How to Unstick a Sticky Shutter/Zoom button... Help?

[DMCFZRichie]

I used to have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ4 until that recently broke.

Today I bought a used Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 from Craigs list. I did check the camera out before handing over the money, but I didn't notice the problem until I got the camera back home.

The zoom/shutter ring sort of sticks. I hope it's not some fatal flaw that will ruin a purchase that I was otherwise excited about.. but perhaps you guys can help me figure out what methods or steps to employ in order to remedy this problem.

When I turn the zoom ring left or right it is more difficult to turn than it should be, and then sort of sticks in place and slowly slides back to center. The shutter button in the center of the ring is equally hard to press at times, though not all the time. Everything still WORKS, but just not as it SHOULD.

I thought about trying a can of compressed air into the nooks and crannies of the ring. I also thought about trying some lubricating oil like WD-40 or 3-in-1 oil, but I wasn't sure if those oils might damage the camera. Help!

[Scrotis]

Try compressed air if you want. I wouldn't put WD-40 in there or anything else that is conductive (don't want to short something out and make matters worse). There is such a thing as non-conductive electrical cleaner that you could spray in there, but that stuff can also damage certain plastics, so I wouldn't use that either unless you can somehow confirm that it won't hurt the body of your camera.

If it were me I would try to take the thing apart and clean out whatever is causing the sticking with a q-tip and some denatured alcohol, rather than trying to spray something in there and hope for the best. But that may not be possible for you depending on how comfortable you are with your fine mechanical skills and disassembling a piece of equipment like that. If you do end up spraying something in there other than compressed air, take the batteries out first and don't put them back in until you've given time for everything to evaporate.

[DMCFZRichie]

Try compressed air if you want. I wouldn't put WD-40 in there or anything else that is conductive (don't want to short something out and make matters worse). There is such a thing as non-conductive electrical cleaner that you could spray in there, but that stuff can also damage certain plastics, so I wouldn't use that either unless you can somehow confirm that it won't hurt the body of your camera.

If it were me I would try to take the thing apart and clean out whatever is causing the sticking with a q-tip and some denatured alcohol, rather than trying to spray something in there and hope for the best. But that may not be possible for you depending on how comfortable you are with your fine mechanical skills and disassembling a piece of equipment like that. If you do end up spraying something in there other than compressed air, take the batteries out first and don't put them back in until you've given time for everything to evaporate.

Thank you for the tips. I will try compressed air and see if that does anything. I am not very mechanically adept so taking the thing apart might not be a great option for me.

I hope I didn't end up with a bum purchase. :mad2: