the metal plate etc.
8) The metal plate screws appear to have loc-tite on them. Press down hard and apply torque (CCW of course) to undo them. CCD screws also harder to remove the first time.
Overall I rate this procedure "minor technical competence required". Go slow and work carefully and you might be surprised how easy it is to do.
The result is definitely worth the effort. This is a great camera and I also have an underwater case for it, so I am glad to be able to restore it to proper service.
I did notice a lot of dust particles trapped between various layers of the lenses by using a flashlight on the objective from the CCD side. They do not seem to impair the image, other than very vague and very light shadows which appear to be swamped by any image except possibly blue sky.
Note to Sony: A proper dust seal would have gone a long way here. What the heck were you thinking? At least you could acknowledge the problem and offer a reasonably priced subsidized repair service. We should get something back for paying double the amount for the same size copy crippled memory sticks as Canon's. Shame on you Sony for not acknowledging this problem (see other posts).
ICEMAN
