The Hamster Clinic (or the Repair Advice Thread)

dinneenp

Hi,
Pentax K-7- SD card slot problems.
At first a card wouldn't pop out properly.
I'd push it in (& expect it to pop out) and it'd pop 1/2 out.
I'd push it in again and after a few pushes it'd pop out.

today putting a card in it didn't stay in.
I pushed (not forced) it in again & it stayed in.
Now it won't come out....I haven't tried a lot to get it out yet.

I'm guessing a spring is broken?
cheers,
Pa.

zerohamster

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,
Pentax K-7- SD card slot problems.
At first a card wouldn't pop out properly.
I'd push it in (& expect it to pop out) and it'd pop 1/2 out.
I'd push it in again and after a few pushes it'd pop out.

today putting a card in it didn't stay in.
I pushed (not forced) it in again & it stayed in.
Now it won't come out....I haven't tried a lot to get it out yet.

I'm guessing a spring is broken?
cheers,
Pa.

Hi Pa,

Does the card recognise in camera?
I'm just trying to figure out if it could be caused by a bent contact in the card slot or the eject mechanism itself.

pansyflower

Any update on this, or is it a lost cause?

"Panasonic TZ7
Re circular menu selector switch, the section at 3 o'clock (for flash etc) doesn't work. It depresses like the other sections but doesnt function."

Any ideas?

dinneenp

zerohamster wrote: »

Hi Pa,

Does the card recognise in camera?
I'm just trying to figure out if it could be caused by a bent contact in the card slot or the eject mechanism itself.

Hi,
yes, it recognises it and still works.
Pa.

popsicklegirl

Make: Canon

Item: DSLR Body

Model: 40D

Fault: Damaged Circuit Board

I accidentally pulled the cable out of my 40D and damaged the usp connection and this has apparently damaged the circuit board.
Is there anywhere in Dublin that can fit a new circuit board relatively quickly.
The camera has already been in a repair center for the past 6 weeks and it looks as if it will be another six to eight weeks before it's fixed s they now want to send it to the UK. Can anybody help please?????

zerohamster

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,
yes, it recognises it and still works.
Pa.

Hi Pa,
It could be a tiny piece of debris blocking the mechanism or the actual mechanism is damaged but in either case you should still be able to remove the card without the eject mechanism. Just be careful not to apply too much force as you don't want to damage the card or camera.
When the card is out you should have a clear view into the slot and if you see anything oddly bent or a piece of debris that will be the culprit.
Either way, if you get the card out let me knoe what you can see inside and if not I can try to get it out for you and have a look.

zerohamster

popsicklegirl wrote: »

Make: Canon

Item: DSLR Body

Model: 40D

Fault: Damaged Circuit Board

I accidentally pulled the cable out of my 40D and damaged the usp connection and this has apparently damaged the circuit board.
Is there anywhere in Dublin that can fit a new circuit board relatively quickly.
The camera has already been in a repair center for the past 6 weeks and it looks as if it will be another six to eight weeks before it's fixed s they now want to send it to the UK. Can anybody help please?????

Hey,

What I would do if you needed it as quick as possible is to just either let it run it's course or send it to the UK yourself.

Basically the USB connector is attached to the main PCB and if that is damaged and needs replacing then they need to replace the entire main PCB which requires service software and not all places will have this let alone have access to it.
If speed is your main concern then either post it to the UK yourself or let the current place do the same but either way you will be waiting a similar amount of time (provided the current place have already sent it).

If you can do without using the usb slot on the camera then just use it as you would as it is expensive to have the mainboard replaced due to the part being pricey and the software needed to do the repair also being pricey. There is also one other factor, some service software connects through the usb slot so if that is damaged then you have to recalibrate the camera from scratch rather than just copy the calibration data over to the new board.

Calvin001

Make: Panasonic
Model: Lumix DMC-TZ5

Item: Focus

Fault: when i turn on the Camera, a message comes up on the screen telling me to "Please turn camers off and then on again". No matter how many time i tried this the answer is the same. aslso, when i turn it off, the lens doesn't reteact, and there is a slight "grinding" sound from it...

When/how it happened: were just back from a weeks staycation, and it may have gottin sand into it on the beach... I bought it off e-bay c.5 years ago.

Not sure whether i should get a good set of screwdrivers and open it for a good cleaning, or send to the professionals???

moknowsphoto

Sigma lens for Sigma camera. I'm looking to convert a Sigma fitting to a Canon fitting so this lens fits my Canon Eos. There doesn't seem to be any conversion kits online so can anyone tell me if this is hard to do and if there might be someone that could do this? Thanks

zerohamster

Calvin001 wrote: »

Make: Panasonic
Model: Lumix DMC-TZ5

Item: Focus

Fault: when i turn on the Camera, a message comes up on the screen telling me to "Please turn camers off and then on again". No matter how many time i tried this the answer is the same. aslso, when i turn it off, the lens doesn't reteact, and there is a slight "grinding" sound from it...

When/how it happened: were just back from a weeks staycation, and it may have gottin sand into it on the beach... I bought it off e-bay c.5 years ago.

Not sure whether i should get a good set of screwdrivers and open it for a good cleaning, or send to the professionals???

Sounds like it needs a new lens assembly or at least something in the lens has failed/jammed.

Judging by the second hand prices of ~€130 and the part costing about €50 upward on ebay (used mostly) you may as well give it a go yourself as if you send it off for repair it would be costing you nearly the same as buying a second hand model (not that that can't fail too of course).
Other than that perhaps just sell the broken model on ebay with faults clearly stated, auction starting very low and knock the sale value off the price of a new model.
If you decide to go the repair route but not opening it up yourself PM me.

zerohamster

moknowsphoto wrote: »

Sigma lens for Sigma camera. I'm looking to convert a Sigma fitting to a Canon fitting so this lens fits my Canon Eos. There doesn't seem to be any conversion kits online so can anyone tell me if this is hard to do and if there might be someone that could do this? Thanks

So in theory this can work and people have done it but it isn't easy by the sounds of it.

For starters the Sigma lenses use EF protocol for focus so that is a start.
The mount is obviously different as are the contacts on the lens.
Using a canon ef mount won't line up screw wise so ideally you would need a sigma made canon mount specific to that lens (sigma may sell you one but they are hard to get parts from).
A canon mount would require modification (read accurate lathework, drilling, countersinking/milling and filing).
You would need an EF mount contact and wires to solder to the lens PCB and although a sigma made contact strip and mount would be ideal you probably won't be able to get one so you will need to make your own from wires/ribbon cable from a pc.

There are a good few factors that may not make this possible like if the mount is a different thickness you will have messed up focus and will need shims or if you can't work the new mount then you will be stopped dead in your tracks.
If the lens is a wide angle then it will be more forgiving of small inaccuracies with the flange distance.

In short you need:
-Soldering skills
-Accurate measuring
-Lathework/filing
-Accurate drilling
-A bit of logic to figure it out

Upon a short google search I came across something which may help you:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=37857279

Note that the canon EF mounts are different for most lenses (screw position usually remains consistant but thickness varies as does the back of the mount shape)

dinneenp

zerohamster wrote: »

Hi Pa,
It could be a tiny piece of debris blocking the mechanism or the actual mechanism is damaged but in either case you should still be able to remove the card without the eject mechanism. Just be careful not to apply too much force as you don't want to damage the card or camera.
When the card is out you should have a clear view into the slot and if you see anything oddly bent or a piece of debris that will be the culprit.
Either way, if you get the card out let me knoe what you can see inside and if not I can try to get it out for you and have a look.

Hi,
I can't manage to get the card out, I've tried with tweezers but to no joy.

Cheers,
Pa.

Monkey Sampan

Make: Canon

Item: Lens

Model: EF 50mm 1.8

Fault: Broke into two pieces

When/how it happened: Fell out of a bag, front side impact to the cap and focus ring, from a height of about 1m onto decking


From the first attached pic, is it repairable?
I think 3 of the clips have snapped off (top left, top right, bottom left)

second pic is just the impact to the front of the lens cap and focus ring



Is there anywhere in Cork City who repair lenses?

Could I do it myself?


I've seen this brief repair guide: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yospiff/3950553307/

But the angle of the photo and his broken English don't inspire confidence to attempt it as I hate working on delicate electronic devices

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks

zerohamster

dinneenp wrote: »

zerohamster wrote: »

Hi Pa,
It could be a tiny piece of debris blocking the mechanism or the actual mechanism is damaged but in either case you should still be able to remove the card without the eject mechanism. Just be careful not to apply too much force as you don't want to damage the card or camera.
When the card is out you should have a clear view into the slot and if you see anything oddly bent or a piece of debris that will be the culprit.
Either way, if you get the card out let me knoe what you can see inside and if not I can try to get it out for you and have a look.

Hi,
I can't manage to get the card out, I've tried with tweezers but to no joy.

Cheers,
Pa.

Hi Pa,

If you would like I could have a go at it?

zerohamster

Monkey Sampan wrote: »

Make: Canon

Item: Lens

Model: EF 50mm 1.8

Fault: Broke into two pieces

When/how it happened: Fell out of a bag, front side impact to the cap and focus ring, from a height of about 1m onto decking


From the first attached pic, is it repairable?
I think 3 of the clips have snapped off (top left, top right, bottom left)

second pic is just the impact to the front of the lens cap and focus ring



Is there anywhere in Cork City who repair lenses?

Could I do it myself?


I've seen this brief repair guide: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yospiff/3950553307/

But the angle of the photo and his broken English don't inspire confidence to attempt it as I hate working on delicate electronic devices

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks

First of all try the lens on the body and is the motor functioning?

If it is and the gears don't look chipped you can fix it albeit in a DIY fashion.

If 3 clips are broken it is pretty unlucky but you can still repair it to a functional state.
You will need epoxy resin (small amounts) and some very thin strips of metal or plastic.

Basically there is a notch on one side of the lens and the opposing gap on the main part of the lens that you will be lining up.

Make sure the focus ring is rotated so that the guides are at the top of the ramp (as if the front element would be flush with the focus ring).
Aplly small amounts of glue to the thin strips of metal and place them so that they bridge the outer part of the broken clip to the main body (where the clip would sit over). This will act as a permenant fix to the problem however be very careful not to get glue on the ramp and not to bridge the gap where the ramp is as this is where the mechanism will need freedom from obstruction or it won't focus.

Other than that if you don't feel confident drop me a PM.

kupus

Make: Canon

Item: Powershot

Model: Powershot SX40HS

Fault: The flash does not work

When/how it happened:

This is my oh camera and she bought in USA about 4 months ago. Now flash worked perfectly for 3 months and in the last month just did not work. It did not fall or was abused in any way. She tried resetting to the default mode but still nothing.
She still gets the message to raise flash when needed but when she does it refuses to take the photo until she puts the flash down. Otherwise the camera is working perfectly.

Does anybody have any ideas.
Thanks.

grapefruitmoon

Make: Minolta

Item: SLR Body

Model: X300s

Fault: Worn out/blown capacitor

When/how it happened: the camera is quite old; it could have happened anytime in the last 10 years.

I initially thought that it just needed a new battery but when I got one for it, the camera still wouldn't power on. I have read that the capacitor blowing/wearing out is a common problem with the X300s. I have never used it before however, it was passed down to me recently.

I am seeking advice on how/where to get a new capacitor for it and if there is somewhere/someone in Dublin who might be able to solder it.

Doing a bit of traveling on September 21st for a few weeks and was hoping to bring the camera along. Any additional advice on length of time it might take to fix or price would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I found some information on the problem here http://www.twid.de/x700/#fixc (see X300 info) but am not particularly savvy when it comes to capacitor values etc.

Thanks very much.

zerohamster

kupus wrote: »

Make: Canon

Item: Powershot

Model: Powershot SX40HS

Fault: The flash does not work

When/how it happened:

This is my oh camera and she bought in USA about 4 months ago. Now flash worked perfectly for 3 months and in the last month just did not work. It did not fall or was abused in any way. She tried resetting to the default mode but still nothing.
She still gets the message to raise flash when needed but when she does it refuses to take the photo until she puts the flash down. Otherwise the camera is working perfectly.

Does anybody have any ideas.
Thanks.

Heya, sorry for the late reply on this. I keep not getting notifications randomly for Pms and threads.
Sounds like the bulb had blown or possibly the capacitor. Either way some part of the flash circuit is malfunctioning.
does the flash prefire to focus at all or can you get the flash in any mode to physically give out light (if you could then it may point to a switch in the flash or a firmware issue).
Have you updated to the latest firmware if available for that model?

If none of that gives any results then I presume you have a US Canon warranty. Although I don't think you can send it for warranty repair here you can always ring Canon and enquire as to whether you can or if you would have to send it to Canon USA (I think they require a US address to post back to though).

zerohamster

grapefruitmoon wrote: »

Make: Minolta

Item: SLR Body

Model: X300s

Fault: Worn out/blown capacitor

When/how it happened: the camera is quite old; it could have happened anytime in the last 10 years.

I initially thought that it just needed a new battery but when I got one for it, the camera still wouldn't power on. I have read that the capacitor blowing/wearing out is a common problem with the X300s. I have never used it before however, it was passed down to me recently.

I am seeking advice on how/where to get a new capacitor for it and if there is somewhere/someone in Dublin who might be able to solder it.

Doing a bit of traveling on September 21st for a few weeks and was hoping to bring the camera along. Any additional advice on length of time it might take to fix or price would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I found some information on the problem here http://www.twid.de/x700/#fixc (see X300 info) but am not particularly savvy when it comes to capacitor values etc.

Thanks very much.

Having looked at the link you provided it gives some helpful information and if you have any soldering experience yourself this would be a very easy job to do.

Ebay would be a good be a good bet for the capacitor (here) and the seller may be able to get it to you in that time frame. If you did get it in time I would be happy to help you out (I'm in Greystones) as most likely you wouldn't have it in time otherwise.

Alternatively if you don't want to travel that far a mobile phone repair/electronics repair store would definitely be able to do it if you had the link you posted here for them although they might not the able to do it short notice (considering the cap might take a while to arrive and only leave you a few days). Considering that though they might also have one of the same rating/size in shop and be able to do it. (the rating of the cap is important in this regard that a similar one might not be suitable).

Either way, if you want more details PM me and I'll see what I can do to help.

kupus

zerohamster wrote: »

Heya, sorry for the late reply on this. I keep not getting notifications randomly for Pms and threads.
Sounds like the bulb had blown or possibly the capacitor. Either way some part of the flash circuit is malfunctioning.
does the flash prefire to focus at all or can you get the flash in any mode to physically give out light (if you could then it may point to a switch in the flash or a firmware issue).
Have you updated to the latest firmware if available for that model?

If none of that gives any results then I presume you have a US Canon warranty. Although I don't think you can send it for warranty repair here you can always ring Canon and enquire as to whether you can or if you would have to send it to Canon USA (I think they require a US address to post back to though).

Thanks ZH for the reply

THe flash does not work in any mode whatsoever. All combinations on the camera was tried and each result was the same no flash.....

Updating to new firmware, I wouldn't have a clue where to begin to do that, I'm afraid email is as techie as I get. But since it is basically brand new, it shouldnt need to be updated, right?

Sending it back to Canon USA, lol, I live in the balkans it wouldnt pass the post office before it will be swiped.

So maybe the bulb is broken in that case is that a big job?

pullandbang

@zerohamster - check your PMs

dinneenp

@Zerohamster- PM sent about Pentax K-7 card slot problems.
I'll post it to you as soon as you reply saying it's ok to.
Thanks in advance.
I'll buy you a drinkn or two if you're at the Boards Photobook night, you're a lifesaver

GBX

Make: Nikkor

Item: Lens

Model: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G

Fault: Autofocus not working

I bought the above lense 2nd hand, but the autofocus does not seem to work. Im a noob to photography and didnt know any better. Can this be repaired? Is it a big job? Where would be recommended?

Thanks in advance for any replies

vic20

What body are you using?

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70300g.htm
"Note: Does not autofocus with the new Nikon D40, D40x or D60"

GBX wrote: »

Make: Nikkor

Item: Lens

Model: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G

Fault: Autofocus not working

I bought the above lense 2nd hand, but the autofocus does not seem to work. Im a noob to photography and didnt know any better. Can this be repaired? Is it a big job? Where would be recommended?

Thanks in advance for any replies

GBX

vic20 wrote: »

What body are you using?

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70300g.htm
"Note: Does not autofocus with the new Nikon D40, D40x or D60"

GBX wrote: »

Make: Nikkor

Item: Lens

Model: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G

Fault: Autofocus not working

I bought the above lense 2nd hand, but the autofocus does not seem to work. Im a noob to photography and didnt know any better. Can this be repaired? Is it a big job? Where would be recommended?

Thanks in advance for any replies

I'm using a Nikon D3100

vic20

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm#dslr

Your lens is an AF so no autofocus with a D3100.

GBX wrote: »

I'm using a Nikon D3100

GBX

vic20 wrote: »

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm#dslr

Your lens is an AF so no autofocus with a D3100.

GBX wrote: »

I'm using a Nikon D3100

That makes sense why it won't work so ..thanks

vic20

It'll work fine on manual. You'll get the hang of it soon enough. Wouldn't mind one myself

GBX wrote: »

That makes sense why it won't work so ..thanks

GBX

vic20 wrote: »

It'll work fine on manual. You'll get the hang of it soon enough. Wouldn't mind one myself

Yeah, Ive been getting fine pics .. just thought it should be auto focus as well. thanks

gsxr1

Hi. panic is setting in.

I took the back off my 1000d and removed the board to see if the usb port could be fixed.

the usb socket fell out . All connections where broken.

After clipping all the ribbon strips in again and screwing back together
the stutter repeats 3 times very fast and I get an error 99 message on the screen.
If i squeeze the case the stutter start firing again in rapid succession.

I took it apart again twice only to get the exact same bad result. T

The cam wont work with any button.

It was working fine before I started.

Help.