Stupid User Trick with 7D

Not my finest moment, but here goes...over the holidays, I managed to set my 7D on fire. I was taking pictures of the Xmas dinner table my wife had laid out and the neck strap (wrapped around my had) dragged by a candle, caught on fire. The flames then proceeded to work their way up the strap towards the body.

I put the fire out, but not before it fused the plastic door on the right side (to access the CF card) to the body, so my 32GB is now permanently entombed. Luckily, the damage seems purely cosmetic--I have been using the camera since then with no problems. Everything else is fine and I can access the battery fine, just cannot get at the memory card.

The camera is still under warranty, but obviously, this is not something that the warranty would actually cover. I can ship it to the service center in Irvine, but I am loathe to be without my camera for however long it takes them to fix it.

So....is this something I can fix my self. I am handy with electronics and the like and probably have all the precision tools needed to disassemble the body. I have found a couple of videos on YouTube that show how to disassemble the body. I have not, however, found any place that sells parts.

Any thoughts would be appreciated,

Omar

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You are better off sending it to the service center. IMHO

I have been meaning to edit and upload my dissassembly video for the 7D. For the cheapest replacement parts, call Canon. Usually, if you find it on ebay, it will be more expensive than ordering directly from Canon. Just call up Canon parts 1-866-481-2569.

The battery door should be pretty cheap. You could just get a replacement battery door and 'cut' off the old one precisely. You might need the front piece as well, it shouldnt be too expensive, because it does not have any electronics in it. The rear piece is the most expensive because it has the LCD, but the front is just purely metal/plastic.

What I always do is: Draw a large sketch diagram of all 6 sides, top view, bottom view, left side, right side, back & front. As I remove each screw, I draw a circle on the sketch with the approximate location, then put some clear tape and tape the screw to that spot. This method makes re-assembly sooooo easy.

The trickiest part is removing the top of the camera. There are lots of hidden wires to undo. There is also a black wire (maybe the mic or something) which just rests in a little straw type hole. I swore that I had ripped the wire off, but then I realized that it just rests in the hole. Dont freak out like I did. haha. You can PM me if you have any questions.

I would try and heat that door up with a blow dryer or something and open it to get it off (probably have to cut).

That looks like the damage goes well beyond just the door and into the body panels and grip.

omarsultan wrote in post #13945156
32GB is now permanently entombed. Luckily, the damage seems purely cosmetic--I have been using the camera since then with no problems. Everything else is fine and I can access the battery fine, just cannot get at the memory card.
Omar

WOW, This is just craziness!

One day you'll think back at this moment and LAUGH... Can't believe my memory card was stuck in there forever..(Welded in there)

I think you gonna have to order the entire (body case) from Japan to replace that.
Anywho, thats was Canon is going to do. Or they might just replace it with a
Refurbish 7D.

At least it was a 32g card and not a 2 or 4......

mayerk wrote in post #13945425
At least it was a 32g card and not a 2 or 4......

ROFL.....

I'd trry what the above have said.... either send it in or try heating it up and seeing if it'll come apart.

Household insurance?

It's not a warranty repair, and will cost several hundred to fix if you have Canon do it for you, and they could always come back and say that it's not economically repairable.

Since it's working and you've got a huge card in it, I'd just leave it as is. At least you won't have to worry about bending a CF pin, right?

It really is not that hard to do. Even if you are you are too faint of heart to do it yourself, if you order the parts and carry it to your local camera repair store, they should be able to do it as well. Then again, I have pulled apart lots of bodies and have done lots of repairs, but if you are as 'technically inclined' as you say you are, its quite easy to do.... Then again, thinking about it now, I think there might have been some screws under that CF card door that you need to replace. You will definitely need to cut that open though. You can buy a pack of razors, use a vice grip and hold it, heat up the blade over fire and cut it open like butter. Just get replacement parts. I can scan my screws layout diagrams and send to you as well.

I know for a fact that Canon NJ has those parts, cheapest prices than anything else you can find online. Call them up at the number I gave above. No parts need to come from Japan. They are all in NJ parts center.

You could just leave it as is. Getting it fixed will cost you a lot. 32Gb is plenty space. Worry about it when and if the CF card breaks someday (not likely).

...and....always have an amazing story to tell when someone sees you use it in this condition

Cheers

omarsultan wrote in post #13945156
Not my finest moment, but here goes...over the holidays, I managed to set my 7D on fire. I was taking pictures of the Xmas dinner table my wife had laid out and the neck strap (wrapped around my had) dragged by a candle, caught on fire. The flames then proceeded to work their way up the strap towards the body.

I put the fire out, but not before it fused the plastic door on the right side (to access the CF card) to the body, so my 32GB is now permanently entombed. Luckily, the damage seems purely cosmetic--I have been using the camera since then with no problems. Everything else is fine and I can access the battery fine, just cannot get at the memory card.

The camera is still under warranty, but obviously, this is not something that the warranty would actually cover. I can ship it to the service center in Irvine, but I am loathe to be without my camera for however long it takes them to fix it.

So....is this something I can fix my self. I am handy with electronics and the like and probably have all the precision tools needed to disassemble the body. I have found a couple of videos on YouTube that show how to disassemble the body. I have not, however, found any place that sells parts.

Any thoughts would be appreciated,

Omar

You could start a thread about how the high frame rate seems to cause issues with a 7D.

Straps are dangerous

rral22 wrote in post #13946115
You could start a thread about how the high frame rate seems to cause issues with a 7D.

Haha, but then Nikon guys would have a FIELD day with that story despite being fake....