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Alternative Preplacement Procedure for the "Cover, Battery Compartment"
on Canon "A" Series Cameras
Commonly referred to as the Door-ectomy,
The Description
If you've examined the pin on which the door to the battery compartment hinges, you'll see that the pin
is anchored in the camera body at the top and bottom of the door. Some people find it easier to remove the
bezel (offically named
"Front Cover Unit") surrounding the lens mount before proceeding to the next step, but
it does require the removal of four tiny phillips head screws, and is not absoultely necessary. [The
removal of the bezel allows the battery door to open further and to allow somewhat better access to the hinge
pin.] All that having been said, you grasp the hinge pin TIGHTLY and push/press it up (towards the
shutter release button - see arrow in Pic #2) into the camera body until the hinge pin clears the camera body
on the bottom.
At this point I prefer to remove the pin from the top also by angling the assembly outward and withdrawing
the pin completely from the body. Others leave the hinge pin in the body at the top and simply slide the old
door and spring off the hinge pin. Once the Latch has been transferred to the new door, the new door and spring
are slid onto the hinge pin, the assemby is pressed into position and the hinge pin pushed/pressed back down
into the camera body. Voila!
The tough part of this "operation" is grabbing the hinge pin with enough force so that your pliers don't slip
while you're pushing on it. The importance of using a good pair of needle nose pliers (the jaws need to be serrated
and not smooth) can not be overstressed. Above all else, HAVE PATIENCE and USE COMMON SENSE. Like
most things...if you let it "piss you off" or frustrate you...it'll win. It's as simple / aggravating / frustrating as
that.
As you may have surmised, this is NOT the official method of replacing the Cover, Battery Compartment.
The "official" method involves the complete disassembly of the camera so that the Mirror Assembly can be removed from the camera body. As you might imagine this is
very laborious and requires not only the removal of numerous mechanical components but also the unsoldering of many
electrical connections. Once the Mirror Assembly is out of the body, the hinge pin (Shaft, Hinge)
is pulled out of the top of this assembly (arrow points to hole in assembly), the new door and spring (spring)
are set into place and the hinge pin slid back into the mirror assembly. Now they get to put the whole camera
back together...about 3 hours labor at whatever rate your local camera store charges! Considering what most shops
charge for labor, your bill would be equivalent to a LNIB Canon AE-1 Program on eBay.
The Rest of the Story
The above information is offered freely. I don't care where you purchased your replacement door. Your ownership of
one of Canon's fine "A" series camera is the only credential you need to access this page. If you find this information
helpful...that's good. If you have suggestions on how to make the information better or more easily understood...that's better.
Pass it along. If you need me to provide food, clothing, and climate controlled
shelter for any excess "L" glass you may have hanging about and going unused...that's best!
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