What to do with my broken 20D?

[jontucker]

Hi,

A few months ago I accidentally damaged my Canon 20D. A wave of stupid came over me and I decided to try and clean the sensor myself... ended up dislodging and scratching the mirror. Doh. Anyway, I took it in to my local camera shop who then sent it away to for a repair quote.

I nearly fell over when I got the quote.... £430!!!!

So I had them send it back without repairing it.

Meanwhile, I've gotten all excited about the Canon 50D's arrival and have splashed out and ordered one from DigitalRev. It'll be here next week... can't wait!

Anyways, what do you think I should do with the 20D? Try and get it repaired elsewhere? Sell it for spares? Use it as a door stop?

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

JT.

 

[bertpalmer]

Either sell it on eBay as described - or make it in to an IR camera.

 

[jontucker]

or make it in to an IR camera.

How would I go about doing that?

 

[ChrisA]

Hi,

A few months ago I accidentally damaged my Canon 20D. A wave of stupid came over me and I decided to try and clean the sensor myself... ended up dislodging and scratching the mirror.

Do you really mean the mirror and not the sensor? If so a scratched mirror has no effect of the final image. It swings up and out of the optical path when the shutter is open. Even if you were to remove the mirror the camera should still work but the viewfinder would be non-functional.

If it is the sensor the idea about making it into an IR camera is good. What they do is remove the anti-alias filter (that is the part with the scratch) and then chemically remove the color mosaic filter so as to expose the bare sensor then you shoot with an IR filter than blacks visible light.

One thing to try is to find a local independent camera repair shop where they actually still do repairs. Most of them today only replace major sub assemblies and never actually repair broken parts. But at least around here there are a couple places that still do fix stuff. If you were to sell the broken camera it would sell for about $10 and end up at one of these local shops as a "parts camera". Find a shop that already has a 20D parts camera.

 

[jontucker]

Do you really mean the mirror and not the sensor? If so a scratched mirror has no effect of the final image. It swings up and out of the optical path when the shutter is open. Even if you were to remove the mirror the camera should still work but the viewfinder would be non-functional.

If it is the sensor the idea about making it into an IR camera is good. What they do is remove the anti-alias filter (that is the part with the scratch) and then chemically remove the color mosaic filter so as to expose the bare sensor then you shoot with an IR filter than blacks visible light.

One thing to try is to find a local independent camera repair shop where they actually still do repairs. Most of them today only replace major sub assemblies and never actually repair broken parts. But at least around here there are a couple places that still do fix stuff. If you were to sell the broken camera it would sell for about $10 and end up at one of these local shops as a "parts camera". Find a shop that already has a 20D parts camera.

Yeah I really mean the mirror. I dislocated the mirror from it's hinge and then scratched it trying to relocate it. Total braindead moment.

To be honest all that sounds likes too much of a pain in the backside and I'll probably just put it on eBay, The only local camera shop is the one I took it too in the first place Shame though, good camera...

 

[taylorwilsdon]

Try to find a GOOD local camera place to fix it for you. There are a couple here that will do a complete rebuild with a new mirror for a few hundred bucks (a hundred pounds).

 

[jontucker]

Try to find a GOOD local camera place to fix it for you. There are a couple here that will do a complete rebuild with a new mirror for a few hundred bucks (a hundred pounds).

I live in a backwater town with only 1 camera shop! It would be a matter of finding time to take it to somewhere not so nearby, which I suppose is what I should do really... or I might get my missus to do it, now there's an idea!

 

[compuwar]

I think Canon will only replace the entire mirror box assembly, and it's not cheap parts-wise.

You could try to fix it yourself:

http://www.thatonedeadguy.com/v/rebel+conversions/secondary/

That's a good starting point- worst-case you hose it, but it's already broken, so why not have some fun with little screws?

 

[jake-g]

I would get it converted to IR. I would love to have an extra body lying around I could convert.