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Problem, Solution and Help thread
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19-10-2010 4:33am*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.*
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.BUYING USED DSLRs and VIDEO CAPABLE DSLRs:
For anyone new to buying a used camera there are a few things to be aware of that should be looked out for and payed attention to.
DSLR's like any other equipment have an expected lifetime before they will start to fail or need servicing. The main factor apart from the external condition and type of use the camera has gotten is the shutter actuations. Shutter actuations are the cycles of the shutter or the amount of times the shutter has been released to capture an image (regardless of whether an image was recorded or not).
This can easily be explained by using cars as an example. A car's engine has a lifetime in mileage/kilometerage and after a certain number say 200,000Km you are nearing the end of the expected lifetime, But...like all engines it might fail much earlier or later due to diversity in the material quality/build quality etc... so you tend to try to try to buy a car with low mileage. The same applies to cameras and different camera bodies have different tested ratings such as a Canon 5D MK1 at 100K for example. If buying a 5D MK1 you would try to aim well below 100K and would aim for as low as you can get 0-10K being excellent, 11-25K being good and anything over 50K being a slight risk as to how long it will last.
The other factor I had mentioned was how the camera was used.
A camera used on burst mode heavily will fail much sooner then a camera used on single shot over a longer period of time. (sports photographers would use burst heavily for example and would definitely be a factor to look out for)
I have read many cases of 100K rated shutters lasting only 50K because of heavy burst mode use and sports/racing pros replacing shutters every 6 months for safety.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
With the advent of live view and video functions on DSLRs there is a new factor to be considered when buying one of these DSLRs used.
The camera sensor itself only has a certain lifetime of use and is normally not an issue as regards life expextancy of a used DSLR but now with the use of video and live view on DSLR's the sensor is on for extensive periods of time compared to photo capture and can wear out too.
This is only a problem because one length of video will only show up as one actuation and therefore a camera soley used for video will look great on paper but might actually have a near worn out sensor.
Using the car metaphor it would be like having your car's engine running while stationary for a year but only driving a small amount, The mileage isnt going to rise but it's still running and slowly wearing out the engine.
Hopefully this will help people know what to look out for when buying.
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...
Regards13
Comments
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Thanks, hopefully someone will find it usefull
Also, just wondering is there a way to edit the first post to add things in at a later date?
Cheers.0 -
I stuck 6 10x8 pics into a Wedding Album of 24. Unfortunately they were the wrong photos. I used double sided tape to stick them on so i can't pull them off. Its just a 24 page album so i can't cut out the pages and add the right pics on at the end.
Question is is there any way I can remove those pictures using an iron or something or am i going to have to start again with a new album and enlargements, which will be expensive.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks.0 -
This lens seems to be plagued by a lot of design faults. I've had mine for three years now and it just packed it in there recently, I have the common issue you've listed with the lens diaphragm where the FPC has been damaged by general use of the lens and now the the diaphragm is stuck closed and the lens is unusable. I'm going to order the part and fix it when I get the chance but in all honesty canon should recall this lens or at least offer free repairs for this issue, especially since the circuit is just going to give out again after another 3 yrs or less of use!! There is also a second well known problem with this lens where the zoom gets stuck at 17mm with about 2mm of play (zoom movement). This problem is due to a loose single screw on the inner lens assembly. In both cases the whole lens has to be taken apart to fix the issue, at leas the second zoom problem can be cured permanently by putting a few drops of loctite on the screws before tightening them to stop them coming loose again. Very annoyed that they have not taken responsibly and issued a recall or even altered the lens design slightly which could easily rectify these issues!0
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They really should repair them free although I think they don't want to because the lens usually lasts years until it fails and they probably see that as an acceptable lifetime (there goes quality control anyway).
I believe they did slightly alter the design of the diaphragm FPC with a black tape over it so that it would not fold as easily although this doesn't seem to make much of a difference as most of the 17-85mm's I've had in for repair have been of the black tape variant (probably lasts a few months more).
The folding diaphragm FPC failure is not just limited to the 17-85mm but it is far less common on other lenses of similar design.
As for the lens barrel screw it is just pure laziness on their part that they didn't just use a better threadlock (if any is used at all). I would avoid loctite or any superglue however as the vapours can mist up the glass as well as cause the smooth surface of the barren to become less smooth and make zooming action stiffer.0 -
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My friend has a Sony Alpha 100 he has somehow managed to bend one of the pins in the Compact Flash slot. He says it's only bent slightly, should he try and bend it back himself or get someone to fix it for him?0
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hey i have a 35mm f2 canon lens and recently dropped it on the ground, afterwards the camera wont focus automatically or manually, when i twist the focus ring it doesn't move from 0.25m up to 3m, the ring moves but the focal range wont change. any idea if it could be fixed?0
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hey i have a 35mm f2 canon lens and recently dropped it on the ground, afterwards the camera wont focus automatically or manually, when i twist the focus ring it doesn't move from 0.25m up to 3m, the ring moves but the focal range wont change. any idea if it could be fixed?
Hi,
I saw the same thing happen to a 35mm a few weeks ago and it can be fixed without parts most likely (but I can't say 100% without seeing it as impact damage can be predictable).
PM me for details if you'd like?0 -
hey ! i tried PM'ing you, but apparently I haven't posted enough? Want to email me at0
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Heya, I would remove your contact details from the last post (edit and just replace the details with something else) as you can get spammed from bots etc...
I'll send you an Email now.0 -
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can we please keep repair questions for zerohamster to this thread? (it's stickied at the top of this forum)
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056360566
thanks0
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