What do people do with their old non-working Canon cameras?

[alex_dannenbaum]

<p>I have a Canon 20D which I bought back in July, 2004. After nearly 5 years and 75K estimated actuations, the shutter froze up. I sent it to Canon and of course they offered to rebuild it for about $350. I decided against rebuilding old technology and went out and purchased a 50D instead. <br>

I still have the non-working 20D gathering dust in my closet. For that matter, I have a Canon S1IS that also doesn't work. <br>

My question is what is the smart thing to do with thiese cameras? Is it worth the investment to repair? Does they have any value? ... Can I resell one or both (if so what is they worth?) Donate them? Send them to the Home for Old Canons? Or should I just have fun and take them apart to see how they work, then toss em away when I get bored. <br>

What do people do with their old non-working Canon cameras?</p>

<p> </p>

[mark_pierlot]

<p>If the "old, non-working" camera were an FD or EOS film body, I'd likely have it repaired (as I have done with several bodies). But if it's an outdated DSLR, I'd simply discard it, since the cost of having it repaired would likely exceed its resale value.</p>

<p>It's a sad fact about digital cameras, and much else these days, that they become obsolete and valueless much quicker than do film cameras. For example, I still use my F-1 and EF bodies that are almost forty years old. It's hard to imagine any current camera lasting or being useable that long.</p>

[beachlife403]

<p>So would a Canon Rebel EOS 35mm flim camera be worth fixing? The piece that kept the latch closed broke off during my traveling. Is it a good investment to just fix it? Because mine too is collecting dust and sitting in my closet.</p>

[trevor_martin]

<p>

 

<p>Film rebels sell for next to nothing these days since higher end film models are available at such low prices. The latch on my Elan 7e broke, but there is still a local camera repair place that was able to fix it for about $15. If you don't have anyplace local you'd have to ship it someplace, wouldn't surprise me if the shipping alone would cost you more than a new rebel. </p>

 

</p>

[jeremy jackson]

<p>Find out how it works I say.</p>

<p>Hey Mark, don't worry so much about technology, the D3X will be better than your film bodies for ever. :) Cheers, JJ</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Jeremy that is a bold statement - both of my "New F1s" still work almost 30 years after they were bough and despite a lot of milage in harsh environments (-45C, +52C up to 20,000 feet, across deserts etc...) I would be very surprised if any of my digital bodies last this well! If you have not experience the build quality of old pro level Canon and Nikon MF bodies and lenses I suggest that you try one. Like the cameras old MF lenses are built to a standard that the new AF lenses are not (although the AF lenses probably have better seals). Indeed I guarantee that the D3X cannot go where my Nikonos V goes.<br>

Try using the D3X without a battery - the New F1 just loses the long shutter speeds and the meter! I am not trying to say that there are no advantages in progress just that durability is probably not one of them as goods are built to a price with obsolescence in mind.<br>

Unfortunately with advances in technology repairing equipment is usually not worthwhile. I doubt if I would repair any of my EOS film cameras (perhaps the 1NRS as this is quite unique) but of my FD film cameras (7 bodies) only 1 has ever needed a repair over almost 30 years (and that was a Canon A1 where the LED display failed).</p>

[nathangardner]

<p>Canon Loyalty Program</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>Sell for parts on FleaBay</p>

[cabbiinc]

<p>Buy your own shutter and repair it yourself. There's one on eBay right now with a buy it now of $49.99 and $3.00 shipping and handling. If you screw it up you're only out $53, but you'll have a better understanding of what the inside of your camera looks like. Heck, you could also take the IR filter off to make it different from your other cameras.</p>

<p> </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Shutters and mirror mechanisms are NOT digital. They are mechanical. To blame a digital camera body for a mechanical failure and then make it a general principle of "value" seems a little overblown, to me at least.</p>

 

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Your point is well taken, JDM. I didn't read the original post very carefully. But I stand by my comments. Philip's experience with his F-1N's corroborates my view of my F-1N's, F-1's, EF's, and older film bodies in general; namely, that <em>they were built to last</em>. To claim the same for today's digital gear is a trifle disingenuous, wouldn't you say?</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>This has been gone over rather frequently, but no, I don't think it's disingenuous at all to suggest that the electronic parts of modern digital cameras may last for a very long time. It's not wearing out that means old digital hardware is laid aside, it's the number of pixels of newer models, etc., that makes the older ones fall out of use. I'd suspect, however, that now that most digital is up above 6MP, that will become less of an issue for people looking to buy old cameras to use. There's still a healthy trade in old Canon EOS 5Ds, for example.<br>

I've got plenty of old computers that still work fine, but I don't use them any more since it's a little hard to find 5.25" floppies these days, among other reasons. Barring power surges and corrosion in the damp basement, the circuitry should last at least as long as cloth focal plane shutters.<br>

Before you leap on the fact that there may come a day when CF cards are no longer made, I'd be careful of unintended irony if I were arguing for the <em>film</em> side of "life expectancy" of hardware.</p>

[jeremy jackson]

<p>Hey Philip, I owned Leica's for years - I think they beat your Nikon's for build quality. The only camera that has ever failed on me in the field was a........Leica.</p>

<p>The D3X makes a Nikon F1 look like what it is....a good antique camera. I'm not being really serious here but let's not dump all over digital cameras. There are some very, very good ones. JJ</p>

<p> </p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>Alex, here's what you do. Put your longest lens on a working camera. Mix up a bunch of epoxy, and attach the 20D to a big rock or a tree stump. Find a nice location off to the side, and photograph people trying to make off with your camera!</p>

[yoshio]

<p>Amber:</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>So would a Canon Rebel EOS 35mm flim camera be worth fixing? The piece that kept the latch closed broke off during my traveling. Is it a good investment to just fix it? Because mine too is collecting dust and sitting in my closet.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I say yes ... actually you could easily use some gaffer tape to simply hold the door closed. Black gaffer tape will do, and it can be peeled back and resealed a few times before needing replacement.</p>

[alex_dannenbaum]

<p>Thanks guys. It is a sad fact that digital cameras become technologically obsolete almost as fast a computers. That makes it hard to justify the cost of repairing them. Certainly a working 20D is better as a second camera or no camera at all. <br>

Great bunch of suggestions on how to proceed. I am torn between the Canon Loyalty Program, (will contact them, then see what they offer); the do-it-yourself repair; and Sarah's great suggestion of using the body & damaged lens as part of a photographic prank. <br>

All sound like better options than letting it sit in my closet till I finally thow it away. </p>

[yoshio]

<p>Alex</p>

<p>you may like to use this tutorial</p>

<p>http://www.lifepixel.com/ir-tutorials/canon-20d-digital-infrared-conversion-instructions.htm</p>

<p>do explore how to get to the shutter, while you're in there you may also wish to do that conversion and then either use the camera for IR or sell it on ebay as a converted camera. It would fetch more that way if you were successful.</p>

<p>I've hacked my Coolpix apart for this purpose and it wasn't mission impossible (but practice desoldering first on something and learn to be gentle and quick ... like a surgeon)</p>

<p>desolder suction tools are around $15 and a appropriate solder iron about the same ... visit a RadioShack or other electronic store.</p>

[HenryUK]

<p>If the S1 IS has suffered sensor failure, i.e. you can see the menu and review old images but it won't preview or take new images, Canon will fix it for free.</p>

<p>Call Canon and they'll arrange a repair.</p>

<p>In general, however, the labour cost of repairing digital cameras make it uneconomic.</p>

<p>Henry</p>

[steven_crist]

<p>I sent a defective camera to Canon for repair. Canon contacted me about the cost of repair and after I balked a bit they offered me a trade-in value on it to apply to a re-manufactured body for a good price (better than most NY deals). I accepted.</p>

[lauren_macintosh]

<p>My eos 20d just came back from being repaired cost 229.00 ,the reason I did it the cost of new was of of my range , and I have a Like new even got the software updated: at 350.00 which is about what they are going for on ebay used : your call but since you could afford a new camera fine , Now could you Please donate that EOS20d to me and I will have it Fixed and have a Spare: Thanks :Lauren</p>

[john_h.1]

<p><em>What do people do with their old non-working Canon cameras?</em><br>

<em></em><br>

The same things that that they do with their old non-working Nikon cameras.</p>

[anders_andersson2]

<p>I hope I do not come across as a troll here, but I would not spend much money on repairing a 20D.<br>

I'm usually a Nikonian, but I borrowed an EOS 20D a few months ago, just to get some Canon feel. The 20D felt very old, and even though many of the pictures were really good, there were some strange cases of bad chromatic aberration and lack of sharpness. DPP does not even give me access to the function to correct CA for that camera's RAW files. (I refuse to believe it was the lens that was the main problem. It was a 135mm which, as far as I understand, is supposed to be excellent.) I have a feeling that modern cameras have much better systems to correct that kind of problems.<br>

Get me right. I liked the overall Canon feel. I'm looking forward to borrow some more modern Canon DSLR. But the 20D body had this overall "I'm past history" flair.<br>

People who cannot afford to buy a newer camera can certainly live fine with a 20D. However, those who can afford something newer will probably be very happy with the change.</p>

[Andy Collins]

<p>For me it would depend on which old Canon I wanted to repair. I would most certainly pay to have any repair needed for my 1v, but not for our Elan 7; that camera cost ~ $50 in excellent condition. As for Rebels of the film variety, I've seen those sell on ebay for $20 and even slightly less in excellent condition, so I probably wouldn't pay to have one of those repaired. The 20D is a tough choice. If you added a little cash to the price of having it rebuilt, you could buy a 30D in excellent condition which is a more complete camera IMHO, and would likely have less mileage on it. You're still left with the camera and what to do with it though. There are people on other forums that look for damaged DSLRs, so that might be one way to unload it...or add it to your 'vintage camera' collection! I'm joking, because I think that the 20D is still a very good camera that performs quite well, but its value is a major weakness and it's difficult to know how to proceed in a situation like the OP's.</p>

[starvy]

<p>We live in an age where so much of life is disposable. Such an old model should best be left in the attic and forgotten about.</p>

[david_lindblom]

<p>As Henry Clark said: if the S1IS has a CCD problem (Black or distorted pictures, but the menus all look fine), Canon will fix it for free. Just recently, Canon fixed my S1IS for free and paid shipping both ways. Very painless. On rare occasions, they have been known to replace the camera with a newer model.<br>

Here is the link to the advisory: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PgComSmModDisplayAct&fcategoryid=257&modelid=13390&keycode=2112&id=29819<br>

You can call them or email them at <a href="mailto:carecenter@cits.canon.com">carecenter@cits.canon.com</a><br>

I was very impressed with the way Canon took care of this.<br>

Regarding the 20D, you could probably get pretty decent money for it on fleabay listed for parts or repair, or you could try to fix it yourself. If I had a 20D in that condition, I would probably try to fix it myself. It's still a very nice camera.<br>

Dave</p>