EOS 630 troubles

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After having owned a 630 for 3 years as a backup to my 1n and having been very satisfied with it, the 630 has apparently developed a short. While the camera still functions perfectly, it will drain a battery in about 6 weeks without being used, stored with the lens off (and lens mount cover installed) and the main switch in the "off" position. The LCD illuminator ceased to function about the same time this problem developed.

Has anyone had a similiar problem? If so, was the problem corrected and did the repair last? My worst fear is to sink the money into the repair only to have it repeat promptly after the repair warranty expires. The camera is still fully usable, as long as I remove the battery when I store it.

Any advice would be appreciated!

-- Jim Erhardt (jimerhardt@hotmail.com), November 27, 1999

Answers

I have an EOS RT with the same battery problem (but LCD still illiuminates) and I've read about EOS 620's suffering same. No, I have not yet checked into repairing my RT.

-- Dave Herzstein (dherzstein@juno.com), November 29, 1999.

Is is possible that the internal battery (if there is one) that keeps track of settings and current frame number, has died, thus causing the camera to draw more current from the main battery in order to retain these this information when the camera is in the 'off' position?

-- Julian Radowsky (julianr@iafrica.com), November 30, 1999.

Well, I just posted a reply to the same question from another person. Here it is again.

I, too, had a 630 that drained batteries even if the camera wasn't being used. The illuminator panel that lights up the LCD display was defective. My Canon tech replaced the illuminator with one made for an EOS-1 (newer design, more reliable). Cost me about $109.00. Yes, this is something that sometimes happens to EOS 600, 620, 630.

-- Mark Elam (mjelam51@juno.com), June 28, 2000.


Yes, the power drain problem and the EL backlight failure are related. The EL backlight is basically a huge capacitor, and as long as the potential across it doesn't change, no current flows. The EL panel is basically hard-wired straight across the battery terminals, and is oscillated in series with an inductor to excite the panel when illumination is required. BUT this 'capacitor' breaks down over a period of time, hense the 'flickering' of the panel. This breakdown turns a purely capacitive medium into a resistive one.

The panel can be disconected from the battery supply at the base of the camera (600 series), returning quiescent current to normal. I have actually replaced my panel with another 'cut up' from an LCD backlight. Works great (but different colour cast).

If the base of the camera is removed, the offending cable can be located next to the battery terminals, in the form of a thin black co- axial cable.

-- Steve Caldwell (scaldwell@jands.com.au), October 31, 2000.


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