Welcome back...

...to my old (formerly dead) EOS 5D.

UPS just dropped it off from Canon's Factory Service Center; the issue was the EOS 5D "main mirror detachment" problem.

Basically the mirror that flips up out of the way (common to any single lens reflex camera, film or digital) comes unglued and flops around inside the body.

Eighteen days since I shipped it off.

I can see the little brackets that Canon adds to the edges of the mirror (as well as re-gluing it), so some time this week I'll take it out and see if it works.

:-/

Well, that's interesting...

Canon Service Center (as I guess it's supposed to be called) just called (my old 5D died with a "main mirror detachment issue" -- which they're fixing for free) and said that, since my old 5D has over 85,000 (!) shots on it, would I like to replace the shutter and mirror box while it was in for service anyway, which they recommend doing at about 100.000 "clicks" as she called them.

I said "How much?"

She said "About $600.00."

I said "I'll pass..."

Since I've just bought my new 5D Mark II, the old 5D is going to become a backup body/second-lens-mounted body, and I'm not going to sweat 15,000 more shots before it might need to be replaced outright.

Hey! Maybe then I'll get the EOS 1D Mark IV I'm lusting after...

Well, the good news is...

...this, I guess.

"Thank you for contacting Canon product support. We value you as a Canon customer and appreciate the opportunity to assist you. We are sorry to hear that the mirror has fallen out of your EOS 5D.

It has come to our attention that in rare instances the main mirror of some EOS 5D Digital SLR cameras may detach due to deterioration in the strength of the adhesive. As a result, Canon USA will repair and reinforce the mirror portion of affected EOS 5D cameras free of charge.

Canon will also cover the cost of shipping and handling in connection with this repair. ..."

They're sorry.

Yeah, not so sorry as me..

Holy Cr*pola, Batman...

...I just had this happen to me tonight at the PTSA-sponsored basketball game down at the High School:

Service Notice: EOS 5D: Main Mirror Detachment

Apparently (well, no: it's obvious) the main mirror that displays the image in the viewfinder of an SLR (and DSLR) camera comes loose from its mount in a Canon EOS 5D, albeit "rarely".

"Phenomenon
The main mirror of the camera detaches and images cannot be viewed through the viewfinder."

I just love the understated quality of *that* statement.

It makes no mention of the fact that the mirror's effectively flopping around loose inside the camera body...