Camera Types - Help Please, Cannon EOS Repair

not_the_dj

My wife's got a Cannon 450D, and the autofocus has stopped working (well it actually stopped working a while ago but we've only just got round to trying to sort it).

We've checked the obvious (settings), and the connections between the lense and the body, all looks as it should.

There's a 'London Camera Exchange" near us, and my wife's spoken to them. They've quoted £210 to fix it, so I'm questioning if it's worth it...of if that's a rip off.

Can any of you clever photo buffs on here offer any advice? It's her Birthday in a few weeks so I wanted to get it sorted on the quiet as a surprise.

bertie

have you tried a different lens ?      (and also double checked the switch on the lens )

not_the_dj

bertie said:

have you tried a different lens ?      (and also double checked the switch on the lens )

We don't have a second lense, so no to the first....but yes to the second, checked and checked again.

Shark_Eyes

I would take the camera into a store and try out a second lens, to see if that fixes it. 

It may be worth taking the lens off and checking that the connectors between the body and lens are clean.

strumjoughlamps

As Bertie suggests... after that try rubbing the contacts of the lens and camera with a pencil eraser, do it holding the camera front faced down so nothing gets into the mirror box/sensor.

Rather than  £210 repair it would be better to buy again from MPB, maybe think about an upgrade.. then sell the broken one, you should see £50+ in its current state.

Fazer

what lens is it? if its the standard kit lens then i'm sure that it costs far less than £210 for a new one.
the focus is in the lens, and if you havent changed it at all then it wont be anything wrong with the lens/camera connection.

either
- the auto-focus is the lens has broken somehow (not sure how likely that is)
- the auto/manual switch if faulty/dirty (possible)
- you've managed to change something in the software/settings

id find someone else with a canon and do a quick lens switch/check

not_the_dj

Thank guys. We'll see if anyone we know has a lens we can try. The price they've given does sound expensive to me, and I'd rather put that money to upgrading. 

Shark_Eyes

One thing to check may be that you can manually focus it still, it may be a motor failure or a jam of the focus ring.

For £210 you could get a new high quality EF-S lens. or two EF lenses!

not_the_dj

Shark_Eyes said:

One thing to check may be that you can manually focus it still, it may be a motor failure or a jam of the focus ring.

For £210 you could get a new high quality EF-S lens. or two EF lenses!

Manual focus works fine. 

Shark_Eyes

So it's more likely to be a motor failure then, rather than anything else. Definitely try a second Lens. 

I'm based in London with a Canon and a couple of lenses, if you want to meet up I can bring them along and we can test your lens on my body, and my lenses on your body and narrow down the issue.

bertie

which is pretty much.........why and what the first person to reply said 

not_the_dj

Thanks @shark_eyes but I'm in Warwickshire so a bit far. 

I don't know much about cameras (that might be obvious from this thread ;-) ). Let me try to understand what you're suggesting we try. The motor that drives the focusing is in the body (?), so if we try a second lens and it still doesn't work then it could be that motor....is that right?

Axe_meister

No the motor is in the lens. Try a different lens to see if the lens is broken. If it still does not work then it is either and electrical fault or a a software fault the body.
Just pop to your local John Lewis and give some lenses a try ;0)

Shark_Eyes

Congrats @bertie now I feel bad for wasting everybody's time.

Seriously though, good spot.

Grumpyrocker

I doubt it would be as expensive to get Canon to to fix it at the service centre. The LCE price does sound expensive to me.

On Canon DSLR cameras the motor is not in the body of the camera it is in the lenses. This is one of the main reasons auto-focus speed varies between lenses - they use different types and qualities of auto focus motors.

You need to try another lens to see if the body or lens is at fault. Just go to a local camera shop with the camera body and try some lenses like you would if you were going to buy one.

And if you find they work fine here's a good place to buy a second hand lens.

Shark_Eyes

Yes, what @Axe_meister said, much more elegantly than I did.

bertie

there are two types of A/F     motor in the lens or motor in the body.

EF lenses have the motor in the lens

not_the_dj

Thanks all. I shall distribute some wisdoms.

Rocker

Check the camera firmware by downloading the latest firmware version from the canon website. Cameras nowadays are more computer than camera so this is a possibility. Definitely bring the camera body into a camera shop to try out a new lens.

strumjoughlamps

Have you tried back button focusing? The focusing contact could be damaged on the shutter button..

 

Anyway try the pencil eraser on the contacts, try a different lens.. if you are Leicester way drop in I'll sort it for ya and if not I have a big sledgehammer

spacecadet

Like Rocker said, connect it up and re blow in the latest firmware. If that doesn't work, try a hard reset which is removing the small watch battery thats hidden away in the main battery compartment.

Also, do not take it to LCE! Take it to Lehmann in Stoke. Proper fixer type people there.

If all else fails

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-EOS-450D-Rebel-XSi-12-2-MP-Digital-SLR-Camera-Black-Kit-w-EF-S-IS-18-/300978767131?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item4613bb851b