My Canon EF battery tester acts erratic. Sometimes it works as it is supposed to. However at times the light remains lit permanently after the battery tester button was pushed in. Can it be repaired at a reasonable price ? Does it require a part from a junked EF camera ?

-- Hari P. Soetrisno (harisoetrisno@hotmail.com), March 20, 2001

Answers

The battery tester button itself is probably sticky. I myself would carefully try to clean it with a small amount of water or window cleaner. Put a drop on the button and allow it to wick around, work it a bit and then clean it up with a cotton swab. Don't use too much fluid.

If that doesn't help, then the spring switch inside has a problem. Anything inside the top cover is a pain to access and requires the right tools and expertise. Canon put far much too much stuff in the EF and as a result it is a bear to work on. If you find someone with experience on the EF, it would be prudent to have a CLA done at the same time.

Good luck & cheers,

Duane

-- Duane K (dkucheran@creo.com), March 20, 2001.

Duane, Thanks for the advise. It seems to work. I soaked a Q-tip with window cleaner liquid and let it soak into the battery tester button hole.I worked the buttom several times in case it had gummed up. Of course, any one attemting this cleaning procedure does it at his or hers own risk. Do you own an EF ? Any camera repair person you would recommend aside from Essex Camera ? Most will not touch EFs' with a ten foot pole. Regards -Hari

-- Hari Soetrisno (harisoetrisno@hotmail.com), March 20, 2001.

I had one before. I bought it used and found that it had been mucked with. The seller wouldn't help me other than to suggest someone to repair it for me. I estimated that after after another $200 I'd have the camera I should have had in the first place. I traded it away for about what I paid for it.

The chap he recomended is the local german camera repairman who has had factory courses from Rollei & Hasselblad. I haven't checked to see if he'd actually work on an EF but he might. He got out of the business because he could understand springs & cams but not electronics and LCDs.

I can understand why not many people want to work on these things. The guys with the aptitude no longer have the time to deal with 'em and owners may not want to drop the $$$! I could forward you this chap's number but I'll warn you that he lives in Vancouver Canada. Hmmm, maybe I'll defer that; I have a Rollei I want him to do first!

Cheers,

Duane

-- Duane K (dkucheran@creo.com), March 22, 2001.

Getting into the bottom of the EF where the test button contacts are is a straightforward operation. Just remove the screws from the baseplate. Don't let the button get away from you! Cleaning the contacts, the button and the hole in the baseplate is then straightforward. There isn't a whole lot of stuff in the base of the EF. The complexity is under the top cover and around the mirror box. Dan Lynch at New England Camera Repair in New London New Hampshire may be willing to work on the EF.

-- Bill Salati (wsalati@powwowmail.com), April 15, 2001.