# 7D mark II with a broken built in flash



## sama (Mar 9, 2018)

My friend used my 7DII on a tripod and it fell off. The built-in flash popped up during the accident and cannot be closed completely.

I opened up the camera flash cover (just 4 tiny screws), pressed down the flash and found that the blockage to complete closing up of the flash was due to a deformed tab which was a tiny tongue from a metal part mounted to the left side of the flash. I tried to adjust it a bit but it broke off.

I have several choices :

1. Send it to Canon for repair. The cost will be around $300 (flat rate) plus;
2. Find and buy the part and install it to see if it works. I have no idea where to find the product code. Appreciate if anybody can help. I called Canon in Mississauga, they need me to be specific or to send the camera in;
3. Just close and tape the built in flash and don't use it. For fill flash use the tiny one for M;
4. Use an elastic band and a cold shoe adapter to keep the flash closed and to remove the band when I have to (I don't really) use the built in flash. But that looks ugly.

I have tested the camera with several lenses and can't see any problem so far. So, I think I will try to find the part first. Any suggestions ?


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## Sporgon (Mar 9, 2018)

Hate pop-up flashes. Snapped one off a D200 years ago. 

Good to see Nikon had the sense to leave it off the D500


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## Valvebounce (Mar 9, 2018)

Hi Sama. 
Seems like the specifics you give here via pictures should be sufficient for Canon Mississauga to identify the part if they are allowed. 

Cheers, Graham.


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## sama (Mar 9, 2018)

Sporgon said:


> Hate pop-up flashes. Snapped one off a D200 years ago.
> 
> Good to see Nikon had the sense to leave it off the D500



Agreed. May be I should do without it.


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## sama (Mar 9, 2018)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi Sama.
> Seems like the specifics you give here via pictures should be sufficient for Canon Mississauga to identify the part if they are allowed.
> 
> Cheers, Graham.



Dear Graham,

I am a low tech guy. Just discovered that I can live chat with Canon. it's a lot easier. I provide them details and the feedback is that I can only buy the whole top assembly including the flash and not parts for the flash. It costs Cad 205.38 plus tax and shipping. Now, there is no more flat rate like before for a lot of cameras and lenses. The estimate labor for replacing the top assembly is Cad 260 (estimated) So everything adding up is about Cad 500.

I will find a way or to do without the flash.

I tried to solder a tongue (tab) but discovered that soldering aluminum is impossible. I used instant glue and will see if it works.


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## Don Haines (Mar 9, 2018)

sama said:


> Valvebounce said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Sama.
> ...


how patient are you?

you could try to make a replacement part out of steel... lots of filing though....


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## Sporgon (Mar 9, 2018)

sama said:


> Sporgon said:
> 
> 
> > Hate pop-up flashes. Snapped one off a D200 years ago.
> ...



Apologies, my reply wasn't really very helpful. The problem is that it will devalue your camera significantly when / if you decide to sell. I presume the depth of your friend's friendship doesn't reach to paying Canon to fix it ? 

If you find an engineers who works with small delicate things you may find someone who could braze it for you. Then just don't use it unnecessarily.

You never know, this may nudge you into buying a Speedlite that has a tilting swivel head and then you'll find out how useful and subtle on camera flash can actually be !


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## Don Haines (Mar 9, 2018)

sama said:


> Valvebounce said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Sama.
> ...



you can weld aluminum, an option might be to get someone to put a blob of weld where the tab used to be, and then filing down to the shape required....


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## privatebydesign (Mar 9, 2018)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-7D-Mark-II-FLASH-LAMP-REPAIR-PART/273085347639?hash=item3f9527b737:g:yGgAAOSwAKxWVfpL


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## lion rock (Mar 9, 2018)

Do not use cyanoacrylate glue! It gives off fumes when curing. You don't want to the fumes to deposit near any optics. Besides, super glue do not give strength to shearing.
-r


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## sama (Mar 9, 2018)

Don Haines said:


> sama said:
> 
> 
> > Valvebounce said:
> ...



Yes I used a dremel tool and a small cut of steel sheet. Instant glue. And now I have this.

Waiting for it to dry and bond. Not sure if it is sturdy enough.

Actually, it's a lot of fun DIY repair. This winter I have broken several vintage lenses and a Minolta film camera. Now, I have a lot of screws, glasses, gears and useless parts. Still learning to put the helicoids back. 

Digital things are more complicated. Even if it is just a tab here, if it is not right and get stuck, you will get an error message on your camera. So without the flash may be a good thing.


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## sama (Mar 9, 2018)

lion rock said:


> Do not use cyanoacrylate glue! It gives off fumes when curing. You don't want to the fumes to deposit near any optics. Besides, super glue do not give strength to shearing.
> -r



Thanks for your info. It's quite true that super glue may be harmful. It's just experimental and I will not use the DIY part permanently.


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## sama (Mar 9, 2018)

privatebydesign said:


> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-7D-Mark-II-FLASH-LAMP-REPAIR-PART/273085347639?hash=item3f9527b737:g:yGgAAOSwAKxWVfpL



That's quite handy. Thanks.

I have noticed this one just minutes before your posting. I will look into it definitely.

I really like people in this forum. Very knowledgeable and very helpful. 

Thanks again to you all.


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## sama (Mar 9, 2018)

Sporgon said:


> sama said:
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> > Sporgon said:
> ...



No need to apologize. I don't like built in flash also. Sharing idea and feeling and taking a few minutes of your time reply to posts is already some support.

BTW, the friendship is over half a century. The camera is mine and my good friend suggested to pay for the repair but I refused. It's an accident.

I posted this thread to share DIY fun and invite ideas. So far I enjoy reading replies and appreciate contribution.

Cheers.


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## slclick (Mar 9, 2018)

May not be relevant for your locations and need but my friend had a video camera part that he couldn't get a replacement for and had a community college fabricate one in a 3d printer, seems to be holding up!


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 9, 2018)

I'd check ebay, you can often find parts for a fraction of new price.

Here is what appears to be the entire top cover of a 7D MK II including the flash.

If interested, ask specifically about the flash, the photo is not the actual part.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/used-90-Top-Cover-parts-Canon-EOS-7D-mark-II/172510423990?hash=item282a6c2bb6:g:-0gAAOSw4DJYkX47


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## sama (Mar 10, 2018)

slclick said:


> May not be relevant for your locations and need but my friend had a video camera part that he couldn't get a replacement for and had a community college fabricate one in a 3d printer, seems to be holding up!



Exactly. But I wish I have the knowledge to make one. Excellent idea though.


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## sama (Mar 10, 2018)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> I'd check ebay, you can often find parts for a fraction of new price.
> 
> Here is what appears to be the entire top cover of a 7D MK II including the flash.
> 
> ...



Thank you for your help.


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## Valvebounce (Mar 10, 2018)

Hi Sama. 
That sounds like a very good friendship, but perhaps you should allow your friend the honour of paying if he offers again, unless there is some strong underlying reason why he shouldn’t, like he really cannot afford it and you really can afford it! That way he can ask to borrow something (perhaps the 7DII) in the future without feeling embarrassment, especially if it is only the 30bucks part from eBay! 

Cheers, Graham


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## sama (Mar 10, 2018)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi Sama.
> That sounds like a very good friendship, but perhaps you should allow your friend the honour of paying if he offers again, unless there is some strong underlying reason why he shouldn’t, like he really cannot afford it and you really can afford it! That way he can ask to borrow something (perhaps the 7DII) in the future without feeling embarrassment, especially if it is only the 30bucks part from eBay!
> 
> Cheers, Graham



Dear Graham,

You may be right. If anyone borrow to use my gears and broke them, they will definitely have to be responsible for the damages caused by their carelessness or whatever.

Sorry that I did not go into details about the situation. My friend was just playing with my camera set up taking a few shots. He is not even a keen shooter. He may have kicked the tripod and causing the accident. I am fully responsible for not adding weight to the tripod to stabilize it. I don't blame him.

I am not very generous and I rarely allow people to borrow my gears. 

Cheers


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## sama (Mar 10, 2018)

Just a few minutes ago, I put everything back into the camera flash. Made a little adjustment to the length of the tab. ( I made a new tab and used JB weld to glue it on.)

Now, my 7DII is back to it's original shape and function. Will see if the glue is strong enough to hold the tab for a period of time. 

Very happy for this DIY success. May be it's time to celebrate and have a zip of my Coke Zero. Hahaha

Thanks everybody.


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## Valvebounce (Mar 10, 2018)

Hi Sama. 
Ok now I understand, you feel equally or more responsible for the damage, get that. 
It is a great feeling to fix things yourself like that, and I really get that too, but I would be concerned that the pop up flash would ‘popup’ when least desirable and that little conductive tab will be down in with the flash capacitor (or some other equally vulnerable electronics!) and for the small cost of the flash that PBD found on eBay I don’t think the risk is worth it, I would have been more ok with the risk at Canon repair costs approaching 50% of the camera value! 
Who knows you might even be able to sell the leftover bits to someone with a different broken bit! 

Cheers, Graham. 



sama said:


> Just a few minutes ago, I put everything back into the camera flash. Made a little adjustment to the length of the tab. ( I made a new tab and used JB weld to glue it on.)
> 
> Now, my 7DII is back to it's original shape and function. Will see if the glue is strong enough to hold the tab for a period of time.
> 
> ...


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 10, 2018)

It may hold up forever. Just avoid using the oin camera flash and use a external one.


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## sama (Mar 10, 2018)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> It may hold up forever. Just avoid using the oin camera flash and use a external one.



I test it 30 times - pop up and press down. So far no problem.

External flash has more power. Yeah.


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## Don Haines (Mar 10, 2018)

sama said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > It may hold up forever. Just avoid using the oin camera flash and use a external one.
> ...



Personally, I found the 7D2 flash to be terrible.... except when I forget my “real” flash, when it suddenly becomes very useful


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## sama (Mar 10, 2018)

Don Haines said:


> sama said:
> 
> 
> > Mt Spokane Photography said:
> ...




I guess all built in flashes, due to their power and effective range, have only limited uses. But, they are good for use as fill-flashes or as flash commanders.


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## sama (Apr 30, 2018)

Update : ordered the built in flash replacement part off eBay. The tab of this replacement part was bent. I don't want to break it so I just try installing it on the camera but the flash won't close tightly.

I found some copper parts in the bin and cut a piece to add height to the tab. It works okay. However, I worried that the glue won't last and the glued copper will come off one day..

I then use a piece of steel which I have disassembled from a transformer to hand made the part. It's isn't easy for me. The metal is hard to grind down. Drilling and adjustment of angles take me some hours. Finally, the task is done. It is a whole piece now and I don't have to worry about loose part flying off. It fits perfectly and it seems to be very sturdy to hold the flash in place.

That's some joy of successful DIY. And of course this saves me hundreds to send it to Canon to replace the whole top plate assembly.


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## magarity (Jun 6, 2018)

If you ever travel to SE Asia, especially China, repairs are super cheap. The local Canon repair in the US told me to just buy a new zoom since the little ribbon cable inside had broken but in China the repair was under $20.


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