Okay, maybe it's not very wise for filmmakers to repair their own cameras, because, let's face it, it requires a very specific set of skills and tools that many don't possess. I mean maybe under perfect circumstances — the warranty's up on a totally broken POS camera that you hate and were planning to throw over a bridge anyway — a DIY repair is okay, but typically any attempts made at fixing a broken camera by a non-professional is not going to end very well — it's gonna end in a broken-er camera.
However, a new site called FixYourCamera is trying to help DIYers learn everything about their cameras, as well as how to repair them properly by offering not only in-depth tutorials and repair guides, but teardowns that show their anatomies. For example, here are several images of a Canon 1DX teardown:
And some of the shutter:
A camera tech with over 10 years of professional experience working on some of the most technologically complex cameras and lenses out there, site founder Mike Kusak knows that camera owners have a desire to fix their own gear, but unfortunately don't know enough about their parts or how they work, so they end up causing more damage.
He explained to DIY Photography:
The number of people trying to repair their own photo gear is increasing rapidly. It usually ends up as a total disaster. A combination of electronics, optics and lots of mechanical parts makes them difficult to repair. In addition, there are some parts adjusted at the factory that you cannot touch during the process under any circumstances.
Most DIY repairs end up this way not because it’s hard to find the problem and fix it, but because people create tons of additional problems and damage during disassembly / assembly.
It’s a waste and I can help you avoid this by showing you how to do things properly. For free, no strings attached, but also no guarantee of any kind.
There are currently teardowns of the following cameras and lenses:
- Nikon D800
- Canon 6D
- Nikon D7100
- Nikon D50
- Nikon 1DX
- Nikon D4
- Nikon D600
- Canon 5D Mark III
- Tokina Macro Lens 100mm 2.8
- Nikon 50mm 1.8D AF
Maybe you're not very interested in taking your camera apart to diagnose a problem — perhaps you'd rather leave that up to professionals — but if you are, FixYourCamera is a pretty interesting place to get started learning about your gear inside and out.
Source: FixYourCamera
