Problem, Solution and Help thread

*Sorry to the mods for making another thread on this, I couldnt edit the first post in the last one and wanted the first post to contain the information so please delete the old thread to save confusion.* This is a thread to solve or inform about all those common problems you come across on your photography travels and I aim to try and list as many common faults and problems and how they can be solved if and when possible.

As I get time I will update with more information and also would appreciate others contributions of problems/solutions or tips in regards to equipment maintenance or troubleshooting they have experienced.

On side note it would also be great if people posted previous faults and problems they have had, what models of camera/lens it was and if/how they solved them. With this information I could create a database of problems/solutions and have a good indicator of what models fail the most and why etc...
This will apply mostly to DSLRs but others will be listed as I go.

Troubleshooting:


Focus issues:

-Camera doesn't focus correctly and takes multiple tries to get correct focus.
-Camera sometimes keeps focusing continuously and never settles on one distance.
-Camera sometimes focuses normally and other times does the above.


This is a very common misconceived problem and most of the time is actually not a fault at all but simply an option changed by the user without knowing.
If you have never changed your camera's focusing mode then most likely the problem is that you or another user have changed this option to a different mode such as One Shot, AI Servo, AI Focus (for Canon) and AF-S, AF-C and AF-A (for Nikon).

If you are inexperienced with the different modes then most likely the mode you are looking for is One shot or AF-S as this will focus and lock the focus until the button is released from the half pressed state allowing recomposure of the scene.

If changing the setting on your camera will not work then check if the contacts on your lens/camera are dirty or have oxidisation on them, to clean the contacts and pins you can use isopropyl (100% is best), lab methanol or Eclicpse on a Q-tip which will remove oxidisation slowly but surely along with any grease or contaminants and should solve the problem.
If you do not have any of these solvents/cleaning liquids then you can use a rubber eraser which will remove the oxidisation quickly but will also cause the contact to oxidise faster due to sulfur being used in some rubber vulcanisation processes (according to here)
(gold pins on camera and pads on the lens for Canon and the reverse for Nikon with a platinum or silver colour coating).

If these solutions do not work then repair is needed.

lens error issues:

-Camera errors or does not function with a certain/all lenses.
-Lens is slugish to focus or seems to hunt and never lock focus.
-Lens causes an error when used between a certain focal length.


These faults and errors seem to be common enough.
As with all lens problems that involve communication between the camera body and lens you should clean the contacts and pins as mentioned in the Focus issues section and see if this solves the problem, this is a good process to start off with as it will save you a lot of trouble, time and money if it does fix the problem.

If the first option does not work then work out if it is just that lens, the body, or simply that body/lens combo by trying different lenses with different bodies and so on.

Now that you if the lens or body is at fault, you can proceed on. If the body is at fault repair is needed.
If the lens is at fault the make note of the manufacturer of the lens, sometimes Sigma and Tamron lenses (usually older models) can cause errors with certain bodies because they use a different communication standard then Canon or Nikon and will not work on some more modern camera bodies.

If the lens seems to always hunt more or is sluggish to focus then repair will be needed as there can be a variety of causes which are usually a damaged FPC (flexable printed circuit) or oxidisation on the zoom and focus coupling brushes which are like metal combs that run along contact strips and tell the camera what focal length and focusing distance the lens is at.
If the lens has been dropped there may be other physical obstructions causing blockage or distortion of metal barrels inside the lens and as a result jamming the lens or making it struggle to focus.

If the lens will not work between a certain focal range and causes and error then most likely the diaphragm FPC has been damaged and will require replacement.
If the lens is jamming between a certain focal range or auto/manual focus is jammed you probably have a physical blockage or warped barrel which will not be helped by using force or physical trauma as you will only damage more components by doing so and possibly ruining your lens.

Note: The Canon EF-S 17-85mm can be prone to erroring in the 17-24/35mm focal range as the diaphragm FPC can be damaged through normal use by repetetive folding inside the lens and is a design flaw as such.


Random common faults:

More force/pressure required when pressing shutter release:
Canon cameras XX0D and X0D range (Also Nikon cameras that have the same type of release button) that have a two stage clicking release button can have a common fault usually brought on by age/use that makes the shutter release button require much more force when pressing to get the camera to release and capture and image. This is caused by oxidisation and can be cleaned off but requires a good bit of dissasembly and as such isn't really a DIY fix as the button is not easily accessed inside.


Spongy release button:
For any cameras that have a shutter release button that clicks when pressed (Canon XX0D's,X0D's and Nikon models).
If when pressed the button feels spongey or is seemingly jammed down in a half press state then the rubber layer of the shutter release button has been worn through or penetrated by the bottom of the release button's plunger and will require a new switch or similarly a new rubber layer (taken from a new switch saving you the trouble of having to solder the old switch off). same dissassembly as the abover fault and not really a DIY fix either. Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes made, I am pretty tired writing this so there might be a few throughout the post.

I will add more info as I have time and as I think of new things to put down, I would love suggestions for other areas I have not mentioned so I can put them in and I would also be greatful if people could post details on their faults and if they had a solution that worked so I can make a database for public viewing on the most common faults and solutions etc...

Feel free to contribute if you like and I hope this helps or can inform people of what to look out for etc...

Regards