Panasonic DMC-ZS10
Dust Bunny Showdown - Sensor Cleaning

January 27, 2025

We've all been there. You're snapping away, capturing those precious memories, when suddenly you notice it – a dark spot, a smudge, a rogue dust bunny that has taken up residence on your camera's sensor. And it's photobombing every shot!

Camera shot showing dust appearing in the picture.

There was a Panasonic DMC-ZS10 on the bench which had this issue, big time. There were so many specks on the sensor that you just couldn't get a good photo.

Today, we're embarking on a mission to vanquish those dust bunnies and restore the Panasonic DMC-ZS10 to its pristine, picture-perfect glory.

The Mission: Teardown

First things first, we need to gain access to the sensor. This involves a careful teardown of the camera, removing the outer casing to reach the heart of the beast.

Left side of the camera with the trim removed.

Remove left side trim

Right side of the camera with the trim removed.

Remove right side trim

Bottom of the camera showing where to remove three screws.

Remove three screws from bottom

Main camera body and back cover removed.

Separate front and back case, exposing LCD

CCD lifted to show the three flex cables connecting it.

Clips hold the LCD in place, and behind are three flex cables.

With the LCD removed, take off the three screws holding the frame plate.

Frame plate removed showing the lens assembly.

We can now see the back of the sensor assembly.

Sensor Cleaning

Now that we have access to the sensor we can gently disconnect the flex cable which connects it to the rest of the camera and remove the three screws securing it into place. The sensor assembly can then be carefully lifted out. Removing and turning the sensor over, it's very clear that there was a problem here!

The CCD was peppered with dust!

A clean CCD after the dust was blown off.

Clean after a little compressed air.

Next before we close it back up, we will have a look at the lens assembly as well to see if there is any dust or dirt trapped in there. If so we might as well address that before we put everything back together.

In this case we can see there is some dust trapped internal to the lens assembly not just on the surface so we need to go further.

If your lens looks good, stop here and reassemble the camera. The next task is not for the faint of heart, we'll be venturing into the delicate world of lens internals, where one wrong move could spell disaster.

Lens Teardown

The lens assembly is held to the rest of the camera by three screws and a flex cable. Once it is removed we can set the rest of the camera aside.

Lens assembly removed

Flex cable connecting the Zoom motor to the lens assembly.

The Zoom Motor unit is attached with two screws and a flex cable.

Master Flange removed from the lens assembly.

The Master Flange can be removed by unhooking a flex cable, and removing four screws

Rotary frame removed

Fix Cam Frame removed.

First lens frame removed

Third lens frame removed

Second lens frame removed

Now that the lens is completely disassembled we can carefully clean each one of the lens elements. It's best to use air to remove the dust and debris if possible, and only resort to a soft clean microfiber cloth if absolutely necessary. In this case I did need to wipe the lens with a cloth as the dust was stubborn. When using compressed air make sure the air source is clean and dry and does not have any oils.

First lens before

First lens after

Second lens before

Second lens after

Reassembly and Testing: A Tragic Twist

With the sensor sparkling and those dust bunnies banished, it's time to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. We carefully reassemble the camera, making sure everything is snug and secure, just like it was before we unleashed our cleaning fury. Reassembling the lens was a time consuming process as everything needs to be lined up just right to go back together. Attaching the Master Flange was the most challenging as it didn't seem to want to settle into place despite refitting several times. A little gentle pressure and it seemed to click into place. From there is was a matter of reinstalling the sensor and putting the frame back together.

Finally, the moment of truth! We power up the camera, eager to admire our handiwork... and... gasp... the lens cover doesn't fully open, and the camera reports a 'Zoom error'. Disaster! It seems our cleaning triumph has been cut short.

But fear not, we're not giving up just yet. Like any good detective, we'll retrace our steps, searching for clues to this unexpected turn of events. It wasn't until I took apart the lens assembly that I saw the culprit – a broken plastic tab on the Fix Cam Frame. I guess the 'click' of the Master Flange going into place wasn't a click at all but a snap of doom.

Snap. Not click.

Gosh (and some other words)

Unfortunately I don't think the part is repairable, it's to precise, and too delicate for any methods I have at my disposal. Replacements are not available, and the value of the unit doesn't justify heroic measures like trying to model and 3D print a replacement. So it seems like the cleaning mission was a failure and we are left with a handful of parts for spares and repairs, a victim of a tiny plastic tab and the cruel hand of fate.

The moral here? Cleaning the sensor is a pretty simple job that can be handled by most, but I encourage you to seriously consider the task before you start taking the lens apart.