Canon EOS Elan troubleshooting

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

A recently purchased ($12 @ KEH) EOS ElanII has a bit of a problem. Every once in a while, the shutter will fire, but the film won't advance. A second press of the shutter will then advance the film. Upon developing the film, I find that these misfires result in either blank or dramatically underexposed negs. This happens very randomly. The camera will make 12 good exposures, then the next two will misfire, which leads me to think it may have something to do with the contacts on the lens.

Any ideas?

[Peltigera]

I treat my old EOS cameras as disposable. Try cleaning the contacts and if that doesn't work, invest another $12 on another one.

[Molli]

I'm not sure if you're experiencing the same problem I had with my Elan II or not, simply because your solution is to press the shutter again in order to force it to wind on to the next frame. With mine, I simply switched it off and then on again. As it turns out, the rather expensive Fuji battery I bought for it wasn't quite the fit it should have been. I already had a bit of foil in there to ensure the contacts met the battery properly, but in the end it just wasn't enough to avoid the problem all together. Oddly, the best fit for the camera I've found is a brand I've never heard of: Vattnic - half the price of the Fuji battery. Perfect fit and no more having to fiddle around restarting the camera every other shot.

I don't know if the same thing's going on with your camera... but I hope it's just as easy a fix.

[ath]

The battery might be lazy or the shutter might be sticky (search Canon sticky shutter). Do you get the blinking battery (which seems to be the general fault indicator on the EOS50)?
I have experienced both. The camera tries to cock the shutter without success and needs a second try or even a reset (on/off).

[Jon Goodman]

If you want a nice Canon 10s for $12 plus the actual cost of postage, please send me a PM. You can have mine along with a auto focus 28-80 lens. The camera shows normal wear but works fine. The lens was repaired by some clown before I got it. It works ok, however.
Jon

[MattKing]

If you want a nice Canon 10s for $12 plus the actual cost of postage, please send me a PM. You can have mine along with a auto focus 28-80 lens. The camera shows normal wear but works fine. The lens was repaired by some clown before I got it. It works ok, however.
Jon

Jon:

I've now got this picture stuck in my head of someone with big floppy shoes, frizzy hair and a big red nose repairing my cameras. Now what do I do?

[Jon Goodman]

Based on the work that was done, I think you're being much too kind with your visual image, Matt.
I think the clown only had two tools: Large rock. Smaller rock.
Jon

[PentaxBronica]

I think the clown only had two tools: Large rock. Smaller rock.
Jon

Been there, bought that, fixed some and recovered spares from the rest!

The one which particularly got me was the zoom with greasy fingerprints inside. Who on earth dismantles a lens and then puts it back together with fingerprints on the glass? They hadn't even bothered to tighten it all up properly, which at least made it easy for me to take it apart again and do a proper job.

Hint: surgical-type gloves are brilliant for avoiding leaving marks on lens elements while reassembling. Even the cleanest fingertips have natural oils on them, the gloves have nothing providing you make sure the talc is only on the inside.

[Jon Goodman]

You're right...those gloves are super for lens work. If you're working on a very dry day (meaning more static electricity than usual) and you're fighting with dust/lint/etc that you can't keep off the elements, you can do one of two things. Pass the element by an old style TV. The kind with the cathode ray tube. The dust will fall off. Since those tvs are about as scarce as a 5 year marriage for Mickey Rooney, you can use masking tape folded over onto itself (to make two sticky sides). Blot the elements very gently.
Jon

[flatulent1]

I must be behind the times. All three televisions in my house, plus the computer monitor, are CRTs. They're just too freaking heavy for me to want to replace.

I had the blinking battery indicator when I shot with my IIe last summer, the pics turned out fine. I suspect the OP has some other issue, but I sure don't know what it might be. As much as I hate the thought of cameras becoming disposable, that's probably your only choice. Spend $10-25 to get another one and keep going. What the heck, get two.