An overview of typical camera problems, their causes, diagnostics and troubleshooting

A reflex camera is one of the most reliable devices due to high-end electronics, rigorous testing, and camera rejection at the factory. But breakdowns still happen.

The most common horrors for a photographer are:

The camera does not turn on - reasons:

• Deep discharge of the battery.
• Battery failure.
• Memory card failure (with a broken memory card, the camera will not turn on).

How to check where is the problem?

1. At least it is worth checking the battery. First, measure the charge level with a tester.
If the voltage is lower than the rating indicated on the battery, the camera will not turn on.

3. Didn't help? We change the memory card to a known working one. Sometimes a non-working memory card prevents the camera from turning on.

4. We do the same with the lens - we put it obviously working.

If after that the camera does not turn on - only deep.

Features of repair and diagnostics of cameras that are not included:

During the diagnostics, we determine not only the breakdown, but also the delivery time of components, the complexity of resolving the issue, the price of the components themselves.

The price of repair depends on the price of the block or element that needs to be replaced and the complexity of the work.

With the help of an oscilloscope, the master analyzes the pulses of the camera.
Finds out the nuances of signal transmission, determines the cause of the breakdown.

Next, we analyze the time and price, and we agree these points with you.
For popular brands (Canon, Nikon, Olympus) the period is from one day to two weeks.
For those rare on the territory of Ukraine (“Leica” (Panasonic), newfangled Fujifilm (the price of cameras is such that, in principle, there cannot be many of them) - longer.

Shutter does not work - causes

The development of rivets that hold the lamellas (curtains) together.

In this case, we do the replacement of lamellae

• The shutter motor breaks.
• The driver “flew” (a microcircuit that controls the operation of the shutter).

Most often - the question is in the lamellae.
From a blow, such breakdowns rarely occur: equipment is expensive in every sense and therefore “seriously” drop them rarely.

Signs that the matter is in the shutter:


Dark shot, the matrix did not light up.

How to check:

Without a lens, press the "Shutter" button in manual mode.
If the mirror went up, but the shutter did not work and you did not see the matrix, then the shutter was jammed.

SLR shutter repair features:

The older the camera, the more difficult and longer it takes to find the shutter.
Not everything is available in Ukraine.
In such cases, we import original parts to the USA, Thailand, China.
If available, the replacement takes three to four days.

You cannot fix such a malfunction on your own: you need a jewelry disassembly of the bolt.

CAMERA REPAIR

To competently carry out repairs, you first need to understand the device of digital cameras. Let's start with optics. Inside the lens are the diaphragm and the shutter. The diaphragm consists of several petals and, when closed, reduces the diameter of the hole through which light enters the matrix. Due to this, the amount of incident light is reduced and excessive illumination of the matrix is ​​​​prevented when the subject is brightly lit. There is a gate nearby. Just like the Aperture, it is able to change the amount of light that hit the matrix.

The camera lenses are immersed in the case when the power is off and leave it when it is turned on. Even a slight blow to it in the on position can ruin the camera. Another element of the lens that you need to be extremely careful with is the lens. It must be protected from contact with any objects. The quality of the image in the pictures, its sharpness, directly depends on the purity of the lens. Dust can be removed from the lens using a stream of air from a special can of compressed air. Fingerprints can be wiped off with a clean cloth, and if heavily soiled, special lens cleaning fluid is required.

If the indicator is constantly flashing and clicks are heard in the lens, it means that the lens is jammed due to broken teeth at the gear in the gearbox. It happens that the bushing that moves the shutter and diaphragm mechanism breaks in lenses.

The shutter of a digital camera, as a rule, is open and the light passing through the lens continuously hits the matrix. The digital camera continuously acquires an image from the sensor and displays it on the camera monitor. And if the shutter is closed, we will not see the images on the monitor. Although after shooting a frame with a high resolution, the shutter closes for the time required to copy information from the matrix to the camera's memory. An infrared filter is located behind the lens of the lens, which prevents the passage of infrared rays to the photosensitive matrix. Vision does not allow you to see infrared rays, which means that you should not see them and digital camera. Otherwise, the image obtained with such a camera will differ from what we see.

In the course of the light rays, there is a photosensitive matrix, the upper part of which is made of glass. Under the protective glass is a light-sensitive surface of the matrix. Its surface consists of many light-sensitive cells. Light falling on their surface creates an electric charge in the depths of each of them. After shooting, the resulting charges are transferred to an analog-to-digital converter. This is where digitization takes place. Large charges are assigned large numbers, and small charges are assigned small numbers. If there is no charge in the cell, it is assigned the value 0, but the maximum value depends on the ADC capacity. For most cameras, this value corresponds to 255, that is, 8 bits per channel. The digitized information enters the working memory. This is a microcircuit capable of storing information only in the presence of electrical power. The picture is in RAM for only a fraction of a second. Here it is digitally processed - color reproduction, sharpness, brightness and other image characteristics are improved. AT digital cameras different companies can use the same light-sensitive matrices, and the quality of the resulting image, due to different digital processing, will differ significantly. The converted picture is transferred to the memory card. Here, a digital photograph is stored regardless of whether there are batteries in the camera or not.

The inoperability of the memory card may be due to dirty contacts. You can correct the situation by rubbing the contacts of the card with a cloth with an effort.

If the camera does not work after installing the battery, check if the connection is correct. If you installed the battery in the camera without much effort, this does not mean that it is installed correctly and the camera will work. Also, the reason may be weakly charged cells - the current consumption of cameras can be more than an ampere and the camera will not even turn on on weak batteries.

The central processor controls everything. Above the lens is an optical viewfinder. During zooming, the distance between the lenses of the lens changes, and accordingly the image scale. Similar movements of the lenses occur in the optical viewfinder of the camera, so it is made in one unit with the lens.

If the power is normal, but still does not turn on - most likely the processor is out of order. You need to change the processor. But first, you should measure the current consumption when turned on, if the value is zero - most likely there is a power failure somewhere.

The flash unit is located on a separate board with a large capacitor and a transformer. There is a liquid crystal monitor on the back of the camera, which shows the image during shooting.

Receipt process quality photography initially required considerable skill and experience. With the invention of digital cameras, a new era in photography has begun. Anyone can capture a moment in digital format and, if desired, transfer their work to paper or a photo frame.

Almost every family today has a digital camera. And how many times, albeit without malicious intent, did your beloved fotik suffer from falls or a careless blow? In this article, we will consider the regular breakdowns of digital cameras resulting from mechanical damage.
Modern medium digital camera price range slightly larger in size mobile phone. But don't be fooled. A digital camera is a fairly complex electronic device. In this small box, mechanical parts moving along a complex kinematic scheme with electronic filling are very tightly intertwined. As a rule, when a digital camera is struck, its most delicate part, the optical system, suffers. Namely, the basket of a digital camera lens. Let's consider the repair using the example of a digital camera of the middle price range costing between 6-8 thousand rubles. The cost of a new lens barrel is approximately 1500 rubles. At first glance it seems: what is easier? I bought a lens barrel, dismantled a digital camera. I replaced the broken part and reassembled the camera. In fact, everything is not so simple.
First, get a set of watch screwdrivers (350-450 rubles), because without them you won’t even be able to disassemble the body of a digital camera. Then the most interesting and difficult part of the repair begins - disassembly. To carry out a quality repair, several conditions must be met.

• First, the room must be practically sterile. Otherwise, a mote that gets on the matrix or internal lenses of the photo lens will spoil all your photographs.
• Secondly, it is desirable to have good lighting on the surface of the table on which the digital camera will be disassembled. You'd be surprised how small screws hold the inside of the camera.
• The third condition is the preliminary disassembly of the digital camera for troubleshooting, which results in disassembled storage a large number small screws of various sizes and the parts of the photo lens themselves with lenses and a photo matrix until the purchase of the part to replace the defective one.

The most important thing is to carefully remember the sequence in which you shoot the parts of a digital camera, because you will have to assemble it in exactly the reverse order.
To facilitate the work, we recommend that you pre-magnetize the screwdrivers.
The cost of disassembly and assembly in the service center of such a camera is 1500 rubles. If you are a do-it-yourselfer and are happy to study the device of a digital camera, then the time spent and patience will more than pay off with the awareness of the saved sum of money and the experience gained. If you still doubt the availability of patience and due skill, it is better to contact specialized service centers. Repairing a camera in a service center means getting a quality repair, with accompaniment warranty obligations. Indeed, in case of failure, the time and effort spent cannot be compensated for by colorful photographs taken with a repaired digital camera.

Master's response:

In order to repair a digital device yourself, you need to know what this device is from the inside. So, the optics system includes a diaphragm (inside the lens) and a shutter. The diaphragm is a series of petals that, when closed, narrow the hole through which light enters the matrix. Due to this, the degree of illumination is reduced, which prevents unnecessary exposure of the matrix if the subject is brightly lit. Like a diaphragm, a shutter changes the amount of light that hits the sensor.

When the camera is turned on, the camera lenses may extend and retract into the body of the device. It is important to know that a slight shock from the impact will damage the camera. An equally fragile part of the lens is the lens, which must be extremely carefully protected from contact with third-party objects. The cleaner the lens, the better the sharpness and image quality will be. Therefore, purchase a special can of compressed air, the flow of which will remove dust particles adhering to the lens. Using a clean piece of cloth, wipe off fingerprints from the lens, and if the dirt does not wipe off at all, then buy and carry a special liquid for cleaning optics with you.

If, when working with a camera, you hear clicks in the lens, and the indicator blinks constantly, then most likely the lens is jammed due to broken teeth of the gearbox gear. In more complex cases, the sleeve, which is the driving mechanism of the diaphragm and shutter, may break in the lenses.

The shutter of the apparatus is in the open state, so that the rays of light passing through the lens constantly fall on the matrix. The camera constantly receives an image from the matrix, which is displayed on the camera monitor. If the shutter is closed, the monitor will not display anything. However, after a high-resolution frame is taken, the shutter closes for a moment so that the information from the matrix is ​​​​copied into the device's memory.

Behind the lens is an infrared filter that blocks infrared light from reaching the sensor with a low ISO threshold. Our vision is not capable of seeing infrared light, which a digital camera should not see either. Otherwise, the picture will be different from the one we are used to seeing with our normal vision.

Along the path of light is a photosensitive matrix. Its upper part is glass, due to which the surface of the matrix is ​​protected. The surface of the matrix is ​​a myriad of light-sensitive cells, in the depths of which an electric charge arises from a ray of light. After you have taken a picture, the resulting charges are transferred to the analog-to-digital converter device, where the digitization process begins. Large values receive large charges, and small charges are insignificant. If there is no charge in the cell, a zero value is formed. But the maximum number is directly dependent on the bit depth of your ADC.

For most of the cameras used, the value does not exceed 255, which means 8 bits per channel. RAM receives this digitized information. The OP is a microcircuit where information is stored, even if for a fraction of a second, but only under the condition of constant electrical power. This microcircuit performs digital image processing - improves sharpness, color reproduction, brightness and other image parameters.

In digital cameras different manufacturers similar photosensitive matrices can be used. However, the output image quality may vary due to digital processing. So, the already converted frame gets into the memory card, where the photo in digital format will be stored regardless of whether the device is charged or not.

If you are faced with the problem of a memory card refusing to save photos, then most likely its contacts are dirty. So, carefully and forcefully clean the contacts with a piece of cloth.

If the device does not work after you have installed the battery in it, check again that the connection is correct. After all, the lack of effort when inserting the battery and its correct location do not mean anything. Another reason is not fully charged batteries, since the current consumed by the camera is more than 1A. So because of weak batteries, the camera will refuse to even turn on.

The entire imaging system is controlled by a central processing unit. And above the lens is an optical viewfinder device. When the zoom function works, the distance between the lenses of the lens changes and also the scale of the picture. The same movements are performed by the lenses in the device of the optical viewfinder of the camera, and therefore the device is located in the same block as the lens.

So, you have checked and established that the power supply is good, but the machine still cannot turn on. The culprit, most likely, is a burned-out processor, which must be replaced. However, first measure the current consumption during power-up: a zero value indicates a power failure.

The flash device is a separate board on which there is a transformer and a capacitor with a significant capacitance. And the rear panel of the camera is an LCD monitor that displays the image during shooting.

"Everything new is well forgotten old." What can not be said about the digital camera, which almost completely replaced the film one. And not in vain, because a digital camera has many advantages. As a result, new problems have emerged. Therefore, in this article we will consider the main breakdowns and malfunctions of digital cameras.

All malfunctions can be conditionally divided into physical and technical. Physical ones include: ingress of moisture, sand, overheating of the camera, mechanical damage (shocks / falls)

1. Moisture getting inside the case. This is one of the main causes of failure. Moreover, your camera does not have to get caught in the rain - it is enough for it to lie down for some time in a damp room. At the same time, the "accessibility" of moisture is that its action is imperceptible and the longer your device lies, the more likely it is full exit out of service. At the same time, oxidative processes of electronic elements take place inside the apparatus.

If you suspect that moisture has got into the camera (for example, the power button and other control buttons do not respond), then, first of all, you need to turn off the device, remove the battery and place it in a warm, dry place. If a official guarantee is over, you can try to figure it out yourself. To do this, you will need hand tools, which include: a set of screwdrivers, tweezers, a unit from the kit for opening cases, a napkin. Having untwisted the case, it is easy to carry out diagnostics - if there are no salt deposits on the internal parts white color(from moisture), then you can dry the parts yourself with a special napkin. In no case should you use a hair dryer, as there is a possibility of increasing the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdamage.

2. Mechanical damage is a very common cause of failure. Given that the camera is a portable device, the risk of being dropped or hit is very high. In this case, two types of damage are possible: external - damage to the case or display, and internal - damage to the electronics, lens, including the zoom mechanism and other parts.

In the first case, everything is simple - minor scratches or cracks on the case do not affect functionality. And from a broken display .., but it can also be replaced. You can read more detailed information on replacing the display for a digital camera in previous articles.

In case of damage to internal parts and mechanisms, most likely, it is necessary to carry out a complete disassembly of either the device itself (body) or the lens.

The main signs of lens failure are associated with the failure of the zoom mechanism, i.e. it is impossible to focus.

3. Sand ingress - this malfunction is also very common, especially in summer period. Even fine dust particles can lead to problems. Especially when it comes to camera lenses. The main signs of damage are the difficult movement of the lens mechanism or its complete blocking.

To resolve this problem, special paper templates and lens fixing fluid are required. If this method fails to fix the problem, then proceed to disassemble the camera.

4. Violation of the thermal regime. At the same time, the internal parts of the camera overheat strongly, melt - this threatens the failure of the entire device. In this case, you need to disassemble it, find out which parts are out of order and replace them. If things are really bad, then to the service center, but with their own components.

Technical malfunctions include: malfunctions of the matrix, lens, display and other mechanisms, as well as software failures.

Display damage

This breakdown is very common. Digital cameras without protective glass are most at risk. In these models, even with light pressure, the display can be damaged.

The main signs of an LCD malfunction are: visible cracks, liquid crystal spreading, partial display of information or its complete absence. If such a malfunction occurs, you can replace the display with a new one yourself. You can find all the necessary components and tools for repair in our online store.

Lens damage

The lens of a digital camera is very sensitive to physical and mechanical influences. Even slight contamination on its surface can harm it. The breakdown manifests itself most often in poor image focusing and poor zoom performance. An extended lens that does not respond when turned on indicates problems with the drive mechanism. In this case, failure of such a fragile part as gears, the teeth of which break, is possible. At the same time, even the smallest grains of sand between the gears can block the operation of the zoom mechanism.

Then you need to clean the lens using special paper and a brush. If the problems persist, then proceed to disassemble and replace parts. And don't skimp on special lens cleaners. But do not overdo it, because frequent cleaning also negatively affects the operation of the mechanisms.

Flash problems

Flash failures are one of the most common types of digital camera failures. The main symptoms of a malfunction: the captured image is too dark or light, there is no image at all.

If you have a built-in flash, then you need to disassemble the device itself and clean the flash. If this does not help, then it needs to be replaced. In principle, the procedure is not complicated and does not require much effort. Used in professional cameras external flashes, which are connected to it through a special contact, the so-called hot shoe. It is his failure that can lead to a complete failure of the flash.

Camera interface problems

Since a digital camera is convenient in that the pictures taken from it can be processed, frequent use of the camera's interfaces is simply a necessity - these are audio and video outputs, a USB connector and other connectors (depending on the model). Naturally, they also fail.

Repair of the camera interface in this case is not difficult and consists in replacing the loose connector. To do this, you will need a set of screwdrivers, which can be purchased through the online store.

Of course, some more damage to digital cameras is possible, but they are less common. If we dwell in more detail on the models, then we can highlight typical malfunctions for each model. Let's consider a few of them:

Sony DSC-T9: the zoom mechanism is out of order, it gives an E61 error on the screen. Cause and its solution: the stepper motor of the zoom mechanism is jammed or the gears are damaged - the entire mechanism must be replaced.

CANON ixus 40 (and other models): Flash does not work. Reason and its solution: the elements of the microcircuit (25AAJ) are faulty. The defective element must be replaced with 20AAJ (from the film camera flash circuit).

Olympus MJV 410: Flash failed. Solving the problem: you need to solder the connector from the flash board to the main board.

NIKON E5000: when the camera is turned on, the lens extends and locks; The device turns off only after removing and putting back the battery. Problem and solution: problems with the CN103 connector - the connector itself needs to be replaced.

Sony DSC-F717: The resulting image is distorted and smeared. Problem and its solution: failure of some elements of the matrix - it is necessary to replace the matrix.

Good luck with your repairs!