The shutter is the only part of a mirrorless camera that moves every time you take a picture. It is mechanical, and it wears out. On the Sony A7 III and A7 II it is one of the most common faults we see, and it usually turns up on the worst possible day: in the middle of a wedding or on the first day of a trip.
The good news is that the shutter can be replaced. The rest of the camera, the sensor, the electronics and the lens mount, is usually fine.
How a broken shutter shows
Most people notice it in one of these ways:
- “Camera Error. Turn power off then on.” The message appears the moment you press the shutter button, and comes back after a restart.
- Black or half-black photos. The image is completely black, or a dark band runs across the top or bottom. That happens when the shutter blades don’t fully clear the frame.
- Black screen and black viewfinder. On a mirrorless camera the shutter stays open while you look through it. If it is stuck closed, you see nothing, even before you take the picture.
- A different sound. A click that sounds hollow, scraping or doubled, or no click at all.
With the lens off you can sometimes see it directly: a blade that sits crooked or is bent. Don’t touch it, and don’t blow into the camera. Right behind the shutter sits the sensor, and that costs far more than the shutter.
Check this first
“Camera Error” doesn’t always mean the shutter. Before you book anything, try three things:
- Take the battery out for half a minute and put it back. That resets the camera more thoroughly than the power switch.
- Try another lens, or no lens. Dirty or damaged lens contacts can cause the same error. Without a lens, the setting for releasing the shutter without a lens has to be on.
- Update the firmware if the camera isn’t running Sony’s latest version.
If the error goes away after any of these, it wasn’t the shutter. If it comes back every time, and especially if the photos are black or have a dark band, it points very clearly at the shutter.
Still not sure? Book anyway. If it turns out not to be the shutter, we tell you before we replace anything, and you get the money for the shutter replacement back.
How long does a shutter last?
Sony rates the A7 III shutter at around 200,000 shots. That is an average, not a promise. Some shutters last far longer, others give up earlier, especially in cameras that shoot a lot of bursts or have taken a knock.
The camera doesn’t show how many shots it has taken. The number is stored in your image files’ metadata, and free online tools can read it from a JPEG straight out of the camera. Useful to know when you buy or sell a used body.
Note: after the shutter is replaced, the camera still shows the old number. The counter lives in the camera, not in the shutter, and we don’t reset it. A camera with a new shutter and a high count is not a worn camera.
Can’t I just use the electronic shutter?
On the A7 III you can switch to silent shooting and take photos without the mechanical shutter, as long as the shutter is open. That can save a day. It is no long-term fix: fast subjects come out skewed, some lights cause stripes in the image, and flash doesn’t work.
If the shutter is stuck closed, it doesn’t help, because the blades cover the sensor. The A7 II has no fully electronic shutter at all, so a shutter replacement is the only way.
What we do
We replace the whole shutter unit with an original Sony shutter. It is the same part Sony uses, and it fits both the A7 III and the A7 II. Afterwards we test the camera at every shutter speed and in burst mode before it goes back to you.
The work happens at our workshop, because the camera has to come fully apart and go back together with clean air around the sensor. That’s why we don’t do it at your home. We pick the camera up at your address and bring it back when it’s ready. You don’t need to post anything.
The shutter and the work carry a 1-year warranty.
What it costs
Pick your model below to see the price and book straight away. The price is fixed: VAT and the part are included, any call-out fee shows when you enter your address, and nothing is added afterwards. Getting the price costs nothing, and you don’t pay for a quote.
See also the pages for the Sony A7 III and the Sony A7 II.
Have another Sony, such as an A7 IV, A7R III or A9? They don’t use the same shutter. Pick Camera and Sony in the price calculator and describe the fault, and we’ll send you a price.
Is it worth it?
On an A7 III, almost always. A used body typically costs twice a shutter replacement or more, and with a new shutter the camera has thousands of shots ahead of it again.
On an A7 II the sums are tighter, because used bodies are cheaper. If the rest of the camera is in good shape and you like it, it still makes sense. If you’re thinking of upgrading anyway, the money may be better spent on a newer body. We’ll tell you if we think you shouldn’t bother.