Canon 300 D mirror stuck

[SudiptaS]

A couple of days ago, I was taking a picture, when after pressing the shutter button I heard a loud pop and the camera wouldn't turn on anymore. Thinking it was a battery problem, I changed the batter and it turned on. But when I went to take pictures, it showed Err 99 and it didn't sound right. I took off the lens and saw that none of the mirrors were going up when I pressed the shutter. The main mirror moved a fraction of a centimetre before falling back into place. For longer exposures or sensor cleaning mode, the mirror goes up for that fraction of a centimetre and stays there, before finally falling back at the end of the exposure or when I turn the camera off. Nudging the mirror to help it on its way up doesn't work.

What should be my course of action?
If its a broken pin or something like that, I am willing to fix it by myself.
Any suggestions?

[Donald]

Welcome to CiC. Sorry that it's such circumstances that have led you to sign up and post.

If its a broken pin or something like that, I am willing to fix it by myself.

You're a braver man/woman than me. There a number of very advanced technicians on here who may well have ideas about what you can do yourself. I'm not one of them. I'd be having it off to the repair centre.

[SudiptaS]

Two reasons why I'm willing to fix it:
1. Its pretty old and I am planning to buy a new camera,
2. I live in Bangladesh and I Canon doesn't have a repair centre here.

[Colin Southern]

Sounds to me like it's probably something mechanical. In the absence of anything you can find on the net, I'd probably just approach it with a "logical mind" and see where it got me. I'm not sure about the 300D, but I know with a lot of cameras you often have to get into them from the back. Then again, nothing to lose.

[rpcrowe]

One thing I always do when presented with a digital camera problem is remove both batteries from the camera and let it sit for a few minutes. Then reinstall both batteries, say a prayer, and turn on the camera.

If the camera works, you are home free... However if it doesn't work you have not lost anything but a few minutes of your time...

[Sam Smith]

SudipatS welcome to CiC. I googled 300d service manual and attached is link that tells about the mirror and gives other links to step by step instructions on replacing the mirror pin. If it is not that, then at least it will have pictures of the camera taken apart. That has been reported as a common problem with the 300d. Good luck. Just remember that the internal parts are small and very fine.
http://stevencastle.wordpress.com/20...another-story/

[timo2]

If you are going to do it yourself, don’t touch the mirror surface with anything at all; don’t even try and clean it.

[SudiptaS]

So I opened up the camera and checked the mirror pin. Its in prime condition.
So that's not the problem. When I flick open the mirrors with my hand, they work just fine and smooth.

Still looking around for the culprit!

Why shouldn't I touch the mirror surface - will they break?

[timo2]

I’m not sure if modern cameras are made differently but the mirrors of the older film camera were not like normal mirrors where the reflective surface is on the back side of the glass (and therefore protected), they were front silvered and it was very easy to damage them. They were made like that to stop ghost images; one reflection from the back surface of the mirror glass and another from the front.