DIY repair of damaged M50 bottom (i.e. complete front cover!)
Introduction and the possibilities in short
I write this after I have tried the repair and have some experience (both good and bad) to share. As information regarding glueing of polycarbonate is usable generally, I will try to start (if it does not exist yet) a thread “Polycarbonate gluing”, so in this material I write only the most substantial info about gluing.
The material of the case is polycarbonate (PC), the same is valid for EOS M5. I have no previous experience with repairing of cameras, but I have put together a lot of info (the links are always provided here or in the not yet finished “PC gluing thread”). I have added also some of my photos regarding the repair.
a) The best (but not so cheap) is to buy a new front cover. Reinforcing the front cover from inside (as prevention) is not possible, there is no space for gluing of a mesh tape. Reinforcing from outside would “mark the camera” as repaired one, but it would strongly improve the strength of bottom part.
Spare part
Spare part, one example where to order is below, the name of the part is hopefully a standard one (probably also for M5). It is not cheap repair, but it is cheaper than by Canon.
Spare part from AliExpress, all detailed photos see (terribly long “search link”)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001617542289.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.0.0.7ee44fa4uh5vtJ&gps-id=pcDetailCartBuyAlsoBuy&scm=1007.12908.232710.0&scm_id=1007.12908.232710.0&scm-url=1007.12908.232710.0&pvid=7ca83a51-5000-4758-800c-dddec31f9b5d&_t=gps-id:pcDetailCartBuyAlsoBuy,scm-url:1007.12908.232710.0,pvid:7ca83a51-5000-4758-800c-dddec31f9b5d,tpp_buckets:668%232846%238116%232002&&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sceneId%22:%222908%22,%22sku_id%22:%2212000016833092273%22%7D
Spare part - M50 Front and Bottom Cover
b) Cheap possibility is to paste the broken parts together.
b0) Gluing in general
b01) Cement + Mesh Tape
As the broken material is polycarbonate, I believe the best is a glue (cement) special for polycarbonate + polycarbonate mesh tape. They are used by RC models, which must withstand conditions reminding crash tests of cars.
See:
https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87190/index.htm
and also
tamiyausa.com
Finishing Materials no.190
R/C Model Polycarbonate Body Reinforcing Cement
Item No: 87190
Use to reinforce your R/C model's polycarbonate body. Use with Item 54792 R/C Model Polycarbonate Body Reinforcing Mesh Tape for even greater effect! Can be used to attach separate polycarbonate light case parts. Applicator is included. Synthetic rubber cement. 100ml aluminum tube.
b02) Glue for small cracks in polycarbonate
Very useful could be (I hope) following product, which has a micro dosing wire needle - similar like a vaccinator. The English name is Pattex Special and Pattex mentiones polycarbonate as the main material. Because it must be able to flow through the needle, it should have low viscosity. And Pattex writes it is very strong, it is used for model making.
Details in German on
https://www.pattex.de/de/products/klebstoff/spezialkleber/spezialkleber_modellbau.html
b1) Glueing from outside without disassembly
It would be possible when the glue would not “flow inside”, in other case it could glue also the internal parts and make the camera irreparable in the future. But it is a question if, considering the prices of repairs, it is a real problem. If you do not want to risk to “glue everything together”, maybe the following could work?
I have not tried it, but maybe filling of “large cracks only” with wax (or similar), degreasing of the polycarbonate, putting 2 (bottom-front and bottom-back) Polycarbonate Mesh Tapes (with all necessary “holes”) over part of the bottom case and gluing with Polycarbonate Reinforcing Cement should be sufficient. But maybe no wax is necessary. According to a specialist (see https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/what-do-you-use-to-glue-parts-back-on.208579/): “The problem with using any adhesive other than contact cement is that it's pure luck if you don't get just enough excess so it oozes out .... Contact cement, when used correctly, is dry to the touch before you press the items together, there is no oozage.” In our case you first put the mesh tape and the cement after, so it should be even more sure against oozing (but I do not know myself, you could try on some other piece, can be also another plastic, you need to test only oozing, not gluing).
b2) Glueing from inside after disassembly
In this case it is possible to use a thin glue - Pattex mentioned above (has low viscosity and can sink into cracks). But the damage of the bottom could be so large, that even when you try to keep the parts together before disassembly (using a tape for example) it will fall to pieces during disassembly (some of them invisible from outside). The additional reinforcing with mesh tape and cement from outside is of course better (or even necessary).
c) Covering the damage
When you make sure that the damaged pieces will not move and you will make the bottom flat, you can use “Anti-Scratch Camera Body Carbon Fiber Film for Canon” (also for EOS M50)
1) How to disassemble M50
Basic “how to do knowledge” is from “Canon EOS M50 disassembly” video from Pavel Antoniadi, but do not repeat all the steps until 1:55, as I have done !!! Details below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7GbkhZthg4
I recommend to download the video (for example using free “4k Video Downloader”), you can decelerate the downloaded video easily (better than directly in YouTube), even go frame by frame etc., using for example free “VLC Media Player”.
Scan from video - time 1:55
But (beeing a greenhorn in this field) I have made one substantial failure. I have done blindly everything step by step as shown in the video until time 1:55 shown above, because I had no idea which screw keeps which part etc.
Only after finishing “my disassembly” I have found that much less steps are necessary for dismounting of the front part. And what is even more important, no disconnecting of any connector is needed. I will describe the minimised steps in detail in the following text, but I have to say that after useless disconnecting of one connector (of total 3) my Menu button does not work and I was not able to remove the problem yet. The connector is very very small and putting the flat cable in it back again is a real problem. As you will not do it, I do not show or mention the tools for it.
Times according to video
Time 00:05, unscrew 6 screws on bottom (4 around hole for camera plate screw + 2 a little shorter screws on the side - be careful not to mix them) - box 1 and 2. Unscrewing all 6 enables to better “unlock” (uplift) - only A LITTLE - front part from the back part and it brings no problem. I will repeat and explain this warning later.
Time 00:06, unscrew 1 screw near MIC connector (box 3) and take away the plastic cover. It is locked with front cover using little plastic pins, so it is necessary/good to remove it (again no problem).
00:08, unscrew 2 screws close to HDMI and USB connector (they keep front and back part together) - box 4. Back and front are kept together also by the higher part around the integrated collectors´ plate, so in this area you will uplift the back part a little (last step) to enable the freeing of the front part. See my photo for last step “last_step_slightly_detach.jpg”
00:12, unscrew 1 (or 2) screws under the display - box 5. The one on the right side (side of buttons) is necessary, the one on the left side not, but if you will be afraid of braking the front cover (and you want to paste it, instead of changing for a new one) it is possible to unscrew also the left one. BUT WARNING -DO NOT DISASSEMBLE THE BACK COVER! To make sure that it will not detach itself use a rubber band or tesa band or similar.
00:23 - 01:29 DO NOT TAKE AWAY THE BACK SIDE! In this case you will not see the 8 screws and especially any of the 3 connectors at all !!!! And you will not unscrew those screws or even disconnect the connectors.
01:32 - unscrew one screw in the battery box, the head is the same, but maybe you will need some slim handle - box 6
01:42 - unscrew 1 screw under flashlight - box 7
Flip display (see video), flip a little the back part, but be careful not to disconnect the flat cable on the left (in video it “disconnects on its own” !? ). I think that when the back part is in original position it makes removing of the front part difficult and I do not want to brake something, that is why I prefer small uplifting of the back part.
That is all, attaching the new front part and remounting (with all the screws separated in boxes) is easy.
Necessary tools (see also my photo):
SCREWDRIVER
Screwdriver from Opening Tools for iPhone, iPad etc. with description “+1.5.X40” is very good (maybe the best). Attach very small but strong magnet on its side (from some old bag for bexample), it helps quite a lot.
SPUDGER
This “iPhone set” contains also METALLIC Spudger (I have hold it with my fingers as close to the camera as possible to prevent a deep intrusion). Plastic spudgers are mostly too thick.
OTHER TYPES OF SCREWDRIVERS, which can be used
Try youself with a screwdriver/bit only in your fingers, which one sits well.
- Screwdrivers bits size 0 (for example Ellix set of 95 bits) are probably too large.
- LUX set of 21 screwdrivers has suitable size N0.0, but too slim handle for easy unscrewing (however it can be the best for the screw in the battery box).
- LUX set of 30 bits - PH00 is probably the most suitable of them, but also PH000 and PH0 are quite well sitting, I have chosen “the medium” type.
- Also screwdrivers delivered with external boxes for SSD (for ex. AKASA) are OK.
Conclusion:
The reasons for the damage
I know I am playing “general after battle”, but I think that the reason of these problems is not so good connection of metal plate inside camera (the one with tripod/camera plate thread) with massive part of the camera (grey on the picture). Metal plate is not connected to the massive part directly at all (only indirectly via covering PC bottom and 1 screw), but the metal plate is connected to black PC parts with 3 screws. So both statical and dynamical forces are transfered from the camera plate (for ex. Arca-Swiss) quite a lot to PC bottom.
Some of my pictures:
The damaged pieces can be very small, try not to be forced to solve too difficult puzzle if you want only to paste (not to replace).
Picture 3 - The damaged pieces
Needed tools.
- 1 (event. 2) screwdriver(s), small magnet is very useful
- metal spudger
Attention: take away the plastic cover of camera body as the last thing before removing of front cover
Picture 5 - tools
Picture 6 and 7 - Bottom with metal plate and metal plate itself
Picture 8 - Bottom without metal plate
The last step before disassembling the front/bottom cover.
On this side of the M50 the front and back covers were connected by 2 screws removed in time 00:08 already. Now they are (before this picture was made) kept together with “higher perimeter” of the connector plate. Just slightly lift up the back part using spudger (do not move it much to the left - i.e. do not open the back part). Now you can remove the front/bottom cover and replace it with the new one!
I had to replace M50 with M6 Mark II. When I will have time I will try to repair the wrong Menu button contact.
Good luck and happy shooting with your “new M50”.
Picture 9 - the last step of disassembly before removing the bront/bottom cover
