topic EOS Rebel XTi still usable with broken pin in card slot? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS Rebel XTi still usable with broken pin in card slot?

violetcameras05 — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:06:09 GMT

Hello, I very recently bought a Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR from Facebook Marketplace, and I look forward to using it. In the CompactFlash (CF) slot, there is one broken pin; the broken pin fell out, and is not stuck or sitting in the slot. Will this camera still be usable? I have attached the lense, turned the camera on, and tried to take photos, but the front display screen will not turn on. I have tried to click the “DISP” button to switch displays, but it is not working. The seller said that the camera and CF card worked before selling them to me, as she tested them beforehand. Can anyone help?

Re: Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR

shadowsports — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:19:11 GMT

Greetings,

No, the camera will not work with a broken pin in the CF Express slot. I would pursue a return. If return is not possible then you've learned a valuable lesson. Do not buy from Facebook Marketplace. I suspect the seller knew this was a problem. Buy your camera gear from an authorized Canon dealer or from a vendor that has a warranty and return policy. Sites like Canon USA, refurbished, KEH, MBP, Adorama or B&H new or used departments.

Re: Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR

TomRamsey — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:05:42 GMT

Return it, on a sale like that you need to test it in the seller's presence.

Re: Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR

ebiggs1 — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:13:50 GMT

I have owned five Rebels in the past no longer have one though. The Rebel XTi will power on and allow you to move through and select menus without a CF in it all all. So a broken pin, IMHO, should not be the cause of it not working. But "Shoot w/o a card" setting is set to disabled as the default setting. You will have to change that setting.

"Will this camera still be usable?"

No it will not and it is very expensive to repair the pins and certainly not worth it on an XTi. It may be possible to tether it to an app on your computer but it has been too long for this ole brain to remember how or if it is even possible. But I suspect it is.

Re: Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR

kvbarkley — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:15:11 GMT

No guarantee that the broken CF pin was the only thing wrong with the camera.

Re: Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR

ebiggs1 — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:16:49 GMT

I don't know what you paid for it but no more than $50 or $60 bucks would be tops and that's why it isn't cost effective to repair.

Re: Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR

violetcameras05 — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:54:11 GMT

I paid a little more than $80, but the camera also came with a lens and a few other accessories.

Re: EOS Rebel XTi still usable with broken pin in card slot?

ebiggs1 — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:45:28 GMT

"I paid a little more than $80,..."

I have to agree with my friends you need to and should return it. They sold you a paper weight for "a little more than $80". IMHO, $80 is top dollar for a XTi no matter what "other accessories" were included. It should have been in perfect shape and it is not. The Xti is 20 years old its just not worth much. Sorry.

Re: EOS Rebel XTi still usable with broken pin in card slot?

LeeP — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 23:07:16 GMT

Does the seller accept returns? The "Well it was working when I sent it" can sometimes be the verbiage of a scamming seller.

The seller's return policy is what anyone must search and undertand before considering the purchase of any used camera. Because I keep a stable of working 35mm SLRs, the seller's return policy is essential when I get GAS (gear-acquisition syndrome).

I bought a Pentax ME Super that came with a winder. The seller said both were fine. When I got the package, the ME Super had the dreaded sticky wind lever. I contacted the seller and he offered to take it back and refund my money. The winder was fine, so we negotiated a price for the winder and he refunded the rest letting me keep the ME Super as a nice paper weight. I bought a K2 from Japan that was advertised as being in perfecting working order and it arrived with a dead meter, the seller said it was too much of a hassle to return it. He refunded my money and said keep it.

Re: Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR

LeeP — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 23:09:30 GMT

At least the price wasn't ridiculous. The lens--assuming it has no issues--is running $40-50 on eBay.

Re: Canon EOS Rebel XTi DSLR

LeeP — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 23:20:13 GMT

"I suspect the seller knew this was a problem."

Bingo, especially if there is a no-return policy.

The sites you mention are good suggestions, though they can be pricey.

In any case it is important to research...research...research not jut the foibles of the camera but also what customers have to say. It is also essential not to get emotionally drawn to a camera so much that you can't walk away. Extreme patience is how I got a pristine Nikon F with a fully working meter and a 50mm f1.4 lens for $105 I think it was.

Another trick is to shoot the seller a question about the item and see how (if) they respond. Speed and clarity bode well for how they will be should there be an issue on arrival.

I've had good luck with eBay, but I research the seller to see what people actually said not just looking at their 97.8% approval rate. But the stuff I want is old old.