topic Re: 70D mount won't reattach in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

70D mount won't reattach

lemonheader — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 04:58:39 GMT

I removed the mount plate from my 70D in order to fix a problem, and now it won't go back on. The screws act like they aren't gripping anything.

The reason I took it off was that it started to say I couldn't use flash because I had an external flash connected when I didn't. Eventually found out it was because a pin fell off that told the camera when anything was connected externally, so it always thought something was.

Is there any reason why the screws won't go back in to the mount plate?

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

Waddizzle — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 08:02:34 GMT

@lemonheaderwrote:
I removed the mount plate from my 70D in order to fix a problem, and now it won't go back on. The screws act like they aren't gripping anything.

The reason I took it off was that it started to say I couldn't use flash because I had an external flash connected when I didn't. Eventually found out it was because a pin fell off that told the camera when anything was connected externally, so it always thought something was.

Is there any reason why the screws won't go back in to the mount plate?

Without a hands on inspection, no one can answer your question. Seek professional help from Canon.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

Ray-uk — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 10:34:32 GMT

I would guess that there is a seperate metal plate inside that the screws are threaded into, when you took the mount off then the plate droppped down and now the screws don't reach. Try holding the camera upside down so that the plate falls back into position and screw the mount back on in that position, other than that you will have to take the top of the camera off.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

wq9nsc — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 11:36:15 GMT

You are likely to have to take the top off or at this point you may want Canon to fix it before you perhaps run into bigger issues with further disassembling of the camera..

You can try Ray's suggestion of turning it upside down but if there is also room for the internal plate to move laterally then you will have to manipulate the camera so that the plate tapped openings will line up with the screws. It may help to try a magnet to pull the plate into position if it is made of a ferrous material instead of some non-magnetic metal or composite material.

Another option would be to acquire one long screw of the same diameter and pitch as the correct screws and use that one to engage the plate and pull it into place and then secure with the other regular screws before replacing the long screw. If you use this technique screw in the longer screw just far enough to engage the threads on the other part then lift the screw up to hold the plate in place. Do NOT try to pull the other piece up by screwing this screw in further or it may contact something and do damage.

Rodger

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

ebiggs1 — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 14:35:49 GMT

"Is there any reason why the screws won't go back in to the mount plate?"

I don't take any of my cameras apart myself but through the years I have been around when qualified repair people did. "I would guess that there is a seperate metal plate inside that the screws are threaded into" I have never seen this so I guess it was just a guess. There is no metal plate that I know of. Cameras like most things today are made on an assembly line. They are designed to go together for the ease and speed of the assembly line. So a separate metal ring is unlikely.

Could be you stripped the threads for instance? Who knows? Ahh, yes, Canon knows. Send it to them before you get into real serious problems.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

MikeSowsun — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 16:31:30 GMT

There does appear to be a metal plate.....

Here is what it looks like underneath.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

ebiggs1 — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 19:38:37 GMT

"I would guess that there is a seperate metal plate inside that the screws are threaded into..."

Sure there is the chassis but not a separate "metal plate".

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

MikeSowsun — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 23:59:11 GMT

@ebiggs1wrote:
"I would guess that there is a seperate metal plate inside that the screws are threaded into..."

Sure there is the chassis but not a separate "metal plate".

I still see a separate metal plate with 4 screws with red thread locker on them.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:00:38 GMT

"I still see a separate metal plate with 4 screws with red thread locker on them."

Ok, Mike for us less observant, can you put an arrow or indicate what you see as a separate metal plate. Something that isn't attached to the chassis or fixed in some other way? I can't imagine an assemble line would tolerate a floating part inside that required it to be manipulated to fit 4 small screws into.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

kvbarkley — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:02:33 GMT

Note that in production the plate is attached before the top cover is put on the camera, it is not loose inside.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:07:31 GMT

"...it is not loose inside."

Exactly ! If you haven't taken the camera apart down to this level the plate is fixed not loose. Assembly has to be done in a precise manner.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

MikeSowsun — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:17:48 GMT

@ebiggs1wrote:
"I still see a separate metal plate with 4 screws with red thread locker on them."

Ok, Mike for us less observant, can you put an arrow or indicate what you see as a separate metal plate. Something that isn't attached to the chassis or fixed in some other way? I can't imagine an assemble line would tolerate a floating part inside that required it to be manipulated to fit 4 small screws into.

I never said it was loose in the photo. I just meant it is a plate and not a "Chassis". The OP removed the top hotshoe plate and that caused this plate on the underside to become loose.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:19:01 GMT

"I never said it was loose."

But this was/is the point. Whether it is separate part or part of the chassis is irrelevant. It isn't because the plate is floating around and he cannot put the screws in. Some other reason is preventing that. Possibly they have been stripped?

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

MikeSowsun — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:25:52 GMT

No, I disagree. Because he removed those 4 screws, that plate has become loose and won't line up with the screws he is trying to re-install.

I found a post on another forum where they had the same problem: 7D Hot Shoe Base *Removal*--DON'T TRY!

" I did have the same issue with the internal metal plate dropping too low for the screws to engage. I solved that by holding the whole body upside down, using a paper clip to align the screw holes, and then tightening the first of the four screws in while it was still upside down."

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:32:08 GMT

Perhaps you are right, Mike.

I just can't imagine Canon designing something that difficult for an assembly line camera.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

RobertTheFat — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:46:47 GMT

@ebiggs1wrote:
Perhaps you are right, Mike.

I just can't imagine Canon designing something that difficult for an assembly line camera.

It shouldn't be at all difficult if done in the right order. In production, the hot shoe and the plate that holds it on would have been bolted to the camera top before the camera top was attached to the main body. The OP's problem occurred only because he didn't know to remove the camera top before detaching the hot shoe.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

wq9nsc — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:46:52 GMT

It is common for manufactured products to have parts temporarily held in place during the manufacturing process (short life adhesive, design to fracture clip, etc.) that aligns the part only until the next assembly step. Good service manuals will provide instructions about how to avoid disassembly problems related to those parts which will now free-float if an assembly step is reversed.

I restore a lot of vintage electronic gear and I have gotten pretty adept at various work-around techniques to avoid complete disassembly of a product that requires replacement of a component that is installed early in the assembly process.

One of the many problems faced by the auto insurance industry (and impacting us from the resultant coverage rates) is that often a low cost part damaged in an accident requires so much disassembly to repair that a fairly minor accident can result in the vehicle being declared a total loss. A few months ago a less than 1 year old Corvette (valued in the $70K range) was totaled due to a bit of highway debris that cracked one of the frame reinforcement parts that goes on early during assembly and although the part itself could easily be repaired by welding the only approved process required removal of that part prior to welding which required virtually taking the whole car apart which would finally allow partial disassembly of the frame.

That is an extreme example but there is a pretty strong inverse relationship between ease/speed of manufacturing and cost/ease of repair access and what made this Canon model faster and easier on the assembly line means at least a little headache for the owner trying to do a fairly minor repair. To some extent this is just another part of the "replace rather than repair" trend for consumer products which effectively counteracts much of the environmental gains brought about through regulations and technology.

Rodger

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:50:41 GMT

Robert, "It shouldn't be at all difficult if done in the right order."

My point exactly. The OP didn't go down to the level of Mike's photo.

Re: 70D mount won't reattach

BurnUnit — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 17:56:13 GMT

Certain cars and trucks use a similar means of assembly. Door hinge bolts can be threaded into a "tap plate" that's fitted inside the door frame. It's usually a thick metal plate with four holes drilled and tapped to size. If you remove three of the bolts and only loosen the fourth you can usually move the hinge enough to thread one of the removed bolts back into the tap plate to hold it in place. Then you can remove the remaining fourth bolt and the hinge.

Take all four bolts out at once and as you remove the hinge you'll hear the tap plate drop down invisibly inside of the door frame. Then you're in for removing trim or other panels so you can fish the tap plate back into position.