Camera fault - any ideas?

ZoneV · 4 Mar 2013

I was out taking pictures today and noticed something wasn't right with my camera.

After some experimentation, I concluded that when taking pictures in landscape orientation, everything works as it should. When turned into portrait orientation, however, after taking the first picture, the viewfinder is noticably darker and the lens hunts for focus.

Cue that sinking feeling.

I'm going to have to get it looked at but does anyone have any idea what it could be?

Furtim · 4 Mar 2013

Does it rattle? Loose focussing screen or mirror?

ZoneV · 4 Mar 2013

There's no noticable rattle, but I haven't given it a shake. When testing it earlier I gave the side of the camera a couple of gentle knocks with my palm whilst looking through the viewfinder but it made no difference.

I'll fetch it now and have a look with the lens removed. *gulp*

ZoneV · 4 Mar 2013

Just had a look inside as I fired the shutter both in lanscape and portrait orientations. In portrait, the mirror noticeably slows down towards the end of it's range of movement and doesn't quite return fully to the 'down' position (by varying amounts each time).

Can these things be serviced or am I looking at a new mirror box?

ZoneV · 5 Mar 2013

Going through the pictures I took today it's clear something's wrong - the vast majority of pictures I took are very soft, sometimes focussing was off by a mile (even those shot in landscape). I was only shooting a lifeboat, from the shore on a lovely sunny day. Shutter speed was high enough and I was shooting from a stable position, it should have been easy for the 1D (I've shot lifeboat pics in the same spot before with the same lens but different body - my old 30D - with no problems).

I feel like drop-kicking this 1D off a very high cliff. :thumbsdown:

cymruchris · 5 Mar 2013

Sounds like you need to get it in for inspection.. Canon Elstree?

ZoneV · 5 Mar 2013

cymruchris said:
Sounds like you need to get it in for inspection.. Canon Elstree?

Thanks, yes - I'm going to look into getting it repaired (thanks for recommending Canon Elstree) but I'll have to think about it. Replacing the mirror box is quite expensive, costing over half what I paid for the camera only last year. Also, looking around the 'net it's not uncommon for the shutter to go at around the same time (another hefty bill, especially the additional labor cost if done separately to the mirror box).

I might just sell the 1D for parts/repair and stick with my old camera (a 30D), and maybe learn to sketch/draw/paint aswell. At least you know where you are with pencil and paper. :thumbsdown:

ZoneV · 5 Mar 2013

Phoned Canon Elstree earlier today and described the problem to a tech support guy. He said it was an unusual problem and it was impossible to say what corrective action is needed without sending it off to them, which is fair enough. I asked him, in his experience, roughly what proportion of mirror related issues are resolved by a simple clean and service and he admitted that it wasn't many - most need a replacement mirror-box.

Anyway, there's only one way to find out. It's getting boxed-up and sent to them this week for diagnosis and repair estimate. Fingers crossed.

ZoneV · 1 Apr 2013

It's been a little while since this happened and since I have the 30D to fall back on, I haven't sent it off yet and now I'm thinking it might be something relatively minor that maybe I can fix myself.

Furtim said:
Does it rattle? Loose focussing screen or mirror?

Having had a very careful play with the mirror again, I think you are right, Furtim: the mirror is loose. When looking into the camera body with no lens attached, the mirror clearly moves when turning the camera around or aiming it downwards, and returns when aiming the camera upwards.

Does anyone know what is supposed to stop the mirror flapping about like this? (I've had a quick look for a mechanism diagram but haven't had any luck yet) Is it a spring or something that I may be able to replace myself? Any help much appreciated, cheers.

Phil V · 2 Apr 2013

ZoneV said:
It's been a little while since this happened and since I have the 30D to fall back on, I haven't sent it off yet and now I'm thinking it might be something relatively minor that maybe I can fix myself.

Having had a very careful play with the mirror again, I think you are right, Furtim: the mirror is loose. When looking into the camera body with no lens attached, the mirror clearly moves when turning the camera around or aiming it downwards, and returns when aiming the camera upwards.

Does anyone know what is supposed to stop the mirror flapping about like this? (I've had a quick look for a mechanism diagram but haven't had any luck yet) Is it a spring or something that I may be able to replace myself? Any help much appreciated, cheers.

I believe that the mirror mechanism is often the first point of failure of what is essentially the whole shutter box mechanism. If you could repair it, it's mates will fail soon.

For a single fix canon will replace what amounts to all the mechanical parts of the camera, leaving you essentially with a new one.

ZoneV · 2 Apr 2013

Phil V said:
I believe that the mirror mechanism is often the first point of failure of what is essentially the whole shutter box mechanism. If you could repair it, it's mates will fail soon.

For a single fix canon will replace what amounts to all the mechanical parts of the camera, leaving you essentially with a new one.

Thanks Phil, you are right. I'm just flapping because I wish I'd held back on buying it - current (new) d7000 prices are causing me considerable turmoil so spending a few hundred smackers repairing this after a year doesn't sit very well. :dummy:

:|

Heh, I'll get over it (next year, maybe

).