T70 / tx9 touch screen visibility problems - patchy somewhat iridescent hazing

Question

I currently own a tx9 that has served me well for a year and a half.   in the past few months, the surface of the touch screen developed an iridescent patchy filmy look  that interferes with my ability to know if the picture I am about to take is in crystal clear focus, and as you might imagine, my photos have suffered as a result. the screen functions, and in certain lighting conditions (indirect mid morning light inside my house) I can mostly see what's going on, but generally, it is as though I am taking pictures mostly on faith, and do not know how the images look for certain from a clarity perspective until I upload them to my pc.  think of my problem as sort of an oil slick on water, but not swirly lore more like, peeling paint although nothing has peeled off that I am aware of)    is there anything at all that can help remedy this visibility problem or prevent it on future t series camera purchases? I have tried simply wiping it, using a lens cloth dampened with lens cleaner, and today just purchased a zagg screenprotector that I have yet not attempted to install as I ran across this forum.    i have for the most part kept my camera in a lined carrying case when not in use and in travels.  is it advisable to use a screen protector for the oled screen on the tx66? if so, what kind? ( I honestly would prefer to salvage my tx9 if possible and not shell  out the three hundred   plus dollars for the tx66, especially if this happens again in only two years..and I would hate to have to start looking at other brands.  my first Sony, the t70, also had similar problems and I willingly upgraded for the improvement in light sensitivity, but I really am ok with the tech in my tx9 otherwise ) .  

Answer 1

There are MANY of us that have experienced the same issue.  This is NOT simply damage to the screen due to misuse, it is a failure of the anti-reflective coating.  We experienced this with a previous version of the Sony Cybershot and the store we purchased through advised us that the problem had been corrected on the new models.  As we have all found out, the touch screen on the Sony cameras has a serious durability issue and Sony has washed their hands of the problem.  We will not buy another sony camera again.  It's too bad, because the camera is really nice as a pocket camera and performs well otherwise.  Had we known that this was going to be an issue, we would have installed a protective film while it was new or simply chosen another camera.  We liked the simplicity of the touch screen but the failure of the anti reflective coating makes the screen almost unusable in areas where there is a lot of light.  The only solution that we have been able to find is to use a very fine polishing compound and remove the residual coating.  It means that the screen will have reflections but it will at least be more usable.  Toothpaste and a soft rag will remove the patchy areas of the coating that remains.  A touch sensitive screen should be a lot more durable than the one that Sony has been shipping. Sony has really done a disservice to their customers that have spent good money for a product that has a known failure problem.  What's worse is that they deny that there is an issue.  We all know better.