Having just been through the process with my Canon 20D, I thought I'd share some insight that might help others with the repair estimate. While your experience may vary greatly depending on the type of problem you're having, the basics will remain the same - as will the "Minimum Labor Charge" that we'll get into later.
My Canon 20D Problem:
The particular situation I was faced with was a camera that would take a couple of photographs and then lock up with the dreaded "Err 99" on the display. If you switched it off & back on, you could take a couple of photos and then you'd get the Error 99 once again! I tried all combinations of batteries, lenses, cards, cleaning, etc. - no dice (and everything works just fine on my other body). Uh oh!
I'm guessing that the problem had something to do with the shutter mechanism. The ##D line of cameras don't have highly durable shutters (like you'd find on the professional models like the Canon 1Ds Mark III) and I've gone through a ton of frames on that body. Regardless, this is something that I cannot fix on my own and will need to send off to Canon for repair.
The Canon Repair Web Site
If you haven't made it there already, you'll need to get to the following URL:
http://www.usa.canon.com/repair
Once there you'll be able to track existing repair requests or start a new one. Creating a new request will lead you down a path of entering the serial number and purchase date of the camera or lens and also some basic information about when is wrong. Note that if you're attempting to do this under the Canon warranty you'll need a proof of purchase that shows you're still covered - I was far off the mark on my 20D.
After you enter your info and your mailing address, Canon will give you a tracking number and the address of the service centers near you. If you're outside of the warranty, you'll also get an ominous "unknown" cost for repair...
Shipping To Canon
Pack your camera or lens securely and ship it off to Canon (insured!) following the instructions that they'll provide via email. Once they receive it they will respond via email (and snail mail, but you needn't wait for that) with an estimate of the repair.
Minimum Labor Rate
The estimate I received didn't really say what the problem was or what course of action would be taken. All it said was that they are going to estimate their minimum labor charge of $180 (which includes minor parts) and I'd be all set. The camera is still worth $400 or so on the used market so it makes sense to go ahead and have it fixed.
Your repair bill can (obviously) vary quite a bit, but just know that the minimum charge is going to be $180.
You accept the charges via the web site and provide a credit card number for billing. Once you've accepted, Canon will make the repairs and return ship your camera. Note that they will charge both tax and shipping on top of any repair charges.
How long does this process take?
Since the 20D is my backup camera I wasn't totally out of commission, but it's still uncomfortable only having one camera available. Fortunately, the entire repair process didn't take too long. Here's an approximate timeline:
- 12/31 - Submit repair request via Canon web site
- 1/2 - Camera shipped to Canon Factory Service Center (The Post Office closed early on me on the 31st!)
- 1/9 - Received email estimate from Canon.
- 1/10 or 1/11 - Accepted the repairs after considering my options for a bit (not that I had any)
- 1/14 - Received email from Canon stating that my camera is fixed and has shipped back to me via Fed Ex Overnight.
- 1/15 - Camera arrives & is good as new.
The repair work that Canon performed was a success and the camera works great. They also cleaned the internals (likely because they have to after opening it up) and so it's officially the cleanest sensor I've got! I took the 20D with me to Detroit this past weekend and used it exclusively to shoot the Plymouth ICE Festival mentioned in the last post.
Hopefully this post sheds a bit of light on the process for folks who need it down the road!
Do you back up your docs & photos? I 
8 comments:
So what was the grand total?
Fortunately not bad. Just the minimum labor rate plus $15 shipping and $12 tax. -RRD
Damn.. My girlfriend just sent in her Powershot last night because, all of a sudden the lens wasn't taking photos anymore. The LCD worked and you could see the menus, but that was it. You couldn't see anything in the LCD and the photos would be black. (No the lens cover wasn't shut).
She sent it in thinking that if it isn't too much, she'd pay to have it fixed but, at $180 minimum, it's probably better to buy a new camera, especially since this is her "secondary" camera now, ever since she got the XTi.
Thanks for the info!
Famous Error 99 is the most popular failure on Canon cameras. It can be everything. Sometimes you'll need to clean battery or lens contact and sometimes you can only cry and take it to the official service.
I think that right now, service for xxxD class isn't the best option.
~250USD and you'll have again used camera.
mangia - I considered not fixing it, but a used 20D currently goes for about $400-450... even if I just fixed and sold I'd still be OK... The other consideration was to toss it and grab a 40D... :)
180$ is some money - i think, i'd go for the 40D instead..
Thanks for the info! I was considering sending my PowerShot to Canon for a small repair, but I'm seriously questioning the wisdom of that move now.
One quick question though: Did your bill give any indication that the "minimum labor charge" varied with the product? Obviously the 40D is a much finer (and expensive) camera than the PowerShot. I'm wondering if the labor charge might be correspondingly more.
Thanks again!
matt - not really sure if it'll be different based on your camera model. It was not specific on the invoice I received.
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