Canon EOS 40D Dropped, Mirror Stuck!

Guys,

I dropped my 40D from about a feet in the air. Although I expected the camera to take the fall but it didnt. Now when I press the shutter the mirror only goes up a fraction and not fully preventing the sensor from seeing anything. The autofocussing and everything else seems to be fine.

I am gonna visit Canon service center soon but I just wanted to ask you guys, is it a major damage?
To me it just looks like something related to mirror up mechanism has been dislocated but my concern is that in tryin to repair it, the technician doesnt introduce additional bugs like front/back focussing or may play spoil sport with the dust control system?
Are their any adjustment screws for the sensor mounting or for auto focussing system in 40D?
What all shall I check for or keep in mind when I receive my camera?

Thanks in advance!

That sounds like pretty major damage, but you(and your wallet) might be pleasantly surprised. As far as additional damage, your camera is in the most capable hands in the world in a Canon center.

Guys any further insights?

Sorry to hear of the damage but s**t happens, just get Canon Service Centre to their job and once you get it back just go ahead and take pictures! If you see/detect any issues with performance and or function after using it then and only then do some controlled tests such a "back/front focus" testing.

I usppose in respect of your concerns about the damage you maybe should ask as part of the repair that they confirm all functions are to factory spec etc.

HTH

The Canon guys aren't out to get you. It's their job to do a complete inspection of any camera in for repairs. They have everything on the bench to test that the body is back to factory specs. If something else needs repair, they will tell you. And get your credit card before they do it.

sorry to hear that man. i dropped my old 40D from my bed once too (about 1.5 feet) body + lens. didn't wait to ask what's wrong with it, I just took it straight to Canon Service Center and told them what happened, and I want a complete check up on both camera & lens. basically just let them do a complete testing and see what happens.

don't worry, I'm sure they'll get your camera back to you in no time, good as new

I took it to the Canon service center and they say that the arms holding the mirror have broken and they also tell me that they are plastic!
I am very very dissapointed with the build quality especially after this incident. A simple fall on a damped floor and this. I am thinking of selling it after getting it repaired and buy myself a Nikon D300 even if it is more expensive simply because I will never feel confident with it.
Thinking hard.

Yeah, but Nikons can be dropped onto concrete too and then it will be even more money. You dropped it on concrete, what do you expect? SLR's are fine instruments, not construction tools.

lavkesh wrote in post #7766001
I took it to the Canon service center and they say that the arms holding the mirror have broken and they also tell me that they are plastic!
I am very very dissapointed with the build quality especially after this incident. A simple fall on a damped floor and this. I am thinking of selling it after getting it repaired and buy myself a Nikon D300 even if it is more expensive simply because I will never feel confident with it.
Thinking hard.

Sorry to hear about your accident, but all SLRs are fragile- not just Canon ones. Just like newborn babies, they are "best left undropped".

If you hadn't dropped it it wouldn't have broken.

lavkesh wrote in post #7766001
I took it to the Canon service center and they say that the arms holding the mirror have broken and they also tell me that they are plastic!
I am very very dissapointed with the build quality especially after this incident. A simple fall on a damped floor and this. I am thinking of selling it after getting it repaired and buy myself a Nikon D300 even if it is more expensive simply because I will never feel confident with it.
Thinking hard.

Okay, I understand being upset in this situation. I once dropped an expensive IS lens in the middle of a trip and it required an expensive repair after I got home. I wasn't too pleased either. But I didn't blame Canon. I blamed myself.

Take a look in the mirror. The one on the bathroom wall. That's who's responsible here.

Mid-priced digital cameras cannot be expected to survive falls, not even six-inch ones to a kitchen counter. Period. If you think a Nikon priced similarly to your 40D isn't designed to similar impact levels, you're deluding yourself. And they don't do well with water, either.

Cameras can be and are made stronger, but they will be much more expensive, and much heavier to tote, than your 40D. If you step up to high end bodies, Canon or Nikon, you'll buy some additional margin of survivability, but it's not guaranteed.

canonloader wrote in post #7766125
Yeah, but Nikons can be dropped onto concrete too and then it will be even more money. You dropped it on concrete, what do you expect? SLR's are fine instruments, not construction tools.

I guess its just my luck. I tdidnt exactly fell on a concrete floor but a carpetted floor from barely a feet of height.
My friend's 20D and the 70-200 F4 on it survived a 2 feet drop on an asphault road. I was with the same friend when it happened and we never expected this. I am not expecting my 40D to survive an earthquake or a hurricane, but a simple fall on a damped carpetted floor... is it too much to ask from a semi-pro body? I usually travel to places on my bike where there are no roads to speak of, the camera is securely tied at the back in my lowepro computrekker but now i am apprehensive if it will even survive the bad roads.
The thing is even after the repairs I dont think I will feel confident with this body and since I only have a kit lens its not too late for me to upgrade to a different system.

i dropped my canon and it broke so i bought a nikon...this makes perfect sense

I would think the heavier the camera with lens, the harder it will hit the ground due to greater force of impact. All plastic components will be challenged. From such a short distance a lighter all plastic camera might come out unharmed in comparison. Stronger construction usually nets better longevity in normal usage and better durability, but not necessarily greater impact resistance if the entire camera is not built with equally durable components. There is usually a reason why professional grade cameras come at a much higher cost.
None of them are unbreakable that I know of.

It is your $ and your decison. Don't you need to fix the 40D even to resell it? You also don't list your gear so we can see what you are shooting with. Lens cost, performance and availibilty are things to consider with Nikon. you will get great performance I am sure.

Fix the 40D and buy some good glass if you don't have it then sell it after a few months if you aren't happy.

Happy shopping.