Repairing digital camera, information needed
 

I'm getting a Canon Powershot G2 that needs some repair (lens won't extend when turned
on). Does anyone here have that kind of repair information (digital cameras), or can
direct me to it.

Thanks, jc

I have one-great camera. The fault, according to Cannon, is faulty wiper
contacts in the lens drive. Others speculate it's a firmware problem.
Mine has not done this, but some others have. I think repair involves
sending the camera to a Cannon service center for repair.
JR

jbclem wrote:
I'm getting a Canon Powershot G2 that needs some repair (lens won't extend when turned
on). Does anyone here have that kind of repair information (digital cameras), or can
direct me to it.

Thanks, jc




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Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

Uh...Canon...

JR North wrote:

I have one-great camera. The fault, according to Cannon, is faulty wiper
contacts in the lens drive. Others speculate it's a firmware problem.
Mine has not done this, but some others have. I think repair involves
sending the camera to a Cannon service center for repair.
JR

jbclem wrote:

I'm getting a Canon Powershot G2 that needs some repair (lens won't
extend when turned
on). Does anyone here have that kind of repair information (digital
cameras), or can
direct me to it.

Thanks, jc






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Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

The reason I'm asking here is that I've read that Canon charges so much for repair that
it's not worth it. I also heard that because of that situation there were some internet
groups that discussed do it yourself repairs...I'm trying to find those groups if I
can't find someone who does repair work at a reasonable price.

jc



"JR North" wrote in message
...
I have one-great camera. The fault, according to Cannon, is faulty wiper
contacts in the lens drive. Others speculate it's a firmware problem.
Mine has not done this, but some others have. I think repair involves
sending the camera to a Cannon service center for repair.
JR

jbclem wrote:
I'm getting a Canon Powershot G2 that needs some repair (lens won't extend when
turned
on). Does anyone here have that kind of repair information (digital cameras), or
can
direct me to it.

Thanks, jc




--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

I guess the point I was trying to make was: Canon CLAIMS it's a hardware
fault. The consensus of outside opinion is it is actually a firmware
problem. The opinion is Canon pushed the hardware angle to reduce the
number of warranty repairs. If true, in order to repair the camera
outside the Canon service network, you would have to find someone who
has the capability to upgrade the camera's firmware. Good luck.
JR

jbclem wrote:
The reason I'm asking here is that I've read that Canon charges so much for repair that
it's not worth it. I also heard that because of that situation there were some internet
groups that discussed do it yourself repairs...I'm trying to find those groups if I
can't find someone who does repair work at a reasonable price.

jc



"JR North" wrote in message
...

I have one-great camera. The fault, according to Cannon, is faulty wiper
contacts in the lens drive. Others speculate it's a firmware problem.
Mine has not done this, but some others have. I think repair involves
sending the camera to a Cannon service center for repair.
JR

jbclem wrote:

I'm getting a Canon Powershot G2 that needs some repair (lens won't extend when

turned

on). Does anyone here have that kind of repair information (digital cameras), or

can

direct me to it.

Thanks, jc




--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth





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Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

It would help to know the history of the camera. Was it dropped, sat
on, or at the beach? Was it working then suddenly stopped?
I've worked on a lot of digital cameras. To determine the problem with
the zoom, disassemble the camera down to the lens module. Try to
isolate the extension-retraction circuit and drive the motor from an
external source. Usually you'll find the lens has broken tracking tabs
on the main group barrel or retrofocus converter group or the ways or
guides have cracked. I recently repaired a Nikon 4100 that responded
nicely because the guide elements just snapped back into place. Usually
they snap and break off or are already broken off because most are
plastic. Some older ones are aluminum and can be bent back into shape
but that takes quite a lot of experience. Sometimes there's just a
piece of grit in the ways and you can revive it by complete disassembly
and cleaning. Otherwise you might be looking on eBay for a parts camera
with a good lens or mainboard.
Richard

spudnuty wrote:

It would help to know the history of the camera. Was it dropped, sat
on, or at the beach? Was it working then suddenly stopped?
I've worked on a lot of digital cameras. To determine the problem with
the zoom, disassemble the camera down to the lens module. Try to
isolate the extension-retraction circuit and drive the motor from an
external source. Usually you'll find the lens has broken tracking tabs
on the main group barrel or retrofocus converter group or the ways or
guides have cracked. I recently repaired a Nikon 4100 that responded
nicely because the guide elements just snapped back into place. Usually
they snap and break off or are already broken off because most are
plastic. Some older ones are aluminum and can be bent back into shape
but that takes quite a lot of experience. Sometimes there's just a
piece of grit in the ways and you can revive it by complete disassembly
and cleaning. Otherwise you might be looking on eBay for a parts camera
with a good lens or mainboard.
Richard

Hi Richard...

I don't know Canon's at all; know Olympus's pretty durned good, though.

Respectfully suggest that since the OP didn't mention any electronic
experience at all, we should warn him about the flash cap before taking
it apart. That thing will seriously get his attention, or worse!
Don't ask me how I know.

Having said that, and warned him, I'd like to know what he means when he
says the lens won't move. Could mean that the lens obviously tries to
move, fails, and shuts down. Or doesn't even think about it.

If it tries to move and fails, then he surely has a lens problem.
Likely a crack (invisible to the naked eye) in the outer barrel.
Usually lets the ball bearing fall out of it's groove between the
two barrels. Rattles a little if you gently shake the camera. Almost
certainly needs the lens assembly replaced.

If it doesn't even try, but the rest of the camera operates normally,
then I'd guess he's looking at the interconnection(s) between the
mainboard and the lens motor(s). Connector pulled apart, cracked
mainboard, or something.

If it doesn't even try and the rest of the camera is dead as a
doornail, then perhaps the battery connections? Power board?

We need more info to help, but please, please original poster,
don't take it apart unless and until you learn to deal with that
flash capacitor.

Sorry for the long winded post.

Ken

Ken,
Yah I've got a C-3000, 3030 and 4000 all with bad lenses. (they're
prone to damage, plastic barrels one with that crack). All given to me
by clients as too costly to repair. My current main camera is a C-3000
that I got on eBay to use the lens to fix the first 3000. It gave a
"card error" but it turned out to have a fudge like substance on the
contacts of the card reader. Easy fix.
I find Nikons, Fujis, Sonys Toshibas and Olympus' easiest to work on in
that order. Canons more of a pain and Kodaks even more bad board in a
lot of those. Yes that flash cap is very dangerous. Here's a site on
discharging it:
http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_30663/article.html
I use a 10W resistor I had laying around.
This has become a hobby of mine, fixing broken digtals up and donating
them to schools, hospitals, homeless shelters etc.
Richard

spudnuty wrote:
Ken,
Yah I've got a C-3000, 3030 and 4000 all with bad lenses. (they're
prone to damage, plastic barrels one with that crack). All given to me
by clients as too costly to repair. My current main camera is a C-3000
that I got on eBay to use the lens to fix the first 3000. It gave a
"card error" but it turned out to have a fudge like substance on the
contacts of the card reader. Easy fix.
I find Nikons, Fujis, Sonys Toshibas and Olympus' easiest to work on in
that order. Canons more of a pain and Kodaks even more bad board in a
lot of those. Yes that flash cap is very dangerous. Here's a site on
discharging it:

The only ones I've worked on are the Nikons. I guess I got lucky.
These jam up when dropped. I got mine that way; and a simple flick of
gear train with my fingernail fixed it. After several years, it appears
still to be fine.

For the record, it came on with a 'system error', or some such, message
in the lcd and wouldn't move at all.

http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_30663/article.html
I use a 10W resistor I had laying around.
This has become a hobby of mine, fixing broken digtals up and donating
them to schools, hospitals, homeless shelters etc.

Good on you....

jak
Richard

Hey jak,
Just for info, what were the model #s of the Nikons. Like I said the
lens on the 4100 just popped back into place when I drove the motor
from an external battery. It had been dropped so hard the shutter
closure mechanism on the front of the lens was just gone. No other
camera I work on will recover like that there will just be little
broken pieces ratteling around in the lens barrel. Come to think of it
there was a little piece that fell out but the lens seemed to function
normally.
If the lens if jammed and you power up the camera most I've worked on
will try to bring the lens to the retracted position. Usually there are
optical sensors on the main zoom element that sense this. If it dosen't
get the end of travel signal or too much power is consumed the camera
will give a system error or shut down.
Richard