# Canon 40D Shutter button **FAILURE**



## tomscott (Feb 9, 2011)

Hi CR,

Im new to CR and love the site and forums. Keep up the good work.

So to my First post, my trusty Canon 40D has just effectively died. It has the dreaded Sticking Shutter Button, the grip button doesn't have any problems, it would seem from a quick google that all the XXXXD, XXXD and XXD suffer from this illness. 

The diagnosis is confirmed by the button pressing half way to focus, focusing successfully and when the button is completely depressed the shutter does not go off. This is not a problem with the AF and it having problems with the exposure therefore not firing, it is a mechanical problem where the button gets dirt etc into the shutter button contacts.

Until it happened to mine i had no idea about the problem but it has been a problem since the 10D and canon has done nothing about it. There are a few remedies... Press the button in hard and twist to help remove dirt... if that doesn't work... Send it to Canon and have it repaired which is Â£150, this sounds steep but from people who have had it done, thier cameras came back immaculate. With Replacement panels, LCD's, updates, complete cleaning, and with adjustments to make your body the same as it was. But... and a big but is do you want to spend a third of the value of the camera on a repair, or buy a new body? the 40D is a great camera but she is getting on abit... 

The second is by using contact cleaner and spraying it down the hole, and using compressed air to get the dirt out. This sounds hazardous but the contact cleaner evaporates on contact, and leaves no residue. But it is obviously a massive risk. The third is to completely take the camera apart, you have to remove the rubber covers, which im sure are a pain to get back on, the front panel the rear panel with the LCD, remove 3-4 ribbon cables and then you can get to the shutter button, which needs to be taken away from the body, and the release deconstructed to remove two press contacts, which then need to be cleaned with contact cleaner to remedy. Did i mention the 100+ screws that are mostly different and need to go back in their specific places. 

This is a monstrous task which, if you are not competent you will ruin your camera. I am competent at such tasks but i am not quite ready to go to these lengths yet. My 40D is my backup body and has had just over 11,000 actuations, and is nearly 3 years old. Apparently the lower the use the more likely it is to happen, but if the fault is known then why have canon continued to produce the same design and for something so simple as cleaning the contact, you would think they would have made it easier to get to!??

I am obviously very disappointed and gutted, because it is a soldier! and has seen me through alot, and it produces great image quality and is a joy to use. In my opinion there isnt another APC sized camera that i would like to replace it with. The 50D was a marginal upgrade so wasn't worth it (now you cant get them new), the 60D is a massive disappointment in comparison to previous XXD's and that screen i know for sure would come off at some point! (and is slower), the 7D is more than half way through its product cycle so i dont really want to spend Â£1100 for an older camera for my backup and the XXXXD's or the XXXD's are not suitable. Once you get used to a camera of such quality its hard to go back to the amateur models. I also dont shoot video so its not an important feature for me.

I will try to repair the body before buying a new one, but i wanted some reactions/opinions/advice from the knowledgeable CR forum about what to do and how you feel about this issue that basically makes the rest of the body redundant! My main body is a 7D just to let people no, and dont fancy buying another although i love it, but theres no need to buy another when the 7D could transition in the next year. I have 3 wedding coming up in the next 2 months so i need to get cracking to sort it out. My initial thought was to buy a 50D (there about Â£500-550 second hand) and just wait.

Thanks 

Tom Scott


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## kubelik (Feb 9, 2011)

to me, it's a return on investment question. you do have the 7D as a main body, but you are shooting weddings, so you do need a backup body as well.

what's the shutter actuation count on your 40D? it's rated to 100,000 actuations, which means there's a 50% chance that it will be higher than that, and 50% chance it will be lower than that. if your camera is anywhere in that range, then there's no sense in spending Â£150 on it just to end up having to replace the shutter all over again; at that point, you might as well pick up a 50D as you noted.

however, if your 40D is down at like, 30K or 40K actuations, Â£150 for a very very thorough cleaning and basic refreshes/repairs seems like actually a decent deal to me.

otherwise, you could also just pick up another used 40D that has low actuation count. if you say a secondhand 50D goes for ~Â£550 or so, I would assume a used 40D would be even less.


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## Admin US West (Feb 9, 2011)

It is normally dirt or oxidation of the contacts. i've owned several 40D's with no issue, but we do not have humid weather or conditions that might promote a problem.

If you are mechanically handy, it can be repaired. parts are not needed, the main issue is having the proper jis type screwdrivers so you can take out the screws without damage to the heads. Here is a place that sells a good quality US made set.

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/P-58-0319/Jis-Type-S-Driver-Set-Pollicis-4pc.aspx

Then you disassemble the camera to get to the switch and clean it. Here is a lapsed time video that you can watch to see if you want to tackle it.

http://www.photogrind.com/canon-eos-30d-40d-50d-shutter-button-repair

Good Luck


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## unfocused (Feb 9, 2011)

I'm guessing you are in Great Britain. I don't know if Canon offers a trade-in program in England, similar to the one available in the U.S. It's been discussed in other forums and on this site, but basically, you can upgrade your dead Canon for a refurbished different model at a deep discount. Not available online and not advertised, you need to call Canon customer service directly and inquire. 

It might be worth a call to Canon to find out.


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## penywisexx (Feb 9, 2011)

For 150, the repair seems pretty reasonable, especially with the low actuation count that you mentioned. You also said that you were considering replacing the camera with a used 50D. Why not try the repair yourself then? If you can't do it or something goes wrong then just buy the 50D?

There's still a strong possibility of the 5D III coming out in the first half of this year that may be worth upgrading to, and I'm sure that you'll get your money back on the repair cost spent on the 40D if you decide to sell it and upgrade to the new 5D or get most or all of the 50D money back if you buy a used one and choose to sell it when it's time to upgrade to the new model (or just keep the repaired 40D as a 3rd body).


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## tomscott (Feb 10, 2011)

So i went for the spray contact cleaner and blow out with compressed air solution, which seems to have remedied it for now! which i am really pleased with Â£10 instead of Â£150-500. 

You are all correct in your suggestions, all are valid, I didnt really want to take it apart purely on an ergonomic excuse. Removing the rubber covers where your hands fit onto the body really doesn't appeal to me. The rubber im pretty sure wouldn't go back on correctly and would end up pealing at the edges, which would really annoy me. With my experience with re-applying item like this, it seems to have a memory and as you peel it stretches and bends out of shape, so new ones would be needed and i dont know if you can buy them. But then again it doesnt really warrant the Â£150 i would rather buy a newer body and sell the 40D on ebay for what i could get. As a backup it needs to be reliable and at weddings i do use two bodies one with a standard lens/prime and one with a 70-200mm F2.8. 

I will test it over the next week, going to Chester zoo to have a play make sure its ok. If not i will try taking it apart and posting my results.

Basically the lesson learned is use the camera as much as possible and these problems wont occur! 

Cheers Guys
Tom scott


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## unruled (Feb 12, 2011)

tomscott said:


> Hi CR,
> 
> 
> 
> The diagnosis is confirmed by the button pressing half way to focus, focusing successfully and when the button is completely depressed the shutter does not go off.



heh, I did not know this was a common issue. I have a 40d and this issue occurred with me when I was at angkor in cambodia. I t hought it was actually exposure related because I didnt have any issues taking photos of bright scenes, it was in dark scenes that the trigger would not fire.

That said, I havent had the issue since (or maybe so intermittently that i dont even recall it happening) and I didnt do anything to 'resolve' it.


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## Rocky (Feb 13, 2011)

unruled said:


> tomscott said:
> 
> 
> > Hi CR,
> ...


I have the same problem with my 20D after 40K activation. Now it is sitting at the bottom of my " junk pile".


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## carlviens77 (Feb 13, 2011)

I purchased a used 30D last summer. It had a problem with the shutter - exactly the same described by the OP - so I was able to get the price down to 200$. Then, I googled the shutter problem and found this :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB_gSqyidI0

And it worked! Seriously, you won't believe how easy it is. I now have a 'brand new' shutter on my 30D.

Make sure you follow each steps. Pay good care to the angle of the camera to avoid liquid to reach the display. When I did it, I mounted the camera to my tripod laying horizontally on my desk, the shutter button at the lowest position possible. Use 99,99% alcohol if available to you. Don't blow air in it to dry it faster. Just be patient and wait for it to dry by itself.

If you go to Canon Canada website, you can get an instant quotation for this problem. It was estimated to 199$ plus shipping both ways. I guest I saved a lot that day - and the day I purchased it too.

If you try it, share your experience! - Regards


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## tomscott (Feb 14, 2011)

So after a weekend of testing the camera, after its quick fix it has gone back to its unreliable state. Sometimes the button will shoot other times you have to press it extremely hard for it to shoot and others it refuses but the battery grip keeps on shooting. It would seem im to the point where the camera needs some surgery. Thanks for the youtube video, although the video doesn't show you the end result of the camera actually working. Poring alcohol into a sensitive precision made device doesn't really fill me with confidence. I will do some more research and then see what the best option is.

Tom Scott


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## carlviens77 (Feb 15, 2011)

Pure alcohol is non-conductive, so it will not damage the electronic. I would not trust 70% alcohol, but 99%, sure. Of course, I'm not suggesting to dip the camera completely in a bowl of alcohol, you do have to be careful about all the sensitive parts. Less pure alcohol may leave traces of residues after drying. I personally didn't like the spoon idea (reference to the previous video link) so I used a syringe to make sure the alcohol was placed right at the bottom of the battery compartment.

I have been a project manager for a designer/manufacturer of circuit boards for 5 years. I wrote standard procedures on how to clean these PCBs and we do clean them with alcohol, rubbing or isopropyl (but "only" 99.8%).

There is another video (I bet there are tons) showing someone removing all the parts in order to reach the shutter button. It's a long road to get there and I was definitely not comfortable to dismantle the camera almost entirely in order to reach the shutter button assembly. And all this, to clean the dirty button contacts with alcohol.

But again, it is your camera, your decision, but I strongly suggest you give it a try. You will have a brand new camera tomorrow morning - and some degree of satisfaction!

- Best Regards.


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## tomscott (Feb 25, 2011)

The button got so bad that in the end i had no choice and it was a win win for me to try the alcohol procedure otherwise i was buying a new camera. Worked a treat! Not just solved the problem the button is more sensitive than i can ever remember, although i have had the camera a long time! Thank you so much for your help and sorry i doubted the suggestion although it was my desperation point of call! (which im sure it would be for most people!) hehe

This is a common issue for all the canon amateur and semi pro models, the button is not weather sealed so dust, muck, grime, sweat etc gets into it. The less use it has the more likely the problem is to occur so the advice is to keep shooting! Use your back up camera once and a while. Cameras prone are 350/400/450/500/550/600/10/20/30/40/ 50/60/7/5D so basically the whole range (there are lots of examples on the net).

So i would say come on Canon design a better button that is either easier to reach, sealed or cleanable! It is a known problem, and has been a problem for nearly 10 years! Basically renders the camera useless! and means canon will get a Â£150-250 premium from you!Whats the point in having a semi/weather proof body when the main point of entrance is the button and the most likely place with it being pressed!? Surely adding a rubber seal around it wouldn't cost so much!? but then it is a reason to upgrade and nothing is made to last im pretty sure its apart of product obsolescence! 

If anyone else has this problem my 40D is living proof that this procedure works! just make sure your careful with the angle of the camera, i used a tripod to make sure there would be no contamination with the upper screen. Make sure you use the highest content of alcohol too, the lower the percentage the more the water it contains therefore more residue is left. I used as recommended IPA 170 99% Isopropyl Alcohol which was Â£10 from Maplin. Â£10 instead of either Â£150-250 for repair or Â£1100 for a 7D WIN WIN!

I decided the problem occurred with mine because i took mine on safari (back up camera not too bothered about it) got covered in dust etc etc didnt do an amazing job of cleaning it (just general clean). Then went to a lake a few weeks ago and it pored down and because i wasnt too bothered about the camera, i didnt cover it completely and it got wet and pressing the button must have pushed some of the dirt down into the connections. Few days later the button started to be very temperamental and hence my post!

Cheers Guys

Tom Scott


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## distant.star (Feb 26, 2011)

I've never looked at a schematic of their circuitry, but it seems to me you could just plug in a remote button and bypass the problem contacts at the in-camera shutter button.

That may also be a basic troubleshooting technique.

Just a thought.


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## tomscott (Feb 26, 2011)

Kinda defies the point of having a portable camera if you have to use an external shutter button all the time... might as well buy a 10x8


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## Admin US West (Feb 26, 2011)

tomscott said:


> Kinda defies the point of having a portable camera if you have to use an external shutter button all the time... might as well buy a 10x8



As the post said, as a troubleshooting tool, its a good idea.

The number of failures like this are pretty low, I've had a dozen or more Canon DSLR's with no issue, and I have friends with many more that have never had it.

That is no consolation for a owner that gets the problem. Switches are by nature unreliable, they can create their own failures and oxidation, no need for external debris. However, switch technology has greatly improved over the past years, computer keyboards are a example. They used to have switch failures frequently, but now they are improved, even though the price has been driven way down. They just learned how to make them better.


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## IWLP (Feb 26, 2011)

scalesusa said:


> The number of failures like this are pretty low, I've had a dozen or more Canon DSLR's with no issue, and I have friends with many more that have never had it.
> 
> That is no consolation for a owner that gets the problem. Switches are by nature unreliable, they can create their own failures and oxidation, no need for external debris. However, switch technology has greatly improved over the past years, computer keyboards are a example. They used to have switch failures frequently, but now they are improved, even though the price has been driven way down. They just learned how to make them better.



I have had both a 30D and a 40D develop shutter issues. The 30D did it after a couple months, the 40D had about 35K actuations when its problems developed. Of course, this is all anecdotal, but my experience with XXD shutter buttons has been less than stellar, FWIW.


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## Jamesy (Feb 28, 2011)

carlviens77 said:


> Then, I googled the shutter problem and found this :
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB_gSqyidI0
> 
> And it worked! Seriously, you won't believe how easy it is. I now have a 'brand new' shutter on my 30D.



I am one of the people who posted to this Youtube feed to say it worked on my 40D - flawlessly in fact. After six months (at least) and 5000+ shutter actuations my 40D is still performing flawlessly. I did it once and snapped the buuting like in the video and then also rotated the button. I did a second cleaning twelve hours later. I was qoted $150 CDN to replace the button, I am glad I found this video prior to dishing out $150 on a body that is only worth $450.


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