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Posts Tagged ‘disassembly’

Let’s take a look: Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

30 Apr

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

Before Sony ever put a 1″-type sensor in a compact, there was the Canon PowerShot G series. If you wanted extensive controls without all the weight of a DSLR, the G-series compacts were where you looked. The PowerShot G16 was the last in that line, sporting a 12MP 1/1.7″ sensor before Canon ushered in a series of 1″ compacts with a similar form factor.

The G16 may be gone from retailer’s shelves, but it is not forgotten. It’s also the subject of a recently published iFixit disassembly guide. The good people at iFixit publish product-specific disassembly guides, written to help common folk make simple repairs to their own electronic devices. They’re also an easy way to peek inside a modern digital camera without voiding your warranty. This week, we look inside the Canon PowerShot G16.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

The first disassembly step (after taking the battery out, of course) is an easy one. The G16 offers an accessory attachment point around the lens, which is covered when not in use by a metal ring. Pressing the button on the front panel next to the lens frees the ring.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

Next comes the removal of the screws. Many screws. Including this one hiding next to the viewfinder…

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

…And another tucked next to the ports. 

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

With the first round of screws removed the back chassis can be removed from the body, revealing just a peek at the motherboard. 

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

The front panel can also be carefully removed…

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

…And after removing another screw, the port cover is ready to go.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

This ribbon cable on the back panel connects the buttons to the motherboard, and can be carefully removed.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

The button circuit board comes free with the removal of a couple of tiny screws, revealing a cable connecting the motherboard to the LCD. Got your spudger handy?

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

In order to free the cables you’ll need to lift this little tab. A spudger is just the tool for the job.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

And with that, the LCD is free.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

The copper shield (likely for heat dissipation) can be removed. 

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

More screws are removed, freeing the viewfinder casing.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

With the metal shield removed, the network of cables underneath is revealed. The ribbon highlighted here connects the top panel with the motherboard and will need to be removed from the motherboard with the trusty ol’ spudger.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

The top panel is ready to go once it’s free of its connections to the motherboard. 

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

Lose a few more cable connections and the motherboard is ready for removal.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

The front lens covering is next to go after the five screws connecting it to the front plate are removed.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

At this point there’t not much camera left, and the lens module can be removed from the rest of the housing with one last screw removed.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

But why stop at removing the lens? The viewfinder can be taken right off the top of the lens assembly.

Canon PowerShot G16 iFixit disassembly guide

A few more odd screws removed and that’s it – the Canon PowerShot G16 is reduced to its bare bones. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Down to the wire: iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

23 Apr

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

Few of us will ever be so bold as to take a screwdriver and a spudger to a beloved camera. But how do we satisfy the urge to know what’s going on inside of it? For curious types with a weak constitution for taking things apart, there’s iFixit. The good people at iFixit publish product-specific disassembly guides, written to help common folk make simple repairs to their own electronic devices. They’re also an easy way to peek inside a modern digital camera without voiding your warranty. This week, we look inside the Fujifilm FinePix X30.

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

Like so many other things, it’s best to start this project at the bottom. After removing the battery, you’ll go about removing screws from the camera’s chassis, including these three on the bottom plate.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

Once you’ve removed enough screws, the bottom and back panels can be pulled back. So what’s underneath? A whole mess of ribbon cables. 

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

For starters you’ll have to detach these five ribbons that are connected to the motherboard. 

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

After a little spudger action and disconnection of cables from the surrounding circuitry, the copper plate underneath it all is revealed. The copper plate is likely for heat dissipation.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

Attached to the other side of the copper plate is the X30’s 12MP, 2/3″-type sensor. Lifting it out of the way reveals the lens.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

With a few screws removed the motherboard can be tilted upward. To completely remove it you’ll need to desolder the black, grey and red wires seen here.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

And now we come face-to-face with the lens assembly. Remove a few screws… 

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

…and the lens is free for removal. It’s a 28-112mm equiv. F2-2.8 zoom, by the way.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

Working with the flash capacitor requires some careful maneuvering. As the circuits store charge to power the flash unit, touching the leads at the bottom of the circuit could result in a nasty shock. More desoldering is required here to get this board free.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Fujifilm X30 disassembly guide

With the eyepiece removed and just a couple more screws taken out of the LCD panel, you’ll have successfully disassembled your Fujifilm Finepix X30. Congratulations, you’re a monster.

Image courtesy of iFixit

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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A small project: iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

17 Apr

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

As far as small cameras go, the Samsung NX Mini is one of the most impressively small we’ve come across. The Mini manages to fit a 20.9MP 1″-type sensor into a super-slim body that’s just 22.5mm thick. It’s been discontinued, but when we saw iFixit post a disassembly guide for the littlest NX we just had to see what was inside. See some of the highlights from a safe distance here, and if you’re feeling adventurous head over to iFixit and find a step-by-step guide to taking the NX Mini apart.

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

After removing the battery and various screws from the battery compartment and external flash port, you’ll be ready to unscrew the lens mount. That teeny, tiny lens mount.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

Removing a few more screws from the bottom of the camera frees the front housing, revealing the sensor and NFC chip. Relative to the camera body, the 1″-type sensor looks pretty big.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

The NFC target lives on top of the battery compartment, which can be removed as seen here to reveal the motherboard underneath. The sensor cover has also been removed at this stage, giving a better view of the 20MP chip underneath. And that’s the next bit to go…

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

A little spudger action frees the sensor module from the motherboard so it’s ready to be carefully removed.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

There’s one more screw to remove to disconnect the motherboard, and just above it is the Wi-Fi antenna. Of course, you’ll want to carefully disconnect the ribbon cables connected to the motherboard before it goes anywhere.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

This step requires some careful spudger work to release the ribbon cables…

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

…and once those have all been removed the motherboard is free.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

The flash assembly is the last piece to come out of the chassis, and takes with it the Wi-Fi antenna as it’s removed.

Image courtesy of iFixit

iFixit Samsung NX Mini disassembly guide

The tilting LCD twists free of the housing and there you have it – one tiny camera in lots of tiny pieces. Check out the whole guide on iFixit for the play-by-play disassembly instructions.

Image courtesy of iFixit

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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