Self repair of your camera

**Photos-by-Chas** · 11-17-2020, 12:05 PM

I've noticed several threads in which the person indicates they have performed repairs on their camera themselves as opposed to sending it to the manufacturer or an authorized repair facility. Just curious as to how many here perform repairs on their own cameras. I'm not talking about little minor things but a fairly complicated and involved procedure that requires opening the body or lens to replace or install a part.

Not sure if this is posted in the correct section, if not please move it to the proper one.

Astro-Baby · 11-17-2020, 12:23 PM - **1 Like**

Well for us film fans its a way of life. There are no authorised repair facilities as such.

I just got fed up with trudging to the post offive to return yet another junky camera and couldnt afford to keep sending every issue to a tech so it was a case of having to get stuck in myself.

stevebrot · 11-17-2020, 12:24 PM

I have repaired and serviced a few of my mechanical film cameras but would never crack the top on a Pentax dSLR unless I basically got it for free and even then would avoid any task where post repair alignment or calibration would be in order.

Steve

mikeprotts · 11-17-2020, 12:41 PM

I'm considering this for my K-5 II, to replace the SD card slot. I've probably got all the tools I need, but it's a tricky task and I need to dismantle to see if the slot is repairable.

**jatrax** · 11-17-2020, 01:13 PM

I don't think I could bring myself to open up my cameras. On the other hand I did take apart and do the solenoid fix on my daughter-in-law's K-50. The instructions for that are detailed and thorough so I felt OK attempting it. But just opening a camera body up blindly? Not going to happen.

**pentaxus** · 11-17-2020, 01:21 PM

I do a fair amount myself.

**Pål Jensen** · 11-17-2020, 01:25 PM - **3 Likes**

I tried tried fixing a lens once. I'll never do it again.....

**ehrwien** · 11-17-2020, 02:01 PM - **2 Likes**

I wouldn't be comfortable to open up my camera and "see what I can do" or look at one of those exploded view diagrams and figure out what has to be done myself, but I managed to successfully exchange the faulty solenoid in my K-S2 thanks to the excellent, detailed repair manuals provided by @photogem in this forum. Not only did this save me a lot of money (I think I didn't spend more than 30€ on tools and parts in total; I got to use a friends soldering station, but without that I would have bought a cheap one for around 20€, so it's possible to do for around 50€), but it was also the only way to get an everlasting solution: the official repair faculty just exchanges the faulty part with another one that could possibly fail, because the good white solenoids are not made any more...
I might have gotten lucky because I had never soldered before, just watched a few beginner tutorials on YouTube and got to practice on my donor body extracting the solenoids before working on my own "living" camera, and it was a nerve-wracking experience lasting a few hours, but in the end everything worked out for me.

**erikro** · 11-17-2020, 02:16 PM

The last 10 years I have repaired several Pentax cameras.
New sensor, on/off malfunktion, cardreader, solenoid and several others things.
Some years ago I bought several not working cameras and repaired them and sold them.
Lately it has most been changing the solenoid.

dave_roe · 11-17-2020, 02:54 PM

I was pretty good working on problems with the old film cameras.

At this point I would not even think of opening any of the DSLRs. I know if I did it would only mean a trip to purchase something new.

reh321 · 11-17-2020, 02:56 PM

Originally posted by Astro-Baby

Well for us film fans its a way of life. There are no authorised repair facilities as such.

I sent three different film cameras off for repair - the store probably sent them to independent repair shops.
Three film cameras in 37 years.

I have yet to do that with a digital camera; they are very complicated and require access to appropriate parts, so I have typically trashed them, because repairing would require more than a replacement would. Three digital cameras in 14 years.

**bkpix** · 11-17-2020, 03:06 PM

I've done some minor repair on old desktop and laptop computers, always on the theory that I've got nothing to lose when the thing doesn't work and I'm not going to pay for someone else to do it. So far have been successful. But I don't think I've got the nerve, or the steady hands, for DSLRs and their lenses.

**AggieDad** · 11-17-2020, 03:15 PM

I did it once on my K-5ii. Once.

I thought it would be a relatively minor little thing. I had to replace the SD card door which had somehow broken. It didn't seem a big deal until I realized that the entire camera body had to be opened up to access the mounts for the door hinge. That's 21 very tiny screws of several different lengths. It was scary, tedious, and time consuming – and that was all compounded because the guy doing it was a septuagenarian wearing trifocals. Anyway, after reassembly it worked!

I will not do this again. The inside of the camera was insanely packed. I could not imagine that there is even a cubic millimeter worth of extra space inside that camera body.

shyrsio · 11-17-2020, 03:21 PM

It is fairly easy with ethe amount of help you can find around the web and especially here on the forums.

Lord Lucan · 11-17-2020, 03:29 PM

I have done some, nothing very modern though as it has not broken down (yet). I have repaired a K2, an AF280T flash unit, Digital Spotmeter, and an LX motor drive. I am curently looking out for quality but non-working items on Ebay to repair as a bit of a hobby for the winter evenings.

11-17-2020, 12:05 PM	#1
Photos-by-Chas Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Northwest Pennsylvania, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,318	Self repair of your camera I've noticed several threads in which the person indicates they have performed repairs on their camera themselves as opposed to sending it to the manufacturer or an authorized repair facility. Just curious as to how many here perform repairs on their own cameras. I'm not talking about little minor things but a fairly complicated and involved procedure that requires opening the body or lens to replace or install a part. Not sure if this is posted in the correct section, if not please move it to the proper one.

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11-17-2020, 12:23 PM - 1 Like	#2
Astro-Baby Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Reigate, Surrey Posts: 764	Well for us film fans its a way of life. There are no authorised repair facilities as such. I just got fed up with trudging to the post offive to return yet another junky camera and couldnt afford to keep sending every issue to a tech so it was a case of having to get stuck in myself.

11-17-2020, 12:24 PM	#3
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	I have repaired and serviced a few of my mechanical film cameras but would never crack the top on a Pentax dSLR unless I basically got it for free and even then would avoid any task where post repair alignment or calibration would be in order. Steve

11-17-2020, 12:41 PM	#4
mikeprotts Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2020 Posts: 66	I'm considering this for my K-5 II, to replace the SD card slot. I've probably got all the tools I need, but it's a tricky task and I need to dismantle to see if the slot is repairable.

11-17-2020, 01:13 PM	#5
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	I don't think I could bring myself to open up my cameras. On the other hand I did take apart and do the solenoid fix on my daughter-in-law's K-50. The instructions for that are detailed and thorough so I felt OK attempting it. But just opening a camera body up blindly? Not going to happen.

11-17-2020, 01:21 PM	#6
pentaxus Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Central Coast, CA Posts: 1,313	I do a fair amount myself.

11-17-2020, 01:25 PM - 3 Likes	#7
Pål Jensen Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Norway Photos: Albums Posts: 4,371	I tried tried fixing a lens once. I'll never do it again.....

11-17-2020, 02:01 PM - 2 Likes	#8
ehrwien Site Supporter Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 2,782	I wouldn't be comfortable to open up my camera and "see what I can do" or look at one of those exploded view diagrams and figure out what has to be done myself, but I managed to successfully exchange the faulty solenoid in my K-S2 thanks to the excellent, detailed repair manuals provided by @photogem in this forum. Not only did this save me a lot of money (I think I didn't spend more than 30€ on tools and parts in total; I got to use a friends soldering station, but without that I would have bought a cheap one for around 20€, so it's possible to do for around 50€), but it was also the only way to get an everlasting solution: the official repair faculty just exchanges the faulty part with another one that could possibly fail, because the good white solenoids are not made any more... I might have gotten lucky because I had never soldered before, just watched a few beginner tutorials on YouTube and got to practice on my donor body extracting the solenoids before working on my own "living" camera, and it was a nerve-wracking experience lasting a few hours, but in the end everything worked out for me.

11-17-2020, 02:16 PM	#9
erikro Site Supporter Join Date: May 2008 Location: Ølgod, Denmark Photos: Gallery Posts: 135	The last 10 years I have repaired several Pentax cameras. New sensor, on/off malfunktion, cardreader, solenoid and several others things. Some years ago I bought several not working cameras and repaired them and sold them. Lately it has most been changing the solenoid.

11-17-2020, 02:54 PM	#10
dave_roe Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rome, Italy Photos: Albums Posts: 584	I was pretty good working on problems with the old film cameras. At this point I would not even think of opening any of the DSLRs. I know if I did it would only mean a trip to purchase something new.

11-17-2020, 02:56 PM	#11
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,179	Originally posted by Astro-Baby Well for us film fans its a way of life. There are no authorised repair facilities as such. I sent three different film cameras off for repair - the store probably sent them to independent repair shops. Three film cameras in 37 years. I have yet to do that with a digital camera; they are very complicated and require access to appropriate parts, so I have typically trashed them, because repairing would require more than a replacement would. Three digital cameras in 14 years.

11-17-2020, 03:06 PM	#12
bkpix Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Creswell, Oregon Photos: Albums Posts: 568	I've done some minor repair on old desktop and laptop computers, always on the theory that I've got nothing to lose when the thing doesn't work and I'm not going to pay for someone else to do it. So far have been successful. But I don't think I've got the nerve, or the steady hands, for DSLRs and their lenses.

11-17-2020, 03:15 PM	#13
AggieDad Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Houston, TX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,453	I did it once on my K-5ii. Once. I thought it would be a relatively minor little thing. I had to replace the SD card door which had somehow broken. It didn't seem a big deal until I realized that the entire camera body had to be opened up to access the mounts for the door hinge. That's 21 very tiny screws of several different lengths. It was scary, tedious, and time consuming – and that was all compounded because the guy doing it was a septuagenarian wearing trifocals. Anyway, after reassembly it worked! I will not do this again. The inside of the camera was insanely packed. I could not imagine that there is even a cubic millimeter worth of extra space inside that camera body.

11-17-2020, 03:21 PM	#14
shyrsio Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Tirana Posts: 780	It is fairly easy with ethe amount of help you can find around the web and especially here on the forums.

11-17-2020, 03:29 PM	#15
Lord Lucan Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: South Wales Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,963	I have done some, nothing very modern though as it has not broken down (yet). I have repaired a K2, an AF280T flash unit, Digital Spotmeter, and an LX motor drive. I am curently looking out for quality but non-working items on Ebay to repair as a bit of a hobby for the winter evenings.