Railfan Technology > Broken Dial on Canon 7D

So when out shooting this past Wednesday, I went to switch my Canon 7D from aperture preferred to shutter preferred. When simply turning the mode dial, it popped, became loose, spun, then fell off in my fingers! I was shocked to find the rod that connects the dial is plastic. I would have expected a metal rod from a mid-grade camera like the 7D.

Has anybody else ever experienced this and have any suggestions on how to proceed? For the time being, I appear to be stuck in aperture preferred (which, granted, is far better than being stuck in manual). But I'm a shutter preferred kind of guy as I like to keep my shutter speed up to avoid motion blur.

My dad suggested a drop of super glue on the end of the rod and then try to connect it with the base of the rod and let it dry for a good 24 hours. Thoughts on that? I'd rather not have to spend (I don't know how much) on repairs from Canon. But I suspect that may be the only course of action I really have.

Thanks in advance!

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

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Looking at the break I bite the bullet and send to Canon, they are normally a quick week turn around and their pricing has been reasonable for repairs on all my Canon EOS cameras from the 300D through my 40D

Two Thinks:

1. Manual mode is good. Learn how to use it and
you'll have a better understanding of 'light' as
seen by the camera...

2. Send it back to Canon. They might be really
interested in the failure mode here. If it happened
to you, others are in the wings...

John.

I agree that you should probably send it back to Canon for repair. The super glue might work but you can't be too sure of what else might get glued and possibly damaged in the process. If that were to happen you likely would have to send it to them anyway and would end up with a higher repair bill than if you let them fix it from the start.

Mike

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/16 12:35 by nwsd45.

Thanks for the advice all. I will get it sent to Canon for repairs. I'm hoping they can even install a locking dial so it isn't accidentally bumped (which has happened to me before).

John, I completely agree with you on manual mode. I do actually use it in the right circumstances...I'm just glad I'm not forced in to using it as my only option until I can get the camera repaired.  :)

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

My experience with camera's costing from $5.00 to $500,000 is that they all work great until they break. 
This is clearly a service issue. You need to send it in for repair.
I agree with the above poster; you have no control over where the glue will go. In the end, it will most likely break again and glue would only add to the difficulty for the service person repairing your camera. 
The 7D is a superb design, one of Canon's best digital cameras ever. It is worth getting repaired. Yes, unfortunately, you will be bullet biting for it will be anywhere in the $100-300 range at Canon service. 
If you look at on-line video's regarding camera disassembly and you see the hundreds of steps required for camera repair, the cost begins to make sense. 
I live way over on the east coast. For an alternative to Canon, I use a New York camera service place called Photo Tech. I have used them for repairs over the years. Their service is good and prices fair.
BTW, in time you will see the wisdom of using Manual. Once you get the hang of it, you will wonder how you worked without it.

Dennis Livesey
New York, NY

Kevin... Check out Mike's Camera in Boulder. I understand they are an authorized Canon repair shop. I took a lens up there one day with a problem with the zoom ring and the guy fixed it while I stood there and there was no charge. It will probably be cheaper and faster than shipping it to Canon somewhere else. Good luck!

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Going back many years, my Canon EOS5 film camera mechanically broke on 2 seperate occassions and both different items. Due to the many cameras returned to Canon for repair, I gather they re-engineered the parts to prevent further failures. Well worth returning - unless they have a shelf full of these with the same repair required. Chris uk.

If memory serves me correctly [and it may not], Canon had devised a locking dial and would install it for 100 bux.  Given that the 7D has been replaced by the 7D Mk II, and the 80D is a known quantity,  I wouldn't invest too much in a repair. 

Sending the camera back is the only way to effect the repairs. Something below the break is binding enough to cause the shaft to fail. This is not a super glue solution.

Good luck.

Posted from iPhone

NormSchultze Wrote:
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> If memory serves me correctly , Canon had devised
> a locking dial and would install it for 100 bux. 
> Given that the 7D has been replaced by the 7D Mk
> II, and the 80D is a known quantity,  I wouldn't
> invest too much in a repair. 

Indeed canon did offer the lock option. i'd call them and inquire. Should be about $100.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/16 12:50 by dirkb.

KEH Camera has 7D for about 500 bux.  I sure would spend much to repair a 500 dollar camera.  It's obsolete.