Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning

Introduction

Sometimes, dust appear on all your pictures. It may only be a dust on the sensor. It's quite quick to remove. To check if the issue is coming from a sensor dust, you must have a blurry dot on all your pictures, that may or may not change in size and shape with different aperture. Check first that the dust is not on the lens.

What you need

Step 1 Opening the Camera

Remove all screws from the bottom, sides and top of the camera. All screws don't have the same size, be careful when replacing them.
Pull gently but firmly the back cover of the camera to remove it and reveal the inside.

Edit

Step 2 Removing the button block and screen

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Removing the button block and screen: step 2, image 1 of 3

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Removing the button block and screen: step 2, image 2 of 3

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Removing the button block and screen: step 2, image 3 of 3

Remove the plastic part with all buttons.
Lift up the the buttons block from the left side, to access its ZIF connector.

Edit

Step 3 Removing the button block and screen

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Removing the button block and screen: step 3, image 1 of 2

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Removing the button block and screen: step 3, image 2 of 2

With a plastic spudger, open the ZIF connector and release the button block. It opens from the right side - the black part is to be gently lifted up.

Edit

Step 4 Removing the Screen

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Removing the Screen: step 4, image 1 of 3

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Removing the Screen: step 4, image 2 of 3

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Removing the Screen: step 4, image 3 of 3

Lift up the screen from the left side, to access its two ZIF connectors.
Open the small and the large ZIF connectors with a spudger.
The small connector is opened by lifting the black part.
The large connector is released thanks to the orange part. This longer connector needs to be opened carefully.

Edit

Step 5 Accessing the main PCB

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Accessing the main PCB: step 5, image 1 of 2

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Accessing the main PCB: step 5, image 2 of 2

Remove the screws maintaining the last metal protection.

Edit

Step 6 Releasing the image sensor

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Releasing the image sensor: step 6, image 1 of 3

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Releasing the image sensor: step 6, image 2 of 3

Nikon CoolPix P310 Sensor Replacement or Cleaning, Releasing the image sensor: step 6, image 3 of 3

Remove the 3 screws to release the image sensor PCB.
Release the ZIF connector lifting it up gently using a plastic spudger.
You can then remove the image sensor and clean it. Avoid to scratch the sensor or the inner lens glass, as these would be unrepairable damages.