Sticky buttons - suggestions please!

Hi All,

I stupidly took my camera to a friend's wedding where I knew i'd be having a few alcoholic bevvies

Not disaster but I seem to have spilled some lager (or someone else's cider) on it. I the camera functions fine apart from two 'sticky' buttons.

The live view lever/switch - can just about be flipped and it needs manually pushing pack into place (it usually self returns to its home position)

The pop-up flash also does not pop, It easily releases if you help it with your nail whilst pressing the pop-up release button. - This is just a wipe out with an alcohol wipe in the housing and flash bracket.


So my question is - Do I live with a sticky live view lever or do I attack it? - anyone got any experience with sticky button combat?

I was thinking I could remove the battery, drop a small droplet of sensor cleaner on behind the lever and give it a good wiggle then wipe any excess.. But then I'm worried it'll help the dodgy substance to work further into the camera and cause more problems..


Of course - Prevention is better than cure, beer and cameras are never a good mix.. AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET MANY GOOD PHOTOS!! :very_drunk:

​Many thanks in advance!!

IF you do and try to clean it make sure you use something that will flash dry. Maybe some of the electronic switch cleaners? But if it were me and I did TRY and clean it I would make sure I held the camera upside down so that all fluid would flow off the camera instead of back into it.

To be clear: these thoughts are my own and don’t represent anyone or anything I’m associated with or will ever associate with and do not say you should try anything. Just saying what I might do.

You could try to wash out the stickiness with pure alcohol on either a Q-tip or an eye dropper. As Don said, make sure the "cleaner" is going to take the sugars (this is what makes it stick) out. Be gentle and just a bit at a time should be ok.

Or maybe phone Nikon and ask to speak to a tech so they can advice you better than me...

I would use a damp cloth (damp with water only) first in order to remove the sticky residue and once all the goo is gone I'd come at it with alcohol to displace the remaining water. Unfortunately, if you use alcohol to begin with you'll not remove any of the sugars since sugar is not very soluble in alcohol. Most cameras are very water resistant and using a damp cloth followed by a good drying should cause no trouble at all.

Good news!!

The pop-up just needed a wipe round the release catch

The live view lever: Removed the battery, put a few droplets of liquid alcohol (safe to use on PCBs/circuit boards) behind it gave it a few actuations until it felt normal/free again, Wiped off excess, Left it upside down for 10mins or so and battery back in, fired up and cha-ching! back to normal!

Thanks all, lesson learned..