My 300D only takes half a picture now.

[etan_lightstone]

Esentially I was taking pictures.. everything was going fin... I didn't drop it,

I didn't do anything.. all of a sudden the camera shots start appearing half black.

 

I peered inside and it seems when flipping the mirror up for the shutter, the

back part of the mirror is still kind of hanging down and doesn't retract up

into the view-box area.

 

Anyone seen this problem before? My camera is only 2 years old (purchased Oct

2004), how long is the warranty normally on a 300d? I have taken about 20,000

exposures with this thing.

 

How much would repairing this cost typically? Where would I go in the Montreal area?

 

<sigh>

[phule]

<<I peered inside and it seems when flipping the mirror up for the shutter, the back part of the mirror is still kind of hanging down and doesn't retract up into the view-box area.>>

 

The shutter mechanism has likely failed and will need to be replaced. I would budget $250 for the repair. It might be less.

 

The warranty information should be with the cameras documentation.

[frans_waterlander]

Many camera manufacturers will make some repairs after the official warranty period has ended, so don't automatically assume you would have to pay.

[rick_waldroup3]

Yes, the shutter is gone. It's a shame you did not get more than 20,000 exposures with it before it failed.

[roger krueger]

Why would you think he shutter is bad? Sounds like the AF mirror failing to retract to me.

[lgirton]

I had that same problem with an older camera of mine (minolta x370, purchased back in 1989). For me it was better just to invest in upgrading to a new camera.

[jimstrutz]

It's probably not the shutter, but just the secondary mirror that has come loose. This will keep it from autofocusing and also block the bottom of the image. It can be fixed but it's not easy. If it is the secondary mirror it will probably work if the camera is pointed straight up. Hard to compose great shots that way though. :)

 

Either way, send it to Canon. They have a minimum repair fee for simple things, so count on it being at least $100, perhaps $200. They will give you a price before repair though.

[etan_lightstone]

It is the seconday mirror. And I attempted to fix the pin myself by following these instructions:

 

http://www.abo.fi/~jskata/300Drepair/

 

Word of advice... do NOT attempt this :)

 

I was never even able to get close to the pin inside the camera, dismantling the plastic covers of the case proved to be extremely difficult and I ended up doing more damage.

 

For starters the plastic cracks easily while being removed forcibly even after all the screws are out, second is the pin is much too close to the flash capacitors which hold a tremendous amount of energy. I fried the camera by touching it.

 

Now I need to consider purchasing a 400D versus a 30D sometime down the road :)

[etan_lightstone]

I'm leaning towards the 400D, the added cost doesn't equate to the extra features over the 400D imo. 400D also has more resolution.

[etan_lightstone]

Ok here is my REALLY quick 400D review:

 

http://www.burnimage.com/ig_articles/index.shtml#canon

[stewart_jones]

hi etan. i know exactly what your problem is, tho i dont know if this advice is too late. there is a spring on the sub-mirror and it has failed- it happened on my 300d at about 8 months and 25,000 pictures old.mine was covered under 12month warranty. being in england i suggest you send it to canon or their authorised repair agent for canada. i recently had a different fault on the same 300d ( i damaged the cf card reader pins), when i phoned canon (uk) they said that for ?145 they would service it, change any parts that it needed (i.e.-additional to the card reader) and send it back to me with a 6 month warranty. this seemed a good deal.hope this helps.stewart jones.

[nina_henriksson]

The exact same thing happened to me today (Friday 13th...)

My 300D was bought Oct 2004 as well, in Hong Kong. Suddenly half the images are black. I have no technical knowledge whatsoever and I am devastated. I am trying to read different forums about this problem and I realize only thing to do is to leave it to a proffessional at quite a high cost... :( Just to let you know this seems to be a common (?) problem.

[david_lee36]

I had this exact problem as well two days ago. I used the repair instructions found at http://www.lotek.nu/misc/EOS_300D_sub-mirror_repair/ These are much more comprehensive and understandable than the link above.

 

NOTE: this isn't something for the casual tinkerer. The step that requires moving the flash capacitor took quite some time. With all of the right tools on hand, total repair time ~ 2hours. I had to run to the local hardware store to buy a longer precision screwdriver. If you don't have the right tools... probably shouldn't start.

 

Good Luck!