RX1 RX1RII sensor dust removal
p.2 #1RX1 RX1RII sensor dust removal
Bravo for having the courage to tackle this repair. Just viewing the detailed teardown photo's makes me nervous. 
Thanks for taking the time to post the details.
I was lucky that the RX1RII I had did not have this problem and was clean at f16. If it did have dust, a high percentage of my shots are nearly wide-open, and for the ones stopped-down, I would have probably created a Lightroom spot removal mask to delete the spots.
Thanks for taking the time to post the details.
I was lucky that the RX1RII I had did not have this problem and was clean at f16. If it did have dust, a high percentage of my shots are nearly wide-open, and for the ones stopped-down, I would have probably created a Lightroom spot removal mask to delete the spots.
Sep 15, 2025 at 06:47 PM
p.2 #2RX1 RX1RII sensor dust removal
Fred Miranda wrote:
The second weak point is the speaker at the bottom of the camera, which can be sealed from the inside with tape. The third is the pair of microphone holes on the top plate. Covering them will block stereo audio recording, but you can always use an external shotgun mic on the hot shoe. After cleaning the sensor, I recommend making these modifications to help prevent new dust from getting inside.Thinking about it more, that black tape might actually be the “fix” Sony used for the well-known light leak issue. They recalled the initial RX1R II cameras, and it is possible that the only step they took to stop the leak was adding that tape. It may not have been intended to prevent dust from reaching the sensor at all. In which case, once that black tape is removed during sensor cleaning, it's a good idea to replace it with a new one.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3953338#forum-post-57126129
The oneI I had was the piano black one. I hated it... I've skinned it so it would be more akin to the newer version.
Never knew that a another finish existed.
Fred Miranda wrote
I've been evaluating where dust can easily enter this camera, and I see three main points. The first is the pop-up EVF, which has gaps around it that allow dust inside. That's likely why Sony added the black tape on the top left side of the board that holds the sensor on the opposite side (see image marked in red). The tape doesn't seem to serve much purpose other than shielding that area from dust entry. I added more tape around the edges to give the sensor extra protection.The second weak point is the speaker at the bottom of the camera, which can be sealed from the inside with tape. The third is the pair of microphone holes on the top plate. Covering them will block stereo audio recording, but you can always use an external shotgun mic on the hot shoe. After cleaning the sensor, I recommend making these modifications to help prevent new dust from getting inside.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3953338#forum-post-57126129
The oneI I had was the piano black one. I hated it... I've skinned it so it would be more akin to the newer version.
Never knew that a another finish existed.
Sep 15, 2025 at 07:04 PM
p.2 #3RX1 RX1RII sensor dust removal
Notice how precisely the calibration shims are designed. This one shows the bottom shim (0.24). It's engineered to lock into place so it won't shift when the sensor board is mounted on top. Once the board is seated, you can still see the shim edges, confirming they're correctly positioned. The tolerances here are extremely tight. If the shims are misplaced or installed in the wrong order, the sensor and lens alignment will be lost...and only Sony can properly recalibrate it. (They have a special internal software designed for this)
I tested the camera after reassembly and the alignment is spot on (100% centered). There's no issue as long as the shims aren't lost or misplaced - best practice is to photograph them immediately, noting their position and thickness.That's my biggest concern with sending it to a third-party tech...unless it goes to Sony's Precision Camera.
I tested the camera after reassembly and the alignment is spot on (100% centered). There's no issue as long as the shims aren't lost or misplaced - best practice is to photograph them immediately, noting their position and thickness.That's my biggest concern with sending it to a third-party tech...unless it goes to Sony's Precision Camera.
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Sep 16, 2025 at 08:27 AM
p.2 #4RX1 RX1RII sensor dust removal
Latouf wrote:
The second weak point is the speaker at the bottom of the camera, which can be sealed from the inside with tape. The third is the pair of microphone holes on the top plate. Covering them will block stereo audio recording, but you can always use an external shotgun mic on the hot shoe. After cleaning the sensor, I recommend making these modifications to help prevent new dust from getting inside.Thinking about it more, that black tape might actually be the “fix” Sony used for the well-known light leak issue. They recalled the initial RX1R II cameras, and it is possible that the only step they took to stop the leak was adding that tape. It may not have been intended to prevent dust from reaching the sensor at all. In which case, once that black tape is removed during sensor cleaning, it's a good idea to replace it with a new one.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3953338#forum-post-57126129The oneI I had was the piano black one. I hated it... I've skinned it so it would be more akin to the newer version.
Never knew that a another finish existed.
If you prefer the textured matte finish (like on my A7CR), look for higher serial numbers from the later production runs. For example, this one is 7360332. My own copy, the one I disassembled, is 6314xxx, which came from a late-2016 or early-2017 batch.
This one "7360xxx" seemed brand new but the EVF didn't work at all. There was also dust in the sensor, likely from factory.
Fred Miranda wrote
Fred Miranda wrote
I've been evaluating where dust can easily enter this camera, and I see three main points. The first is the pop-up EVF, which has gaps around it that allow dust inside. That's likely why Sony added the black tape on the top left side of the board that holds the sensor on the opposite side (see image marked in red). The tape doesn't seem to serve much purpose other than shielding that area from dust entry. I added more tape around the edges to give the sensor extra protection.The second weak point is the speaker at the bottom of the camera, which can be sealed from the inside with tape. The third is the pair of microphone holes on the top plate. Covering them will block stereo audio recording, but you can always use an external shotgun mic on the hot shoe. After cleaning the sensor, I recommend making these modifications to help prevent new dust from getting inside.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3953338#forum-post-57126129
Never knew that a another finish existed.
If you prefer the textured matte finish (like on my A7CR), look for higher serial numbers from the later production runs. For example, this one is 7360332. My own copy, the one I disassembled, is 6314xxx, which came from a late-2016 or early-2017 batch.
This one "7360xxx" seemed brand new but the EVF didn't work at all. There was also dust in the sensor, likely from factory.
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Sep 16, 2025 at 08:34 AM
p.2 #5RX1 RX1RII sensor dust removal
My camera is RX1 (the 1st generation) and the internal battery is going down. Do you know the type of internal battery for RX1? Thank you.
Oct 13, 2025 at 07:05 AM