Broken 5D!!!

[marvinjailes]

I have a Canon 5D Mark I. Some time ago I was in the middle of changing lenses while the camera was on, and that was the last time it worked. After that incident it refused to work again.

It powers on but returns an error on the top LCD screen. From what I've read there must have been a short circuit in the lens' contact pins which fried the PCB? I have tried replacing the CR2032 battery, and switched between my CF cards, to no avail. What options are there? Is there any way to diagnose it other than what is available on page 165 of the user's manual?

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Whats the Error??  Or does it just say Error?

Remove the CF card and lens.  If error is all you have and you cannnot mainipulate the camera's menus, you are a candididate for repair.  Contact Canonn.  

[Peter]

There is a fuse in 5D, but you will need to open up the camera completely. Normally the camera shouldn't be able to power up if the fuse is blown.

[ebiggs1]

"...you are a candididate for repair.  Contact Canonn."

Don't be surprised if they tell you the 5D (there is no Mk I) is out of service life and not repairable by Canon. There are private shops that do still service the 5D.  But, in either case, I think a new or newer 5D model would be a better choice.

[ebiggs1]

"...I was in the middle of changing lenses while the camera was on,..."

Unlikely to damage the camera. On Canon cameras the left most pins on the body is the power pin.  When the lens is disengaged and rotated counterclockwise the first thing that happens is that power is removed from the lens. None of the other lens contacts sweep over the power pin.  

There used to be a warning about static dust being sucked in to the mirror box but I think that is false also. But anything is possible I guess.

[Peter]

Especially 5D has had a few reports of dying after unmounting older third-party lenses.

[ebiggs1]

"...had a few reports of dying after unmounting..."

Sometimes people will assign a cause and effect to an unrelated event. Once the power pin has lost contact there is little to no chance the dismounting caused the damage, IMHO, of course.

[Peter]

I took it to Unique Photo this morning and one of the techs told me he's heard of five cases or so of the 5D not being able to handle the circuits or whatever on the Zeiss ZE 50/1.4 and thus getting fried...

It happened to me again (2 days after it was fixed). Both times was with the 85 1.2L.

Both times it happened the moment I mounted an old Tokina 28-210
3.5-5.6. I was trying to do test shots with different lenses, and the
other lenses I managed to test before the camera died worked fine
(16-35 2.8 L, 28 1.8, 50 1.8 II, all Canon). The Tokina works fine on
my Digital Rebel.

New Zeiss 50mm f1.4 ZE killed my 5d twice!

First time after camera died - I sent camera to service center - warranty covered that repair. PSB assembly was changed.

After receiving I mounted it worked with other lenses, but after I mounted Zeiss - it died again.

I too have had a 5D die twice from mounting the 85 1.2L II. The first time I just thought the camera died, the next time it was obvious it was the 85 causing the short. I had to pay for the PCB repair the first time.

[ebiggs1]

"Sometimes people will assign a cause and effect to an unrelated event."

 Sometimes proof seems positive because a certain thing happens but actually it is simple coincidence.  You are free to believe whatever you wish. 

[ebiggs1]

A large group of people take massive amounts of vitamin C to prevent getting a cold.  It works! They go all cold season without getting a cold. They are true believers that vitamin C prevents the common cold. On the other hand a similar large group of people also take massive amounts of vitamin C, however they all get a cold. They are convinced that vitamin C does not help.

Each person saw a cause and effect.  Each came to a different conclusion. 

I put xyz lens on my camera while it was powered on and it fried the PCB so putting a lens on your camera while it is powered on will fry the PCB. That is the only logical conclusion?