EOS 630 Battery-drain problem?

[michael_tolan]

I have a mint-condition EOS 630 (7 years old, about 600 rolls of film through it, but looks like the day it was made). Last week a new battery went dead overnight - and the camera was NOT left on. Bought another battery, and the same thing is happening. Nothing appears to be draining the battery, as the LED is not on full display, the lense is not trying to focus, and the film is not jammed. I never had a problem with this camera. Anyone ever had a smiliar problem? Anyone know of anyway I can test the camera (it looks real complicated in that the battery leads are way inside the camera, and you need nearly 6 full volts to get the LED on)? If it is best that I send it off, can anyone recommend a repair place? Any advice appreciated. MJT.

[michael_tolan]

Apparently I did a very poor search through the threads here. I just

realized other people have the same exact problem - or so it seems

(see "EOS 630 troubles" & "EOS 630 eats batteries"). I will try to

find a way to test the thing, and if succesful will post the way it

was done. As indicated in the above post, it will be tricky to do

due to the way the battery loads, and the fact that the EOS needs a

min amount of juice to light up the LED [when the battery gets less

than 5 volts, nothing shows up on the LED] - to do a test). I am not

willing to take out the battery every time, so if all else fails, I

will pay for a repair, and rate the job/cost on the board here -

assuming they actually fix the problem!

[tom_raymondson]

I just had a very positive repair experience (A2 command dial failure)

with Horizon Electronics in Union City, CA - http://www.horizon-

electronics.com/index.html

 

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I sent the camera regular UPS on Monday, they got it on Tuesday and

immediately called with their cost estimate, they shipped it out on

Wednesday, and I got it back on Thursday (I live in Northern

California, hense the fast ship times). Not only did they repair the

command dial, but they modified it so the button no longer needs to be

depressed (a much better design). I wouldn't hesitate to do business

with them again.

[michael_tolan]

I have since contacted three repair facilities. All three places

replied by email, and all three places appear to have tech-people who

are well-aware of this problem (one place claimed it is common to

620, 630, & RT EOS models). The repair is not necessarily

complicated, but it is time-consuming as the failed part is basically

in the center of the camera body. Repair estimates were for $139,

$145 & $159 (+ shipping at least one way, if not both ways). No

mention of any "warranty" was made in the initial reply, and only one

place has since contacted me to say they offer a 90-day warranty on

the repair. I also have learned of two other people who paid for a

repair which was not made (or the place repaired the wrong thing? -

like the problem mentioned by another EOS user on this page). I also

found a guy who had a repair-guy build a second little switch

recessed into the grip of the 630 (a $35 fix); he can shut off the

camera without screwing around with the grip/battery compartment.

Seems a sad commentary on an otherwise great camera body, but I too

might go this route. I too am also thinking of the move to the A2E

(as others have indicated on this page), but learned from the repair

people that the A2/A2E has a dial which they claim is MORE

susceptible to failure than is the battery-drain part in the 630! -

and I believe users have complained of this on this very page/board.

I am a fan of the nearly-pro camera body and dont want to settle for

a Rebel, or fork out for a EOS3. Not sure Canon has much to offer,

least not to people who shoot a roll of film a week, and want

something built like a tank.

[mark_elam]

I, too, had a mint conditon EOS 630 that drained good batteries even

if the camera wasn't used! The problem with mine was the illuminator

panel for the LCD display. Something about it was shorted out

resulting in a drain on the battery. My Canon tech replaced the

illuminator with a more reliable unit designed for the EOS-1. Cost

was about $109.00.

 

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I have since learned that this is sometimes a problem with EOS 600,

620 and 630. I loved the illuminated display, but there was

apparently a weakness in the part that was corrected in the EOS-1.

 

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Mark

[steve_caldwell1]

Yes, the power drain problem and the EL backlight failure are

related. The EL backlight is basically a huge capacitor, and as long

as the potential across it doesn't change, no current flows. The EL

panel is basically hard-wired straight across the battery terminals,

and is oscillated in series with an inductor to excite the panel when

illumination is required. BUT this 'capacitor' breaks down over a

period of time, hense the 'flickering' of the panel. This breakdown

turns a purely capacitive medium into a resistive one.

The panel can be disconected from the battery supply at the base of

the camera (600 series), returning quiescent current to normal. I

have actually replaced my panel with another 'cut up' from an LCD

backlight. Works great (but different colour cast).

 

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If the base of the camera is removed, the offending cable can be

located next to the battery terminals, in the form of a thin black co-

axial cable.