Although I wouldn’t normally recommend removing the screws from Sony cameras there are times when this is something you need to do, for example to remove the microphone mount on an FX6.
Most of the small screws have a thread locking compound applied to the threads to prevent them from shaking or vibrating loose. This can make them hard to unscrew.
JIS NOT Phillips!!
The main issue is that most cross of the commonly found small and miniature head screw drivers are manufactured to the “Philips” standard. But the screws used on the Sony cameras are manufactured to the JIS standard. The differences between these two very similar looking standards means that you will not get a secure and tight fit between a Philips screw driver and a JIS screw head. The edges of a Philips screwdriver are at an angle that is too shallow to properly engage with the full depth of a JIS screw head. So when you try to undo a tight screw the head of the screw will deform or strip, often to the point where it can’t be undone.
Whenever working on Sony cameras you should use JIS standard screwdrivers and ensure the screwdriver is the correct size for the screws you are working with. The smaller screws used for thing like the microphone mount on the FX and Alpha series cameras are JIS size +0 or +00. A JIS size +0 seems to fit most but I would also get a +00.
Don’t try to use a miniature Philips screwdriver on a tight JIS screw. It might look like it fits, but only a very small part of the screwdriver head will be correctly engaged with the JIS screw and once the screw head is damaged you can’t undo the damage and it may become impossible to remove the screw without drilling it out.
If you search for “Vessel JIS” you should be able to find good quality small and miniature JIS screwdrivers on Amazon, ebay or from other suppliers.
I film in Japan regularly with my FS5, VG20 and NEX 5n. During a shoot some years ago, I urgently needed to remove something off a camera so I nipped down to the local 7-11 where I bought a cheap set of small screwdrivers that came with a larger, slip on handle for extra torque. I’m sure they were JIS standard as they did the job perfectly. If it had been a 7-11 here in AU, the set would have been made of soft, bright Chinese steel whereas that matt black Japanese set are still in perfect condition today after many years of great service. They remain my constant travelling companion.
Thank you for this info, Alister. I unfortunately found it after I’d already stripped one of my screws in attempting to install one of your well thought out FX6 mic mounts. Any ideas on how to extract a stripped JIS screw?