How to strip and clean a Panasonic Lumix TZ series lens - with warnings!!!

[@MorganFfion]

I fixed it!!!! I removed the screw that was holding the focus motor and saw how it was supposed to work. I then manually rotated the plastic mover up the screw thread and noticed how it was a bit stiff to start. I lubricated the thread and moved this up and down a couple of times, then put it all back together. BINGO! I can't believe it was this all along. Thank you so much Graham, without your video I would not have attempted this fix. You have given me so much confidence. I owe you big time.

[@anastassiosa]

I had this camera for 5 years and was very happy with it , but one day...no focus at all ! I heard all stories from smart ass "expert -repairers" here in Greece : from re-programming, to replacing lenses (70 euros) , replacing the electronics (more than 100 eur)...etc... and then I found your video here ! GOD BLESS YOU , my friend Graham , and all the rest of nice people who spend their valuable time in order to show and explain to the rest of us here how to fix it !

[@randomteenager934]

Graham, I'd just like to express my thanks for all the work you have done putting these 2 videos together! Simply playing along with the videos I have stripped my TZ10 cleaned the sensor and lens elements and solved my dust particle problem. I have no specific camera skills but I've worked on lots of PCs and I found your instructions very easy to follow. I could not have even attempted this without your help and you have saved me needing to buy a new camera prematurely. Many, many, many thanks!

[@TheMrPfiff]

Because it was the first time of disassembling my camera it took 2 hours. But now it works fine again. No black point in my picture! Thank you very much for this How-To!

[@tronkel1]

It amazes me how the human being can even design this and build the prototype from that point, in such a way that disassembly is even possible at a later date. Modular thinking is required for that. Really terrific video Graham. Now, If I could only train my cats to do this, I could sit back and rake in a fortune as proprietor of a repair shop!

[@lioneldluna8947]

Fantastic! I have tolerated a dirty sensor and lens for a long time and now they are both absolutely clean with great pictures thanks to you. The video is very well done and explained. I discovered a triangle mark on the side of one of the lens parts that helped with re-assembly. This video is extremely helpful and saved me from buying a new camera. Thanks very much.

[@mikegerrard1584]

Thank yopu very much. You video was very precise and i could not have taken this apart and reassemble without it. You are a star!

[@rhysevans7396]

Thanks very much for taking the time to do this video Graham. Instructions were really clear. This gave me the confidence to "give it a go". I didn't have to take the lens apart thankfully as I found a big blob of dudt on the sensor. I cleaned this, re-assembled and the camera works fantastic. As a tip, I disassembled the camera on a white tray and then when I took screws out, I wrote on the tray in pencil what they were. This worked really well.

[@thebood4553]

One of the best instructional video for lens repair on the internet. Brilliant !

[@nathanmorehouse3518]

Excellent narration for a very helpful tutorial. Restored complete functionality after a beach vacation. People like you restore my faith in humanity. Big thanks!

[@THOMMGB]

Graham, I did buy the DMC-ZS3/DMC-TZ7 sand-damaged camera. Got it yesterday. I don't think this heavily used camera ever saw a protective case in its life as it was quite sandy and dirty. I followed your video closely and dissembled the lens, cleaned all the grunge and sand out then reassembled it.I turned it on."Focus system error" & "turn camera off then on" warnings. Wouldn't focus. After playing with camera for awhile, everything settled down and it now works perfectly! Thanks so much, Tom It's now January, 2018 and my camera is still working. I've since upgraded to a newer Lumix, but I occasionally still use my old camera. Still works just like it should. The only thing I would add to this is to have some kind of protective case to keep the camera in when you're carrying it with you. A case should help to keep the camera from collecting dirt and dust, which, in turn, keeps the lens and sensor from getting dirty. My theory is that the movement of the lens going in and out sucks in dirt specs and dust which ends of getting inside the lens and on the sensor. For what that's worth....

[@rdearsley]

That video was a life-saver -- thanks Graham! My wife's TZ10 had a misaligned/jammed lens shutter fin [from being carried around, without a case, in an overloaded bag], which prevented the lens from operating. I disassembled the lens as you showed, and removed the section at the front to access the rear of the plastic shutter fins to snap them back into correct alignment. Cleaned the IR filter too - all working fine. Would never have been able to reassemble the lens without your vid - Cheers!!

[@mattc2071]

I'd written off the old TZ10 ages ago because of dust in the lens/sensor and after watching this it's all cleaned out and working again. Thanks so much!

[@idiosyncrazy1980]

Thank you, I just got a Panasonic TZ10 for free! (Someone on french Freecycle gave it to me for it no longer worked, "system error" message, apparently an issue with the autofocus, and the lens not protruding properly, I disassembled the whole thing following your instructions, cleaned the inside of the elements which seemed a little dusty, put it back together, et voilà, now it works just fine !)

[@morrieD]

I have a TZ7 with focus errors, & after looking at prices of new Lumix TZs (O.O), I decided to to strip & clean my TZ myself. Graham's video is the best because he gives you great step by step tips. I bought a can of compressed air & a Philips head size 00 screwdriver, & a kilo of calm. About an hour & quite a few pause-&-rewinds later, I have a functiong TZ7! Thank you very much Mr Houghton! My tip: don't spare the compressed air, & give everything else a clean while you're in there.

[@nohpubb191]

Hello !! You allowed me to disassamble my first photo camera, a Lumix TZ 18, full of dust after 1 and a half year in dusty pockets and bags, without any protection except an old sock... I almost made it without destroying anything: only one small plastic pin in the ultimate piece of the lens block (which is a bit more complicated than this one), but it still works ! now, it is correct, so thank you very much!! keep explaining how to fix our stuff, cause in a shop they told me it wasn't possible

[@guusvandermeer7796]

One of the souvenirs I brought home from Namibia was a lot of red sand from Sossusvlei inside my camera. I followed your instructions and I am happy to tell you that my camera is working again. Thanks for your excellent video!

[@billpatterson9828]

Thank you Graham for this great video. By following your step by step instructions, I was able to resurrect my DMC-ZS3 camera which had developed a film on the lens rendering it useless. I successfully disassembled the camera to access the inner lens frame, but unfortunately, the film was actually in between the two lens on the lens frame. Since I had nothing to lose, using a razor knife I carefully cut away the plastic holding the outer lens in place which eventually popped out. I was then able to clean the inside lens surface, and epoxy the outer lens back in place. 100% success, which I would never had been able to do without your video. Thanks again, enjoy your series and will recommend highly.

[@andrewgallagher3262]

Thanks Graham - I dropped my camera in a river and the lens was spotty, having followed your video its clean and working perfectly again.

[@jrwerther]

Graham, Great video. Having sand in my tz10 lens, I was asked 250€ for the repair (the new tz30 can be found at 280€...) So I decided to do it myself, and my first try I didn't dare disassemble the lens. Then I found your video and retried successfully. It helps being a micro / hand surgeon with magnifying glasses available thought. Thanks again.

[@chrisboy1993]

Excellent tutorial from start to finish. My TZ7 had a stuck zoom and was repeatedly showing the zoom error. By following this video I was successfully able to dismantle the lens and it turned out to be sand preventing it from operating properly. The camera is all back to normal now - thanks for your help!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Congratulations. It gives me great pleasure when someone attempts this repair, aided by this instructional video, and has complete success. The front shutters are easy compaired to the lens frames and often are the ones to get stuck with grit etc. Well done, pat yourself on the back on a job well done. Graham

[@thomaseberhart7304]

Many years later, I would like to thank you so much for your tutorial. I was able to get my beloved little power zoom cam back to life. Big Kodos for you!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

I'm glad this old video helped. Thank you.

[@jordanmertes]

Graham, you saved my new birthday present. I turned it on and instantly noticed a black speck that became very prominent when fully zoomed. I watched your videos and after debating whether or not to send it back to England and wait for its return I just bought a blower, a set of screwdrivers and took my time. The TZ40 has the bigger touch screen. Getting this carefully flipped over and off was the tricky bit, but below is the same. Sure enough, a speck on the ccd. Works fine now. Cheers

[@hansr2467]

Thanks Graham! I just repaired the "please turn camera off and then on again" error on my DMC-FX500 using your video as a guide. It appeared to be a quite different assembly, but your video gave me enough confidence to carry on. I did not do anything else than dissassemble and reassemble the thing, which eliminated the error. So you might have saved me a couple hundred euros for a new camera.

[@slottybadfast8826]

Thanks very much for this! My ZS7 had been dropped on sand, and the zoom and focus were malfunctioning, along with a sticking lens. I had about given up, when I saw your video and decided to try it. The camera now works perfectly, after getting the tiny grains of sand out of the lens mechanism. Your precautions are very well-advised, and made me extra-cautious, and it paid off. One I can stress is TAKE PHOTOS as you go; one lens part got blown over, and the photo saved a lot of grief.

[@666cwg]

Just used your great guide to fix my sand filled tz10.. my 15yr old daughter joined in the disassembly and reassembly and found your video very helpful...thanks loads

[@deepskyler]

Hey Graham, your page helped me to solve my dustproblem on the lenses and on the surface of my chip. with your video it was very easy to strip and clean my Lumix TZ7 and after the work i was glad to see that everything works perfect and my dustspot disappeared. thanks for this usefull video!

[@marcianzero_yt]

Our trusty TZ7 needs a lens cleaning after the many years we have it. Your tutorial gives me good hope I can manage it. Thanks for taking the effort. Well appreciated!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Many thanks for the response to the video, now over 120 people have managed to fix their camera by watching the video. Great work and well done.

[@palleschnell]

It is a very impressing video instruction you have made. I followed it and managed to repair a camera that could not open the zoom. It was just completely stucked. Thak you very much for the big effort you have made and for sharing it with all of us!! Kind regards Palle - Denmark

[@manmaas]

I got this issue the first time I reassembled and suspected the thin cable. It needs a bit of teasing to sit firmly in the slot. All good now. Saved me a fair amount of cash for an otherwise great little camera which suffered a major scratch to the front lens. The shutter door system is cute but has the potential for trapping lens damaging grit, so I'd recommend a case as well as the zip lock bag others have mentioned to avoid dust getting past the zoom. Thanks again Graham.

[@pattyofurniture100]

i gave your service manual a try, sadly the text was incredibly difficult to follow, but using the pictures along with it i was able to trudge through and break my lens down all the way so i could clean all the dirt out. i put it all back together and everything is working perfectly now! thank you so much, i really love this camera and was dreading the thought of having to replace it! as hard as it was i dont think i will be making a video unless i have to tear it down again haha

[@Dominik-vn6lo]

Thanks for this video! I dropped my camera in a pool last year, and all attempts of getting it dry failed because a little wet spot was left in the lense. That left a blurry spot in the middle of all photos. Then I found your video and it really helped me disassamble the lense, dry it, and reassamble it - which was everything but easy, but without your help I wouldn't have been able to fix it!

[@damonb1979]

Wow, Impressive skills on the most complicated part of any camera. Aligning each section using the internal pins is tough enough, but you are smart in laying out the 12 O'clock position and keeping your part/screws in a sectionalized box. That's just plain smart in any disassembly job.

[@BaldyIT]

Hi Graham, Thanks for your comprehensive video guide. Fixed my parents camera with a spot in the center of the image. Taken apart the complete lens and cleaned it thoroughly. In my case however, the spot in the image was not due to dust in the lens but a stain or dust on the small glass window between the CCD and the lens itself. This can be cleaned by removing the CCD itself (three screws) and removing the rubber insert. The small rectangular piece of glass can then be taken out and cleaned

[@Oetti]

Hey Graham, I succeeded! I only needed to clean the CCD sensor and infrared filter. All the dust specks are gone and the pictures are once again super clear! luckily I had all the tools you did; small screwdrivers (Phillips for screwing, flat-head for opening/closing the friction locks), needle-nosed tweezers, anti-lint cloth, etc; I do believe the equipment is also a crucial part. Thanks again, my trusty camera no longer needs replacing or further repair! Cheers from the San Francisco Bay Area

[@willy765890]

Just battled against a TZ20. It takes some patience and couldn't have done it without your help. Successful outcome! Thanks Graham, great video!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Well done it's a pretty hard lens to get back properly without losing aptience or breaking a ribbon cable.

[@AstonishingGlasgow]

I am really chuffed it all went back together and worked. Did have a mild panic when I looked at all the bits dismantled and lying on my desk. I contacted the seller of the re-con unit so says the cameras sometimes need re-set in service mode after fitting the lens and has offered to take the camera and finish the work for me but as it is working now I am quite happy to keep it with the old lens in.

[@DownhillAllTheWay]

You didn't have to make this video. People like you, that give of their time and expertise, to help others who they don't know, and in whose success they will not participate, deserve a knighthood - at least! I believe I have a dust particle in my ZS3, so I now feel emboldened to fix it. I already had to replace the screen some time ago. Thanks a million for posting this clip.

[@LilBlighter]

It took quite a few attempts, but I finally got the lens back together and all clean on my TZ10. Not even a screw left over. Thanks very much.

[@johnlamb6191]

I just repaired the front shutter mechanism using this video . Excellent instruction throughout. Thanks Graham

[@Foxpest]

Without a doubt Graham, yours is one of the best on line tutorials available. clear, precise no frills just to the point. I have a chance to buy a TZ30 in red for the wife, it has dirty lens internals. I am now completely confident, that I can successfully bring this camera back to A1 condition. Thank you or your time.

[@Mabu1911]

Hello Graham, thank you very much for this really practical and helpful walkthrough. With you're help i was able to clean my TZ7 from sand, which blocked the zoom. Now my old camera works great again and my next vacation can come :) Greetings from Germany

[@LeaCrust]

Hi Graham, I realise that my camera (Lumix DMC TZ 60) will be different to the one worked on in this video but, I think it is beyond my scope to sort out my sticking lens. You video is first class and I'm sure lots of camera users will find this very useful. Thank you.

[@AstonishingGlasgow]

Thank you very much for posting this video. I had suffered from dust in my lense and had already cleaned the sensor with no success. I purchased a refurbished lense unit from ebay and swapped them over but the refurbished unit would not focus at anything beyond a 5x zoom so I decided to go for broke and follow your video to clean the original unit from my camera. All seems to be working fine and better than the refurbished replacement so again, thank you. Dave.

[@lyndonsandie]

Absolutely fantastic video. I followed it and cleaned the sensor, UV filter, and zoom barrel lenses front and back and got rid of all the annoying pieces of dust that blighted my photographs and videos of late! Thank you very much for posting this! :-)

[@joshrichards7847]

fantastic! cheers Geoff, on the road at the moment & had some nasty dust marks showing up on all my photos :-( after begging a 00 phillips head screwdriver from a mobile phone repair shop, I spent an afternoon sat in a cheap hostel room in Turkey stripping & cleaning my camera, following your video of course, & managed to sort the problem. Can happily continue on the road knowing my photos will be looking lovely again.

[@DaveSchlick]

Awesome video Graham. I had to clean sand from everything and had to go a little further and sort the shutters also, but your great video got me 99% of the way there. Cleaning all the way. My wife is SUPER CHUFFED !

[@dolomitiforever]

Dear Sir, thanks to your perfect tutorial, I was able to clean the lenses from Namibia sand. You did an immense job and should be rewarded for this. Thank you again

[@philkfoto]

Graham to my rescue yet again, many thanks. My TZ18 for a second time had a curly minute hair at top left of image. So I had to watch it again some 7 years later because this time the hair was not on the sensor but trapped between the focusing panel. Yes a very fiddly job this time. Now completed and hair gone but now spots remain.

[@jgrimesphoto]

My camera was making crunchy noises as the lens assembly zoomed in and out and I thought it might be time for a new one, but I followed the video and got all the parts cleaned up, there was definitely some sand in there, and now it works great. I used his sensor cleaning video too and got the spot on my pics to go away. I definitely wouldn't try this if you are impatient, as it takes a bit of time to get everything lined up and back together. Great instruction and thanks for the videos!

[@paolopetroni]

Great video! i was able to remove a huge speckle of dust from my sensor ... i would have never dared to open up my TZ7 without your directions! it now works impeccably! thanks again ...

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thanks for posting your result, I'm pleased it worked for you.

[@terryvideo1]

Excellent video. Always nice to have something like this if only for re-assurance and you have presented this tutorial beautifully so absolutely 10/10 but just 9/10 for sound quality. Just very slightly muffled for a pair of elderly ears. Thanks Graham.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Well done this ia quite a challenge if you are not used to this sort of thing as well as understanding a second language as well. I'm glad you had a good result. Thank you.

[@soundknight]

Thank you very much, this was my first disassembly too, I opened up the lens mount to get a better clean on the main lens but the little specs appearing on the inside of the lens would not go away, I even used 6000 grit aircraft window cleaning paper and it came up nice but the damn spots wont go away, so I put it back together and will give it away as a gift and upgrade. Thanks for your help the instructions were perfectly guided and well timed.

[@ianpalmer6668]

Hi Graham. Many thanks for your video. Following this I was able to strip and clean the lens and CCD elements of my TZ10. I was amazed how much grime and even sand was in there ! Good as new now.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

thanks, I appreciate the response, well done.

[@sergeidorokhin5619]

Definitely will try it. Thanks for this thorough walkthrough! The only issue is sound - too quiet. I got my TZ-10 contaminated in Cambodia around 2015. Did try to tear it down but decided to do not proceed. Kept for those cases when I need a better zoomed shot than my Oppo FindX2 Pro can provide with its 5x telephoto lens. And yeah, I love the natural colors the TZ-10 software preserves. Today, I got the camera out of the cupboard to chuck a newer spare SD-card in it and while testing found that all that lens covered with tiny 0.5-1 mm spots - now good for rubbish! But your video gives me hope!

[@fa497007]

A big thanks for this excellent detailed instruction video. I managed to clean my Lumix TZ7, that fell into water last summer. I also followed your instruction video on how to clean the CCD assembly. Unbelievable, but everything is clean and fully functional again !! Now I will surely follow your other guidelines to take better pictures and how to use this kind of camera.

[@nvoloj]

Hi Graham, Thank you for this video. I have a DMC-TZ8 and I had quite a lot dust on the lens… I fist followed the instructions to clean the sensor on the TZ6 but it didn’t get better. I finally saw your video and followed the instructions that are quite the same for the TZ8 and it went fine. Great and accurate video!!

[@rdelfrateYO]

Thank you for your help. My camera hasn't worked in about three years and I relied on my phone, but this takes much better pictures. Grit got blown into the lens assembly when filming a helicopter lift of a subject with a broken femur on a rescue that I was on. Tomorrow, or today at this point, I was invited to go out on my friend's catamaran sailboat and there should be whales out where we are going and I wanted to make sure that I could capture the moment if possible. Thanks again!

[@konradc12]

Thanks for this video. I managed to clean the sensors of 2 different Lumix cameras, one was a TZ6. I also have managed to repair a TZ30 that had a faulty zoom function, which kept making the camera film instead. Had the camera in a lot of pieces, and together successfully. The camera is now working properly. The next day, I found the service manual PDF for the ZS20 (same as TZ30), and have it stored for future reference. If the camera has any fault, I can follow the detailed procedures. I also own a TZ70 so am a bit of a Lumix fan. Next camera is the TZ100. Great videos by the way.

[@un65tube]

Hello Graham, thank you for this fantastic instruction Video. Very professional! I had some disturbing dust in my camera lens and was able to clean it myself following your instructions. You saved my holidays! Thumbs up! Greeting Form Germany. Udo

[@GeorgeSpan]

Hello! Many thanks for your video. Thumbs up indeed. I have used your video twice to clean the lens of my TZ10. The first time was 5 years ago and the second time was...yesterday. However, I must notice two details. Firstly, after taking apart the lens to its parts I noticed that the front element consists of many lenses. You can tell this by the multiple reflections of a lamp light falling on the lens. Also, you can see the various coating colours of these lenses. The first time I used your guide, I was successful because dust particles were accumulated on the rear side of the lens. The second time I was not successful, as it was not dust, but fungi spots that had developed in the space between the front lens elements. It was impossible to take the front element apart as I believe it is factory fixed on its frame. I have to live with the fungus that some times prevents autofocus as the camera focuses on the fungus instead of the object ahead. Secondly, one must notice that the last tube with the focusing motor on it can also be taken apart. Then one must be very careful to reassemble it at the very same position or it will be impossible to properly align the lens and get the LEICA logo at the top centre of the camera. I had accidentally taken this apart and could never align the lens. I did it so many times that I was able to dismantle and reassemble the lens almost blindfold. Then I discovered that the rear part has also more positions that can be assembled and only one aligns the lens. The funny thing was that all positions work and one can get the camera working fine with the LEICA logo on the side of the lens! However, there was vignetting at the corners of the image. I have posted this comment for people who may want to clean this camera lens. They must know that they may not be able to clean front lens fungus and must be careful not to take apart the last part of the lens. Many thanks again!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

I'm really please this worked for you and well done for attempting such a challenging procedure. This is the correct way to clean out sand etc. I've seen people using bits of paper to try and dislodge the particles but this is only a quick fix and not permanent as it can't get all the channels of the lens frames clear. Once again well done and thanks for the feedback. I dis wonder if anyone would ever attempt this.

[@Jsak666]

You have saved me mate, I went to Sydney last week and have taken all of my shots with a Lumix TZ20 but there is 2 bits of dust under the lens and now the photos have black hazy spots on them which would require photo-shopping 900 photos... :( but your video has given me hope for my upcoming trip to Whistler, Vancouver, New York and the west coast of USA where im sure many thousand more photos will be taken. Thank you so much!

[@firsttimejonny]

Graham - many thanks for taking the time to produce this video. I have a TZ10 and a TZ30 both of which work fine but are unusable because of dirt inside the lens array. Thanks to you my TZ30 is now fine - just the TZ10 to clean now!

[@1nicolaus]

Thanks again Graham! After successfully cleaning the sensor following the instructions in your other video I gained the confidence to attempt this one too. There where still some blurry areas on the pictures and, living in the tropics, I attributed them to fungus on the inside lense surface. After dismanteling the lense assembly I discovered that they were unfortunately due to some scratches on the lense. As you said, it is easy to lose the orientation and it took me quiet a while to reassemble

[@LindaMezski]

and then disassembled . This time i made sure that the leica was at the top and the drive motor was at the bottom .....( trap for young players ) all good now . wife thinks i am fantastic and i am back in the good books until the next the next time i do something goes wrong :-) Thanks again and keep on posting these great videos , these are much appreciated by ALL

[@videocreation5206]

Good video,was too fiddly for me so i used a hoover ,removed the hose of my upright hoover and and had the camera on in full zoom ,placed it into the suction line and now have a perfect picture

[@HansGeorgPagendarm]

Thank you so much for this excellent tutorial. Just re-assembled one of my TZ10s. Works fine now! I will clean the second TZ10 soon. I'd like to add a few extra remarks. If your are clumpsy, there is a small risk to pull out that last cable with the optical stabilizer unit. The video carefully avoids to dissassemble this. Guess, how I learned my lesson! Once this has happened you loose the orientation of the shutter motor which serves as a reference later. Thanks to all the valuable hints such as "test whether the front cover closes" I was still able to complete the task. I simply needed more than one attempt. Next time I will be more carefull. This said, doing the cleaning is done faster, than understanding the manual of a new camera. It saved time, money and reduced environmental impact. How could it be better!

[@peacesouljer1452]

I put the screws in a paper cup for each step then put them inside to create a stack along with any parts for those screws. This helps my CRS and putting it back together in the proper order as I go cup to cup.

[@jiefflerenard1228]

fantastic tip thank you

[@cjcaldie]

yes your very right. the ribbon cable is one big puzzle wrapping around two sides of the assembly. the assembly seems to only be dusted inside where i cant reach. focusing seems to be a little better when i zoom out but with no zoom i might as well walk around using the 3mp camera on my phone. its too bad because im off to glacier bay, Alaska today.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

No, all the credit goes to you. I only act as a catalyst in showing what can be achieved if you have the desire and confidence to do these things, well done to you.

[@Oetti]

Hello kind sir, what you do here is a tremendously useful service. I have one of these cameras, while I was in Ireland I got some dust in the lens, and tonight I will attempt the cleaning methods of both this video as well as those of cleaning the CCD censor in a prior video. I have no expertise repairing technology like this however I am 23 year old and a licensed mechanical engineer so I already have a head start! :D I will tell you know how it went in a later comment. Thanks again!

[@krulli]

Hi Graham, you saved my life, or better my cameras life :-) I disassambled my lenses and was lost getting it together again. But with your perfect explanation everything is fine now and it works like the veryfirst day! Thanks so much!!!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Excellent news, thanks for sharing.

[@fawadrazaqzada6420]

Thank you so much for this great tutorial Graham! I followed your instructions and managed to fix my camera. You saved me possibly £100!

[@snowtek72]

well thanks Graham I've followed your video and cant thank you enough I took my camera to pieces and checked the focus motor and cleaned everything and wow I've fixed the camera at last cheers regards Graham B.

[@APW0405]

Excellent video. Very clear and helpful. Without it I would have ended up with a box of bits! Lens now cleaned and blurred mark in the middle of every photo gone. Thank you.

[@neilhartwell9679]

Well it was well worth while taking the time to watch this & take notes - The disassembly was easier - the rebuild a bit more tricky, but having cleaned the lens - it turned out that the CCD Sensor was where the problem was - it may be worth doing it first, and then the zoom lens. Great stuff !

[@BradBrassman]

Many thanks indeed, I only had to complete the removal and cleaning of the reverse of the inner lens before I cured 99% of the dust problem, which was large particles one could see when attempting to zoom in on the landscape or subject. On re-assembly I found I could still see some small particles but only on maximum zoom, when this model wont fully focus anyway so as I achieved what I wanted to do, I halved the procedure, but at least I know what to do if I experience further problems.

[@jfz12345]

Hi Graham, this video is a great and easy to follow discription how to cleanup the optic of this camera. Since my last travel to Stromboli I had a lot of sand in my TZ10 which causes trouble in focus, zoom and nasty ghost pixels. I tried a vacuum cleaner, but this was not really successful. Than I found your video and now, after cleaning the lens, removing some sand between the parts of the lens, the camera is working fine :-) Thanks a lot, as the TZ10 was the last model with a multi-aspect CCD.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Hi Glen, no the plastic mover ( brass in some editions) should not be attached. It rides in a small groove as the motor rotates and moves up and down. The focus lens is spring loaded and rests against this mover. So as it moves so does the lens. If the lens is free and the motor screw thread is greased if the focus motor still doesn't move when the camera powers up then its probably the drive circuit for the motor or the optical sensor which detects the home position, either way the cost is high

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Congratulations on attempting, and succeeding with this complex procedure. It must be very satisfying knowing you have accomplished this. I hope you returned the refurbed lens as faulty

[@tigercake558]

thanks big G! This helped me out. I cleaned my camera out and it works just fine now, no spots on the lens. you just saved me £150+! Cheers.

[@Ditchpigs1]

woooo.hoooooo.....flawless. easy to undestand. well communicated.. moved thru the prosess right along with Dave.. came apart and right back together...now i dont have to replace this lovely piece of equiptment...Ahhhhh...sigh of relief. thank you thank you thank you....ask the internet and the internet answers..just ask the right questions. Again, Dave thank you.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Well done and good idea to mark the positions of the screws for re-assembly. The case screws are different lengths for each side. as a rule.

[@jonathanjacobs6964]

Exact same circumstance! Very pissed-off at Panasonic by compromising such a great camera with such fragility. VERY appreciative to Graham for making this community-serving video! You, sir, stride as a God among men!

[@sandtoftfield]

Hi Graham, ...Superb! Many thanks for making the effort to produce this video. I've used your earlier sensor cleaning method a number of times since seeing it, even on holiday, having made sure I had a suitable tool kit with me. I suspect the persistent dust dropping on the sensor is due to the failure of the rear cover soft seal allowing particulates into the body. That will be addressed soon. The primary reason I came across this particular video is due to my TZ18 losing image clarity and resolution, over the whole image, almost as if it has the inability to correctly focus. The resolution is poor and I immediately suspected a dirty lens but now consider it may be an incorrect value from a sensor, or the inability of the assembly to produce the required positions. I'll be searching the web for a little more information on this but it's good to know I have the video saved should that need arise, even if the specific lens components are not identical. However, many thanks again for a cracking video.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thank you very much for the comment and I am glad to see you repaired your camera. Not much I can do with the condition but thank you for your consideration.

[@kimh8733]

This tutorial was great you did an excellent job explaining each step. My camera was completely submerged in mud while 4-wheeling so I figured it was done. I had already bought a new camera, but decided to try and fix this one. The camera still turned on just the very inner lens needed to be cleaned because there was mud in it. I think I went one extra step and messed up because the lens did not have the leica at the top. After a few hours I rotated the very center lens and that did it!

[@GeorgeSpan]

Thank you for your useful video. I dismantled and cleaned both lens and sensor of my TZ-10. It was hard to put things together and had to regress and repeat various steps. I suggest putting some marks with a fine black marker on the various plastic rims to achieve alignment more easily.

[@Kingeroy]

Many Thanks Mr.Houghton! Very useful on my DMC FS62. The lens is now deeply cleaned. (January 2017)

[@johnlamb6191]

If its the front shutter/cover you are referring to there are two screws inside the front (aluminium section) near the front lens which hold the shutter assembly in place. On my camera one of the fine return springs had rusted and broken so the shutter wouldn't open when powered up. I have just replaced them with parts from a camera bought on ebay and it is working fine

[@pattyofurniture100]

i am, first time i've ever worked on a camera so i'm very grateful for your help

[@SmiggyG]

Great video! You really make some of the most detailed helpful videos I've seen. I followed you excellent ccd cleaning video before and I was elated to see you've done a video for the lens assembly. I didn't have the nerve or funds to risk trying it myself without a great tutorial like this. I with give it a try when I get a chance. Thank You!

[@THOMMGB]

Graham, Thanks so much for the quick reply. I don't know if the problem is a zoom or focus system error. I only wrote word-for-word what I read in the product description so your guess is as good as mine. If I do get this camera, I will let you know how it all turns out. Again, thanks a lot for your help. Tom

[@kevinbiggar]

Fantastic video. Followed it step by step and finally got the dust out of my lens. Great work with this, I really appreciate you taking the time to make it.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Hi Pete the TZ10 is slightly different and I would advise you download the camera repair manual. The manual is available at elektrotanya(dot)com search for "service manual Lumix TZ series. This error is sometimes due to the tiny screw thread of the focus motor becoming dry of grease. If you remove the back of the lens unit you can gain access and re-distribute the grease from lower on the thread to it and the brass nut which rides in the groove in the casing. Keep a note of screws

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you managed to get your camera operational again. The backlight cable doesn't clip into the connector las tightly as the other ones and that is probably why you may have found it difficult - plus it fits with the gold contacts down all the others the contacts are uppermost.