How to clean Skipping Control Wheels... My way. |
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TwoDave ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: 18 January 2019 Country: United States Location: oregon Status: Offline Posts: 3 |
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Ok Thanks, I did use an optical cleaner in the front dial a few weeks ago with no immediate change. Then last week I shot a couple outdoor events — about 900 shutter actuations — and had gotten so used to relying on the rear dial that I just now realized the front dial is functioning about 90% proper, where as before it was essentially useless
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mirthseeker ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 02 October 2011 Country: Australia Location: Melbourne Status: Offline Posts: 762 |
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It could be that whatever is on the contacts will not dissolve in electrical contact cleaner. Maybe try lens cleaning fluid, or experiment by drying a drop of diet coke, and seeing what kind of fluid best dissolves it.
And welcome to dyxum! |
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TwoDave ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: 18 January 2019 Country: United States Location: oregon Status: Offline Posts: 3 |
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Well that fix lasted less than a day and the skipping has returned. I did a firmware update from Version 1 to 2 and blasted the front dial again 4 times in 1 hour — this time with electrical contact cleaner — no better.
May end up disassembling it for investigation someday, but for now it's nice to have a rear dial and joystick that work fine. I have a Nikon entry level DSLR that only has a rear control dial that I never have found enjoyable nor convenient to use as there is just no substitute for a proper front control dial. |
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TwoDave ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: 18 January 2019 Country: United States Location: oregon Status: Offline Posts: 3 |
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Sony A850: Spilled a dollop of Diet Coke on the front dial, not too long after that things started skipping around — never could seem to land on f/11 — and was hoping a corrosive effect had not already caused damage that a blast of solvent wouldn't cure. I rummaged around the shop for some Mass Air Flow sensor cleaner and realized it was in my pickup truck which is miles away, but I did have a can of carburetor cleaner!? I gave it a test squirt on the back of my hand and it left a slight white residue, which cleared off in about ten minutes.
I followed the test shot with a localized double straw blast in the front dial of the camera and began spinning it upside down and blowing with a rocket blower; directly it became very stiff, spongy and remained erratic. I thought it would be necessary to open it up for investigation to see what i had damaged, and went looking for my jewelers tool kit. A few minutes later it loosened up and spun like it should, except that the controls are no longer skipping and bouncing around, in other words it worked. If I need to do it again I'll use a proper electrical cleaner, but hey, it was either carb cleaner or brake cleaner and i think i chose the lesser of two potential evils |
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Pirate ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 16 May 2007 Country: United Kingdom Location: Liverpool Status: Offline Posts: 5763 |
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Ahoy! Did the issue get sorted, and if so, what method worked for you? |
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oscar ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: 28 November 2016 Country: Poland Status: Offline Posts: 2 |
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Thanks for warm welcome!
Sure, after applying a contact cleaner I'll give You a sign if that helps. I almost never use auto options. I often use aperture priority to control DOF or manual setting when I use a trigger with manual flash like Yongnuo. So this control wheel is using very often by me and when is cold outside it's frustrating when options jumps. Sorry, forgotten about format. I used to shoot in JPEG+RAW. JPEG for fast view on PC, RAW when I want to develop a picture :) Edited by oscar - 29 November 2016 at 20:43 |
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Pirate ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 16 May 2007 Country: United Kingdom Location: Liverpool Status: Offline Posts: 5763 |
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Ahoy! Welcome to the Dyxum family. You spray into the gap above and below the control wheel itself, though follow the guides and methods posted. It couldn't be simpler to do, but if you're still struggling, then re-post, though it would be good to know that between us that the skipping control wheel has been corrected or not. Are you inputting your camera settings manually or using the dreaded AUTO option? In addition, what image format are you using? RAW is the best as it's a digital negative whereas JPEG is the print version after you've done your image processing, but that's for another forum discussion. |
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oscar ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: 28 November 2016 Country: Poland Status: Offline Posts: 2 |
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Hi everyone! It's my first post on this forum, so I would like to say hello.
I also have problem with this control wheel in my Alfa 580. Could someone give me a tip or picture where exactly should I put a contact cleaner without disassembling? In the middle of this scroll in up and bottom? I really don't understand at all how to do this with drinking straw. Best regards and sorry for my bad english, but i promise to practise :) |
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Basil ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 03 December 2009 Country: United States Location: Minnesota Status: Offline Posts: 2659 |
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That is much less destructive than MY first battlefield thought of dashing the camera against the rocks because the skipping control wheel was driving my batty! I'm glad a calmer head prevailed and a few drops of lens cleaner did the trick. ![]() |
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To see is to enjoy. To see beyond is to rejoice.
A77Mark II; A6600; A99; various film bodies and an ever-changing collection of lenses |
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Bob Maddison ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 28 April 2011 Country: United Kingdom Location: Dorset Status: Offline Posts: 1102 |
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Lens cleaningg fluid isn't a bad idea. It is (usually) iso propyl alcohol and dries quickly without leaving any residue. It will shift most dirt build up from most things. Switch cleaning fluid usually leaves a slightly oily residue and this can get into more delicate parts of the camera with adverse effects; used sparingly, it should be OK though.
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Pirate ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 16 May 2007 Country: United Kingdom Location: Liverpool Status: Offline Posts: 5763 |
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Well, there's another solution that works ![]() Sometimes the simplest methods work best . . trial and error. Well done on a positive result. I think it's essentially a build-up of gunk/fluff and/or film on the contacts, but if it works for you . . . ![]() |
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keith_h ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 22 May 2006 Country: Australia Location: Australia Status: Offline Posts: 3125 |
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Its 2am and after reading Pirates suggestion I grabbed and applied what I thought was the sensor cleaning fluid but instead found it was lens cleaning fluid. The skipping is stopped huzzah. Long may it remain so.
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Pirate ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 16 May 2007 Country: United Kingdom Location: Liverpool Status: Offline Posts: 5763 |
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Ahoy!
Do you clean your own sensor? I found dripping a few drops of Eclipse sensor fluid between the body and wheel(s) either side then turning the wheel(s) to and fro as fast as possible for about 10 seconds worked for me (it only takes a few seconds for the fluid to evaporate). I've used it on several A700 bodies over the years when the skipping phenomenon arose and it worked 100% and I never had any problems thereafter, so maybe there's method in the madness! It's my own battlefield fix method and not 'borrowed' from anyone or anywhere else and you use this method at your own risk, but based on my own experiences, you can't make it any worse . . . can you? Seriously, it worked a treat and when I sold-on the bodies, I never had any comebacks from buyers, so hopefully it'll be a simple cost effective fix for you or anyone else that has this problem. Maybe if anyone tries it can post if it worked for them. There's plenty of life left in the A700's even with skipping wheel(s), but if anyone has had enough and want's to get rid, then I'll take one ![]() |
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SnowFella ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 21 April 2013 Country: Australia Location: Sydney Status: Offline Posts: 2617 |
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Glad to see some members are having more luck with this process than what I'm having!
Tried the cleaning 6 times now and the wheel action is still reversed and lately getting worse. ![]() Had to resort to leaving my vertical grip permanently mounted now and using it's wheel for any changes in shutter/aperature. Doesn't really make for quick shooting to say the least. Just fingers crossed the backpay I'm due backdated to August can cover a new camera body! |
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