The Hamster Clinic (or the Repair Advice Thread)

zerohamster

M5 wrote: »

Hi all.

Make Canon

Model 5D3

Fault, jammed SD card bay

How it happened: It was sticky when putting in or removing an SD card for about a month. Then one card got stuck half way on removal. Managed to jimmy it out but the metallic guides at the front of the bay were damaged in the process and SD cards will no longer seat.

Also I bought the camera while in the USA and Canon Europe are dragging their heels about a warranty repair

Has anyone any suggestions on how/where to get this repaired and how much it might cost?

Just looking at the 5D MKIII parts diagram the SD PCB is a seperate unit to replace so it shouldn't be too expensive to replace.
If you want to PM me I can get you details.
I would also check in the SD slot for debris that may have caused the fault in the first place or check your cards for damage as you wouldn't want it to happen again after it getting fixed or on another camera.

zerohamster

Merch wrote: »

Make Canon
Model powershot A3000 IS
Problem, dropped camera, lens wont retract

Looking to see if there is a cheap way to get this fixed or how much it might cost, other than the lens not retracting and making a buzzing sound, the camera seems fine otherwise.
It gives a lens error. Is there a way to manually close the lens, I dont want to put pressure on it.

Im thinking it will be better to just get a replacement, but it seems a waste to dump the rest of the items as they seem ok. Id still like to repair it really, but I cant locate a lens after a quick search online, but Im not sure how much a lens would cost or how difficult/tedious it would to replace or if any specially designed tools are used.

If its a write off, is there anywhere that buys damaged cameras as the remaining parts (PCB's) are likely fine.

This is the part you need:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Black-Lens-Zoom-Unit-Repair-Part-for-Canon-A3000-A3100-IS-with-CCD-/251260292263?pt=Digital_Camera_Accessories&hash=item3a8047cca7

If you are comfortable doing the repair and know how to open the camera then you will save yourself a new camera but if not and you don't have any experience, I would advise against it as you will end up with something you can't even sell.

You don't really need any specialised tools for this type of thing but a crosspoint screwdriver is needed (similar to philips but fits the screws perfectly). You can use a good philips of the right size but it can easily strip a screw using philips.
Be very careful not to short anything on the circuits as they are quite sensitive and also be careful not to short the capacitor for the flash as it will hurt A LOT and also most likely burn out whatever the current travelled through to make a circuit with your fingers.

If you aren't confident to do it yourself PM me and I'll see what I can do.
Good luck!

Queen of Pots

This is a brilliant thread. I hope it's ok to post this here.

Make: Canon 7D
Item: DSLR Lens
Model: 18 - 135
Fault: Focusing ring jammed

I don't know what happened to cause the focus ring to jam. There's something rattling around in it. Also the filter is jammed tight onto it - that happened ages ago after it got a bit of a knock.

Can it be fixed do you think? I don't mind leaving the filter on, but the focus ring problem means I miss out on a lot of great shots.

Thanks!

gonzo1

gonzo1 wrote: »

Make: Nikon

Model: D60

Item: Lens Mounting Ring (AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR)

Fault: Damaged somehow while in Lowepro Slingshot Bag - Lens not mounted properly now.


Hi Folks as above, 2 little curved plastic pieces have broken off on the mounting ring, can it be repaired for a small price or am I looking at a new lens?

Camera body itself is fine, definitely wasn't dropped.

Thanks

Repaired Lens received back from Zerohamster today - as good as new. I will be recommending him to any of my friends and family who need camera repairs - thanks so much Zerohamster:)

zerohamster

Queen of Pots wrote: »

This is a brilliant thread. I hope it's ok to post this here.

Make: Canon 7D
Item: DSLR Lens
Model: 18 - 135
Fault: Focusing ring jammed

I don't know what happened to cause the focus ring to jam. There's something rattling around in it. Also the filter is jammed tight onto it - that happened ages ago after it got a bit of a knock.

Can it be fixed do you think? I don't mind leaving the filter on, but the focus ring problem means I miss out on a lot of great shots.

Thanks!

Glad you like it

Not really sure what could be wrong from the description as it seems it could be in two areas that is causing the jam.
Sounds like debris or a loose screw inside perhaps?
I'd be happy to take a look at it if you would like to PM me?

Queen of Pots

Thanks very much. I've sent you a PM now.

cscook

Cleaned camera collected from post office today, happy not to have that round smudge on my photos any more - and my back is happy not be carrying a DSLR and two lenses every day ;-)!
I'm so glad I thought to check Boards before sending the camera off to the recommended Canon agent in the UK!

Merch

zerohamster wrote: »

This is the part you need:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Black-Lens-Zoom-Unit-Repair-Part-for-Canon-A3000-A3100-IS-with-CCD-/251260292263?pt=Digital_Camera_Accessories&hash=item3a8047cca7

If you are comfortable doing the repair and know how to open the camera then you will save yourself a new camera but if not and you don't have any experience, I would advise against it as you will end up with something you can't even sell.

You don't really need any specialised tools for this type of thing but a crosspoint screwdriver is needed (similar to philips but fits the screws perfectly). You can use a good philips of the right size but it can easily strip a screw using philips.
Be very careful not to short anything on the circuits as they are quite sensitive and also be careful not to short the capacitor for the flash as it will hurt A LOT and also most likely burn out whatever the current travelled through to make a circuit with your fingers.

If you aren't confident to do it yourself PM me and I'll see what I can do.
Good luck!

Thanks for that info and link, It went to the back burner, only that someone else replied in the thread that I followed up again.

I dont really want to chuck it out, Im not certain what its worth as spares. Id prefer to have it repaired as Im certain its only the lens (lens open when i dropped it)
Id have some experience replacing boards in electronics, Id be careful of shorting or touching PCBs and any connections, especially a capacitor. I took a few screws out and carefully removing a PCB (with the battery removed) and a few connections but after that couldnt see where to proceed without forcing anything (but its small and fiddly), not sure if its got some plastic clips that need to be released.
I'll PM you to get specific details

ArtXus

Hi,

Make: nikon

Item: DSLR BODY

Model: D90

Fault: taking only half of picture another half is black - shutter opens halfway

When/how it happened: I was repairing broken lamp(it did not fire up) and touched a circut which had some charge in it, got shocked, dropped camera and end up crying like a baby)
Could you please how many trucks of money will this repair cost me? Is this repairable at all?

Please help - holiday season is almost there and I told my wife that I can fix it -no problem

Thank you for your time
artxus

zerohamster

ArtXus wrote: »

Hi,

Make: nikon

Item: DSLR BODY

Model: D90

Fault: taking only half of picture another half is black - shutter opens halfway

When/how it happened: I was repairing broken lamp(it did not fire up) and touched a circut which had some charge in it, got shocked, dropped camera and end up crying like a baby)
Could you please how many trucks of money will this repair cost me? Is this repairable at all?

Please help - holiday season is almost there and I told my wife that I can fix it -no problem

Thank you for your time
artxus

Hey,

Sorry for the later reply.
When you say you were repairing a lamp do you mean an LED, focus assist/anti red eye lamp or flash bulb on the camera?
I'm guessing you shorted the flash circuit and unleashed the charge of the capacitor on yourself.

The fault could be caused by mechanical or electronic damage from the drop or shock...or both so it is very hard to predict what is actually wrong with the camera (but is most likely shutter mechanism positioning or damage)

When you try to enter sensor cleaning mode what happens with the mirror/shutter?

Make: Canon

Item: DSLR Lens

Model: EOS 1100D

Fault: Here

Trotter

Delighted with my lens repair! Back in business again. Thanks a lot for your help!

Merch

zerohamster wrote: »

Hey,

Sorry for the later reply.
When you say you were repairing a lamp do you mean an LED, focus assist/anti red eye lamp or flash bulb on the camera?
I'm guessing you shorted the flash circuit and unleashed the charge of the capacitor on yourself.

The fault could be caused by mechanical or electronic damage from the drop or shock...or both so it is very hard to predict what is actually wrong with the camera (but is most likely shutter mechanism positioning or damage)

When you try to enter sensor cleaning mode what happens with the mirror/shutter?

Did you by any chance read the Pm I sent you regarding the canon A3000 IS or do you reckon its just a no go/BER.

amdgilmore

Make: Fuji
Type: Medium Format SLR
Model: GA645Zi

Issue
Focusing is out of alignment. Focus is slightly blurry at all focal lengths except infinity.

(Note: I don't own this camera yet, wondering firstly if it's worth my while buying at 240, and secondly if it can be fixed easily!)

wrmwit

Make: Sony

Item: Compact Camera

Model: Sony Exmor R

Fault: Dirt or dust has seemed to get lodged on the sensor so anytime I take shots, it shows up in the middle of the photo, and a speck of dust on each side of the photo. I have attached photos below as examples.

When/how it happened: A couple of weeks ago. I don’t know how it happened. One day it was fine, the next day I noticed the problem.

arcius

Make:
Canon

Item:
Lens

Model:
70-200 f4 IS

Fault:
The lens works well in horizontal position. But while in vertical, the focus slips both in Auto Focus and Manual Focus using focus ring.

When/how it happened:
Never realized this issue until last week when needed to take pictures while holding camera in vertical position. The lens was never dropped or damaged in any way.

wrmwit

wrmwit wrote: »

Make: Sony

Item: Compact Camera

Model: Sony Exmor R

Fault: Dirt or dust has seemed to get lodged on the sensor so anytime I take shots, it shows up in the middle of the photo, and a speck of dust on each side of the photo. I have attached photos below as examples.

When/how it happened: A couple of weeks ago. I don’t know how it happened. One day it was fine, the next day I noticed the problem.

I got it fixed after. I brought it into Comms and they blew air into it and it removed the dirt. Delighted so I am!

M5

another Happy zerohammer customer, 5d3 repaired with no issues!

Kerrydiva

Hello Zerohamster,

I bought my Canon EOS 400D back in 2007 from pixmania.com and it has worked fine. I have looked after it well as it is one of the most expensive things I own. However, a couple of weeks ago, I took it out to take a few shots and it wouldn't turn on, no light, nothing. I checked if the battery was charged, and also used the battery from a friend's camera, no joy so I presume it is not a battery issue.

I haven't dropped it or let it near water so I am flummoxed as to what the issue could be. Any thoughts or help on this would be gratefully accepted. I would like to get this repaired rather than having to invest in a new camera.

Thanks and regards!

acceber

Make: canon
Item: flash
Model: 60d
Fault : (err) in low light /nighttime conditions, flash will not work
When/how it happened: dropped in a moving vehicle whilst flash was open

Would really appreciate your help !!

zerohamster

acceber wrote: »

Make: canon
Item: flash
Model: 60d
Fault : (err) in low light /nighttime conditions, flash will not work
When/how it happened: dropped in a moving vehicle whilst flash was open

Would really appreciate your help !!

It's probably a switch that tells the camera that the flash is in the up position that is damaged or out of place which would cause this.

If you would like to PM me I can give you more details?

Kerrydiva

Make: Canon
Item: DSLR
Model: 400D
Fault: will not switch on, not battery related
How it happened: no idea, have not used the camera for a few months, has not been dropped or near water.

I paid a fair bit for it only six years ago and have looked after it well so your feedback/help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

dubtom

I was on to you over a year ago about a lens repair Mr Hampster but I never got around to getting it to you, hope it's not too late.
Make: Sigma
Item: lens
Model: 28-70 2.8 EX Canon fit
Fault. Auto focus doesn't work, it will focus manually and smoothly, and an AF point will register when focused. I had a sigma 70-200 2.8 with the same problem years ago,was told it was just grease that had dried out,I'm hoping this one is the same.

malene

Just had lens repaired, thanks zerohamster

martink281

Make: pentax

Item: camera

Model: Optio Rs1500

Fault: black screen when I turn on camera. Lens error appeared first time this happened but black screen since. Lens will not retract into camera when turning off.

When/how: About a week ago. Had on hols.

Doreen

philbk

Hi I have a Canon D40 digital SLR camera with an autofocus, image stabilized lens. One of my kids had the camera on the beach last week and some sand must have gotten into the autofocus mechanism. Now when taking a picture the camera tries to focus but is unable to do so. Where is the best place to take it to get the lens sorted?
Thanks

zerohamster

philbk wrote: »

Hi I have a Canon D40 digital SLR camera with an autofocus, image stabilized lens. One of my kids had the camera on the beach last week and some sand must have gotten into the autofocus mechanism. Now when taking a picture the camera tries to focus but is unable to do so. Where is the best place to take it to get the lens sorted?
Thanks

If you would like to PM me I can give you more details?

derek897

Hi, I have a pentax da* 55 mm f1.4. That has serious back focusing problem. Focus adjust of plus 10 doesn't fix it. Who or where can I send it to get it repaired
Derek

DesertMoon

Hi,

Can you help with my lens problem please?

Make: Nikon

Item: Kit Lens 18-55mm Nikkor AF

Model: D40

Fault: The lens will not focus, and when looking through the viewfinder everything is quite dark, also there is a rainbow "flower" design. Also the lens is stuck in the one position ie it will not zoom in and out. It is not a camera fault as I tried on my friend's lens and all works ok, so it must be a lens fault.

When/how it happened:
I have no idea. It was not dropped or anything. One day it was working (used on a daily basis), and the next this problem occurred.

I would appreciate any help as I have no other lens for my camera, and as I said I use it daily.

Thanks

zerohamster

derek897 wrote: »

Hi, I have a pentax da* 55 mm f1.4. That has serious back focusing problem. Focus adjust of plus 10 doesn't fix it. Who or where can I send it to get it repaired
Derek

Are you using this with an adapter or on a pentax body?