Fixed: Sony a7R / a7 Stuck Shutter “Camera Error Turn the Power off then On'

My Sony a7R mark 1 shutter curtain was stuck. Got error on screen “Camera Error, Turn the Camera off then ON”. I tried many things to make it work but it wasn't working. I called Sony and repair center, the total cost was over $400. I decided to buy the shutter assembly from eBay and repair it myself. So I open the Camera take a look if I need anything else but end-up fixing my camera.

If you have any question feel free to comment.

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#SonyA7R #Stuckshutter #CameraError #Fix

[thomaseganphotography]

An option to consider for those out there who did not drop or obviously break the shutter. I was photographing a wedding when a dust storm hit. Even though I didn't open the camera during the storm, the shutter curtain on my a7ii got stuck and wouldn't close, giving me the 'Camera Error, Turn the Camera off then ON' message. Since I knew the shutter hadn't been damaged but rather had some dust that was causing it to stick. I did the 'Turn the Camera off/on' cycle while holding a vibrator (it was actually a hair trimmer) against the side of the camera, which caused the shutter to work lose and drop. I had to do this a few times while gently blowing out the shutter area with a Giotto Bulb Air blower. Took about 10 attempts for it to stop sticking, but now the shutter is back to normal. Just saying.

[danielgawedzki]

Great job! I work as a camera technician and work on Sony in my free time, I'm impressed that someone with a lack of experience was able to replace the shutter with little issue.

[paulr]

I also started getting the “Camera Error Turn the Power off then On" error on my A6000. I bought the camera, new, a few months ago so it must have been in storage for several years - wonder if their lubricants deteriorate? It was happening with both the Sony battery and generic battery. It was OK after removing and replacing the battery, but would stick again after I'd left the camera untouched for a while. Eventually I tried this (when the camera was in 'working mode'): 1. Set "Release w/o Lens" to "Enable", switch camera off, remove the lens, use a blower inside the sensor area, around the edges (maybe a foreign body causing the shutter to stick?). 2. Remove the memory card - you'll get a "No Card" message, switch the camera on, switch Drive Mode to "Continuous", keep shutter release pressed down for as long as you like - you can see the shutter working. Having no card allows you to shoot almost indefinitely. I put all back to normal and not had the problem since - touch wood! Maybe this continuous firing helps the shutter blades to slide better.

[_danahmed]

7:27 Do I have to drink SunRype grape juice before I reassemble the camera, or can I use another brand?

[bransoncarlton]

I want to give you a gigantic thank you for your work producing one of the most helpful videos I've seen on YouTube. Sony is the culprit here. They don't give a damn about anything but money . There should be a class action suit about this issue. I don't have the money to be sending my camera off as I am retired so I really appreciate the top production values that you have shown here and I may buy the tools and do it myself . I believe that it may be a tension issue and I may try that first and leave the camera disassembled and buy a new shutter if that doesn't fix it. Perhaps you could do a mini video showing just how to adjust that mechanism? My initial error occurred when the camera was around freezing outside shooting the eclipse but I know others have had the issue in tropical situations, Thank you so much!

[Jmgantphotography]

This is a major problem that Sony needs to adjust. It's insane how often I see this pop up on various FB communties.

[jamespunderson]

Your video was super helpful for my camera fix. I have an A7RII, so the internals were a little bit different but between your video and an IFixIt page on the camera, I was able to do this fix. I tightened up on the one shutter screw that reduced the shutter return triggering force to just barely there. It seems to be working so far!
Prior to this fix the camera would take 8-10 shots before the shutter locked down. Hopefully this adjustment keeps it from locking up for a long time. It will be a huge relief to not have to send the camera out or buy a new one. Thanks very much!

[markeugster]

Thank you so much for posting this! This is the best resource I've found so far for fixing my A7R. Thanks to you I've been able to extend it's life for much longer. Excellent video!

[genesisflix]

Mine got stuck. Took about two hours of trial and error. This is dangerous, so if you can send it in for repair, do that. My backup cameras were all Canon 70Ds and 5D2s, and i needed to shoot a video so i didn’t want the loss of quality. The solution i came up with: when the camera turns on, with the lens off, would slide the battery in and slap it against my thigh at the exact moment the shutter would attempt an actuation. I spent an hour and some change trying to pry it with tweezers. This worked after 3 knee slaps, and the first thing i did was go to menu and select quiet shutter.

[jozefbak]

Great video! Respect for taking this challenge. At least, I learn the the Sony Alpha is fixable with the basic tools. Good to know!

[emilspec]

You have to post the break down and assembly process in normal speed as well please

[majorkeystudios]

Just spent 2 hours doing this and it worked! Thanks so much

[Earthstoriesbydev]

I just don't have the guts to put a screwdriver in my camera, I have an A6000 and same problem, also it starts working after I remove and put back the battery a few times, any other suggestions?

[zoobiewa]

So the problem was that there was a screw that got slightly loose on the original shutter? I wasn't clear if you used a brand new shutter or repaired the old one. It looks like you repaired the old one.

[Polygarden]

Thanks alot! This video was very helpful. I have the same issue on my Sony A7R. I tried everything and ended up buying myself a replacement shutter unit too and it fixed all issues. The shutters seem not very durable on the Sony models and I wish the error messages would be more precise at least.

[robwazny]

Thanks for this video and the links. I wish you had not sped up the process so fast though. I had trouble following . You can't go frame by frame on you tube just second by second. Just took mine apart but found the top 2 blades are damaged. Found replacement blades on ebay but I think I should just order the entire assembly.

[ericasundrop]

Am i the only one who is freaking out about the solution to this problem???
Much respect to Farooq and everyone who is able to completely disassemble and reassemble their camera but my god, if i tried this myself i would literally be throwing money down the drain cos most likely i wouldn't be able to put it back together again!
so sad about this stupid curtain issue :(

[thibtihb]

I have the same problem with a7r mkII but the curtain goes up when the batteries are taken out. It seems my issue is somewhat weather/humidity dependent.
I certainly do not have your handling skills nor confidence so use the electronic curtain in very cold or very humid conditions. It is not a real solution but I can still use the camera.
Thanks a million for sharing your findings!

[dawsoncreekinthephilippines]

Awesome Job on the repair, :-). and Great choice of drink ;-)

[roberthanusen]

In my case when I switched the lenses camera was working ok, so it was not problem with my camera but lens. When I updated my lens firmware everything is perfect.