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Canon Digital Rebel 300D, 350D, and 400D
repairs
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel series is one of the most
popular digital SLR series of cameras. The first three models
are the original Digital Rebel 300D, the Digital Rebel XT 350D, and the
Digital Rebel XTi 400D. All three of this Digital
Rebels use CF, or Compact Flash cards for memory storage, wheras the
most recent Digital Rebel model, the XTsi 450D, uses an SD card.
The pins in the CF unit are easily bent by inserting the card
in the wrong direction or not seating the card before pushing it into
place. The specificatins for this connection type require
four of the CF connector pins to be longer than the others, two in the
center and one on each end. These pins are the ones that are
usually bent. Sometimes they are pushed back out of the CF
connector unit or pushed out of it completely. Of course,
loose CF pins inside the camera body can cause short circuit and
damatge electronic parts. The CF pins used in these cameras
are fairly brittle and break easily. If a CF pin is bent more
than a small amount, it will probably break or be greatly weakened if
bent back. It is necessary to replace these CF pins.
The CF pin unit is soldered directly to the main circuit
board an all Digital Rebel models. Canon does sell the CF pin
connectors separately from the main circuit board, but CF
connectors have 50 pins, which are separated by less than 1 mm.
Special equipment and a high level of skill are required to
replace the CF connector. This is a job for an experienced
CAMERA technician. Even those with experience in other types
of of electronic repairs should not attempt it. It is very
easy to damage the main circuit board, which costs almost $200 for the
part alone. We DO NOT sell the CF connectors.
Another somewhat common repair on the Digital Rebel
300D is replacing a broken pivot pin for the autofocus submirror.
This problem occurs occasionally on the Digital Rebel XT 350D
and XTi 400D, but is more common on the 300D. The post has to
be replaced from the outside of the mirror box, so extensive
disassembly of the camera is required. We replace the plastic
post with a brass screw, so it will never break again.
ERR99 (error 99) is an indication that there is a
communication problem in the camera. It is most often an
indication that the shutter needs to be replaced, but it can be the
result of other problems. All digital cameras occasionally
need to have the shutters replaced. In the days of film
cameras, it was rare to wear out a shutter because the cost of film and
developing limited the number of times the shutter was cycled.
With all those ones and zeros being considered "free" in
digital cameras, it is not uncommon to take several hundred or more
photos in a day. Even with a live-expectancy of 50.000 to
100,000 cycles, the shutters in digital cameras do reach the end of
their life and need to be replaced.
Common Digital Rebel Repairs:
Replacing the CF
pin unit (CF pins are bent, broken, or missing
- If the camera still powers on: $128 on all EOS
Digital Rebel models. If some CF pins are missing, we
recommend removing the battery before sending the camera. The
pins occasionally get pushed out of the connector and break
loose. Loose metallic parts inside the camera can cause
shorts and lead to other problems.
- If the camera will no longer power on:
$188 on all EOS Digital Rebel models. Either the pins have
shorted together or there is a loose pin inside the camera which has
damaged the power unit (the DC/DC converter). The power unit
will also need to repaired or replaced.
Replacing
post for the AF sub-mirror (if the autofocus does not work and/or there
is a black area on the bottom of the image). See autofocus
repairs below for an explanation of the cause:
- $120 on all EOS Digital Rebel models
No power at
all (camera is totally dead):
- If there are no bent or broken pins in the CF
socket: $128 on all EOS Digital Rebel models.
- If there are bent or broken pins in the CF socket:
$148 on all EOS Digital Rebel Models
- This problem is often (but not always) caused by
shorted pins in the CF socket
Flash repairs:
Autofocus repairs:
-
Most autofocus repairs are
related to problems with the small mirror under the main mirror (known
as the sub-mirror). There is a plastic post that operated
this mirror which sometimes breaks. We replace this post with
a brass pin so that the problem will not recur. This problem
is often associated with part of the image being cut off by the mirror
because it does not move out of the way properly during
exposure. The estimate replace the broken pin with a brass
pin is $120 on all EOS Digital Rebel models.
-
Other autofocus problems are
rare and will probably require an estimate.
Shutter
replacement (usually associated with error code "99"):
-
Replacing the shutter on the
Digital Rebel series requires more disassembly than most other repairs.
-
The estimate for shutter
replacement is $180 on all EOS Digital Rebel models (depending upon the
overall condition of the camera).
- ERR99 error codes are related to shutter or mirror
operation and are usually associated with a defective
shutter. Cameras that have had heavy use may have shutters
that have reached life expectancy and need to be replaced.
These estimates are pre-approved prices.
They are usually accurate, as long as the listed repair is the only
service needed. Please attach a note to the camera describing
the problem and approving the listed estimate. We will NOT
exceed that amount without notifying you first. This will reduce the
repair time. If we find other problems with the camera or
need to change the estimate, we will notify you. The prices
listed do not include the return shipping charge.
<click here> for
a printable repair request form and optional mailing label
<Click here> for
detailed information on shipping your camera and our return
shipping rates and policies
We recommend contacting us before sending your
camera for repair, especially if it is more than eight years old.
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