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Bent/broken pins in 350D - problem or not? (IMG)

Steria
Contributor

Hi, I noticed there is one broken off pin and one bent pin inside the card slot of my EOS 350D.

 

However, despite of this, the CF memory card is still working with the camera and images are written onto it, and I can view the pictures from the card on the camera display. There doesn't seem to be a problem as far as I can tell. I intend to keep the CF card (which is a 1 GB card) inside the camera and transfer pictures from the camera through the USB cable (which I usually do with my cameras).

 

See the image attached below (left arrow show the bent pin, and the right arrow show the missing pin).

How come it works when two of the pins do not have contact with the card?
Also, is/might there be any problem with this, or is everything perfectly fine since it is working?

 

350D broken and bent pins

 

Thank you,

- Steria

8 REPLIES 8

lly3988
Rising Star

If it works, don't worry about it. Just keep shooting and transfer the images via the USB.

 

It's not worth repairing this camera.

I know it is probably not worth having this fixed, especially since I recently just paid $20 for the camera, 28-70mm lens, carrying case, USB cable and the CF memory card all together.

I just want to know what the implications are of having a broken- and bent pin, especially since it is working with this inconvenience. Does it affect the write speed, or could it potentially corrupt any images, or anything like this?

 

I would appreciate if someone knows this and would teach me.


@Steria wrote:

I know it is probably not worth having this fixed, especially since I recently just paid $20 for the camera, 28-70mm lens, carrying case, USB cable and the CF memory card all together.

I just want to know what the implications are of having a broken- and bent pin, especially since it is working with this inconvenience. Does it affect the write speed, or could it potentially corrupt any images, or anything like this?

 

I would appreciate if someone knows this and would teach me.


As long as it works, don't worry yourself too much about it.  But, it doesn't hurt to look into the cost of repair, assuming that spare parts are still available.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

Of course you can't repair the broken pin but you can get a needle nose pliers and straighten the bent pin. I have done it before but you have to be careful as it can break off from too much bending.

 

Repairing the broken pin will far exceed the value of the camera.  Notwithstanding the fact you only paid $20 bucks which is probably not its true value.  Smiley Wink

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

Of course you can't repair the broken pin but you can get a needle nose pliers and straighten the bent pin. I have done it before but you have to be careful as it can break off from too much bending.

 

Repairing the broken pin will far exceed the value of the camera.  Notwithstanding the fact you only paid $20 bucks which is probably not its true value.  Smiley Wink


A couple of years ago I managed to fix some bent pins in the CF slot of a 20D(!) for a colleague at work. He was delighted, because the camera was in mint condition otherwise. Right after he bought it new, his wife had forced a card in backwards and grunched the pins, and he had simply thrown it in a closet and ignored it for several years.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA


ebiggs1 wrote:

Of course you can't repair the broken pin but you can get a needle nose pliers and straighten the bent pin. I have done it before but you have to be careful as it can break off from too much bending.

 

Repairing the broken pin will far exceed the value of the camera.  Notwithstanding the fact you only paid $20 bucks which is probably not its true value.  Smiley Wink


 

I mainly bought the camera for its lens, as my other 18-55 IS lens on my main camera (450D) has a defective autofocus. However, I will be using this camera as a secondary camera, therefore I want to make sure it is 100%.

 

When I bought the 350D here, the previous owner actually said she had a memory card for it, but she never got it to fit and therefore thought she had bought the wrong size memory card. I quickly found out that there were several bent pins inside the camera CF slot (about 4 or 5 of them). I can only assume to how she managed to bend the pins. I did manage to bend most of them back carefully, however one of them snapped (hence the broken one as seen in the image in post #1).

When the pin snapped a freezing chill went down my spine, and I thought I had bricked the whole thing...


@Steria wrote:

When the pin snapped a freezing chill went down my spine, and I thought I had bricked the whole thing...


Just for my own curiosity I got to wondering why a CF card has 50 terminals and what they all do. Turns out it's quite a bit, at least according to the pin-outs I found. The card is capable of working in three different modes with some of the terminals performing appropriately different functions. Some of them perform no functions in certain modes, so it seems. So I guess one or two broken or bent pins might not make much difference in certain operating modes.

Copy and paste this link (without the brackets) if you want to learn way too much about the workings of CF cards.

 

[http://www.interfacebus.com/Design_Connector_CompactFlash_Card.html#b]

Tim
Authority

Hello Steria, 

As some other users have suggested, the fact it's working as well as it does is nothing short of miraculous.  As another poster commented, it's possible not all the pins are active and you just got lucky so to speak.  As far as repair is concerned, I am sorry to say this unit is out of service life and can no longer be repaired.

 

Since we're unable to service it another option would be the Canon Upgrade Program. The Canon Upgrade Program allows you to replace your non-functioning product. All refurbished equipment offered through this program carries a full one year limited warranty.

If you'd like to take part in the Canon Upgrade Program please call our Pre-Sales and Accessories department at (866) 443-8002 seven days a week, 8am to Midnight. Please let them know you have been working with online-support and that your equipment has been deemed out of service life. Please have the serial number of your product at the time of your call.

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