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Author Topic: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?  (Read 5380 times)

Ellis Vener

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Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« on: February 14, 2014, 02:42:42 pm »


Anyone have an idea about how much it costs to have the tripod mount in a  Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III replaced? Mine has some how become stripped.
« Last Edit: February 14, 2014, 11:00:37 pm by Ellis Vener »
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walter.sk

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2014, 04:17:20 pm »

Same happened on an old 1Dii.  Canon told me they have a standard fee of $350 plus parts for any out-of-warranty repairs. 
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JayWPage

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2014, 04:29:56 pm »

I don't know for sure, but it may be possible to repair it with a tap and helical coil insert if you are careful.
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Jay W Page

sharperstill

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2014, 08:19:54 pm »

Don't think it would be that much, it's an easily replaceable part. Ring & ask how much for the part.
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francois

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2014, 05:36:13 am »

Same happened on an old 1Dii.  Canon told me they have a standard fee of $350 plus parts for any out-of-warranty repairs. 

Same here but a little less expensive. As far as I remember it was around $300!
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Francois

Ellis Vener

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2014, 10:02:52 am »

Thanks all. I may try the tapping method first. This is my back up camera.
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Colorado David

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2014, 10:07:18 am »

If that doesn't work, try sending it to an independent repair facility like Pho Tech.  Bernie does excellent work and charges a reasonable fee for the work rather than a flat rate. . . as long as he can still buy parts from the big two.

francois

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2014, 11:53:16 am »

Thanks all. I may try the tapping method first. This is my back up camera.

I seem to remember that the Canon part was around $65 only.
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Francois

pfigen

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2014, 07:52:36 pm »

Having been through this same problem several times, I now avoid it by immediately bolting an RRS plate to the camera and only removing it when necessary. The Helicoil solution is only temporary. Been there. Done that. Look inside your battery compartment and you'll see just how much (really how little) meat there is in the "block" to grab on to. Once you drill and re-tap, there's only about half a millimeter of meat left, and that absolutely will pull out somewhere down the line. The reason that the repair is so expensive from Canon - and I remember paying about $200 to have one done at Samy's several years ago - is that it's not just a matter of removing the four screws on the bottom of the camera. Basically you have to remove the entire top and back of the camera to get access to the mounting block. It's a really screwed up design, and if Canon actually put a bronze or stainless mounting block in the MKII and MKIII cameras instead of freaking aluminum, we would never have to deal with this. How do I know it's aluminum? Those were the shavings than came off the drill bit when I drilled out the original block. The CPS rep swore I was wrong about that when I called them about it, but I know aluminum when I see it, and so will you.
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Ellis Vener

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2014, 08:18:39 pm »

Thanks Peter!
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JayWPage

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2014, 01:25:57 am »

Maybe you can carefully use a tap (I think it's 1/4"- 20) to open up the original threads and then "permanently" screw on a camera plate to use with a tripod in the future.
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Jay W Page

DanielStone

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2014, 02:09:10 am »

or drill out(and tap) to accept a 3/8-16 screw. Then you can (permanently) screw in(with loctite) a 3/8-16 --> 1/4-20 reducing bushing that's available at pretty much any camera store.

just a thought

-Dan
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pfigen

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2014, 03:02:37 am »

Guys - Maybe you didn't read my post. I've been there and done that. There is just not a big enough piece of metal in the mounting block to do that and it really will pull out sooner or later. When I put a Helicoil in it lasted a few months and then finally pulled out. I would never trust that sort of setup. Screwing a plate into that would only give you a false sense of security and then your camera is going to fall of your tripod at the most inopportune moment. But hey, don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself and see. Out of all the professional cameras I've owned for the last thirty years, these two models of Canons are the only ones I've ever stripped out a tripod socket and I've really cranked them down on Mamiyas and Nikons, among others.
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The View

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Re: Stripped tripod mount in camera! Any idea of repair expense?
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2014, 01:04:08 am »

I wouldn't try to fix the thread. If this fails - and reading another comment it will - you risk your camera falling off the tripod.

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The View of deserts, forests, mountains. Not the TV show that I have never watched.
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