Repairing digital camera, information needed

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or can

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        Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

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        Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

The reason I'm asking here is that I've read that Canon charges so much for repair that it's not worth it. I also heard that because of that situation there were some internet groups that discussed do it yourself repairs...I'm trying to find those groups if I can't find someone who does repair work at a reasonable price.

jc

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cameras), or can

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cameras), or

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        Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

It would help to know the history of the camera. Was it dropped, sat on, or at the beach? Was it working then suddenly stopped? I've worked on a lot of digital cameras. To determine the problem with the zoom, disassemble the camera down to the lens module. Try to isolate the extension-retraction circuit and drive the motor from an external source. Usually you'll find the lens has broken tracking tabs on the main group barrel or retrofocus converter group or the ways or guides have cracked. I recently repaired a Nikon 4100 that responded nicely because the guide elements just snapped back into place. Usually they snap and break off or are already broken off because most are plastic. Some older ones are aluminum and can be bent back into shape but that takes quite a lot of experience. Sometimes there's just a piece of grit in the ways and you can revive it by complete disassembly and cleaning. Otherwise you might be looking on eBay for a parts camera with a good lens or mainboard. Richard

Hi Richard...

I don't know Canon's at all; know Olympus's pretty durned good, though.

Respectfully suggest that since the OP didn't mention any electronic experience at all, we should warn him about the flash cap before taking it apart. That thing will seriously get his attention, or worse! Don't ask me how I know.

Having said that, and warned him, I'd like to know what he means when he says the lens won't move. Could mean that the lens obviously tries to move, fails, and shuts down. Or doesn't even think about it.

If it tries to move and fails, then he surely has a lens problem. Likely a crack (invisible to the naked eye) in the outer barrel. Usually lets the ball bearing fall out of it's groove between the two barrels. Rattles a little if you gently shake the camera. Almost certainly needs the lens assembly replaced.

If it doesn't even try, but the rest of the camera operates normally, then I'd guess he's looking at the interconnection(s) between the mainboard and the lens motor(s). Connector pulled apart, cracked mainboard, or something.

If it doesn't even try and the rest of the camera is dead as a doornail, then perhaps the battery connections? Power board?

We need more info to help, but please, please original poster, don't take it apart unless and until you learn to deal with that flash capacitor.

Sorry for the long winded post.

Ken

Ken, Yah I've got a C-3000, 3030 and 4000 all with bad lenses. (they're prone to damage, plastic barrels one with that crack). All given to me by clients as too costly to repair. My current main camera is a C-3000 that I got on eBay to use the lens to fix the first 3000. It gave a "card error" but it turned out to have a fudge like substance on the contacts of the card reader. Easy fix. I find Nikons, Fujis, Sonys Toshibas and Olympus' easiest to work on in that order. Canons more of a pain and Kodaks even more bad board in a lot of those. Yes that flash cap is very dangerous. Here's a site on discharging it:

I use a 10W resistor I had laying around. This has become a hobby of mine, fixing broken digtals up and donating them to schools, hospitals, homeless shelters etc. Richard

The only ones I've worked on are the Nikons. I guess I got lucky. These jam up when dropped. I got mine that way; and a simple flick of gear train with my fingernail fixed it. After several years, it appears still to be fine.

For the record, it came on with a 'system error', or some such, message in the lcd and wouldn't move at all.

Good on you....

jak

Hey jak, Just for info, what were the model #s of the Nikons. Like I said the lens on the 4100 just popped back into place when I drove the motor from an external battery. It had been dropped so hard the shutter closure mechanism on the front of the lens was just gone. No other camera I work on will recover like that there will just be little broken pieces ratteling around in the lens barrel. Come to think of it there was a little piece that fell out but the lens seemed to function normally. If the lens if jammed and you power up the camera most I've worked on will try to bring the lens to the retracted position. Usually there are optical sensors on the main zoom element that sense this. If it dosen't get the end of travel signal or too much power is consumed the camera will give a system error or shut down. Richard