My obsession with the Canon 5D Classic had a rocky beginning, to say the least. It all started when I made the bold decision to sell my trusty Fujifilm X-H1 and its accompanying lenses. With no immediate replacement in mind, the camera fund was burning a hole in my pocket, practically begging to be spent.
Instead of jumping straight into another modern system, I decided to do something different, something that would challenge me and potentially lead to an interesting adventure. My plan? To buy a camera lot from an auction, hopefully scoring some vintage Canon FD gear and a couple of EF film bodies. The idea was to fix up these cameras and sell them on for profit, building up my fund for an eventual new camera purchase.
The Auction Find
As I scrolled through endless auction listings, one particular lot caught my eye. There, tucked away in the back row, barely visible in the auction photograph, was a Canon 5D Classic. My heart skipped a beat. I’d heard whispers about this camera in photography forums and YouTube videos, but I’d never seriously considered owning one.
Curiosity piqued, I dove into research mode. The more I read about the 5D Classic, the more I knew I had to have one, or at least try it out. Its full-frame sensor, the beautiful colors it produced, and the almost mythical status it held among photography enthusiasts - it all called to me.
The First 5D: A Rocky Start
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and I was the proud owner of not just a 5D Classic, but also a few fungus-filled lenses that came with the lot. The camera looked to be in great condition, and initial tests showed it was working perfectly. I was elated.
Then came disaster.
In my excitement, I couldn’t resist trying out one of the third-party EF lenses that came with the lot. As I attached it to the camera body, I heard a soft but ominous “POP.”
Just like that, my newly acquired 5D Classic was dead. No sign of life, no response to any of the myriad tricks and hacks I found on YouTube. It was a gut-wrenching moment, to say the least.
Becoming a 5D Classic Expert (Out of Necessity)
Determined not to let this setback defeat me, I threw myself into learning everything I could about 5D Classic troubleshooting and repair. I scoured forums, watched countless repair videos, and even reached out to a few camera repair specialists for advice.
After much research and careful dismantling of the camera, I finally determined the cause of the issue: a blown 1.5A fuse underneath the top LCD panel. The culprit was likely a shorted contact in the third-party lens I had used.
The good news? It could be repaired. The bad news? It required soldering a replacement microscopic 0603 SMD fuse - a task that seemed daunting for someone whose soldering experience was limited to fixing a few guitar cables.
The Second 5D: A Backup Plan
While waiting for the parts and tools I needed for the repair to arrive, I couldn’t shake the fear that I might not be able to fix my original 5D. So, I did what any reasonable person would do - I bought another one.
This second 5D Classic came with its own issue: a detached mirror. But compared to a blown fuse, this seemed like a walk in the park. A bit of carefully applied super glue, and I had a working 5D Classic to tide me over.
The Moment of Truth
When the parts finally arrived, I set up my workstation with trepidation. Armed with a new soldering iron, magnifying glass, and more YouTube tutorials than I care to admit, I prepared to attempt the repair.
Thirty nerve-wracking minutes later, I pressed the power button on my original 5D Classic, hardly daring to breathe. To my absolute amazement and delight, it sprang to life. The LCD lit up, the mirror flipped, and that beautiful shutter sound I’d been missing filled the room.
Somehow, I had done it.
What’s Next?
So that’s how I became the proud owner of two Canon 5D Classics. But as I sat there, basking in the glow of my unexpected success, a thought occurred to me: I had ordered a pack of ten 1.5A fuses, just in case I messed up the first attempt.
That leaves me with an intriguing idea: I’ve got nine more 1.5A fuses… could nine more 5D Classics be brought back to life?
The thought is tempting. There’s something deeply satisfying about bringing these old workhorses back from the brink, giving them a second chance to capture beautiful images.
One thing’s for certain: I plan on writing a full guide on repairing the ‘blown fuse’ issue. If my experience can help even one other photographer save their beloved camera from the scrap heap, it’ll be worth it.
Whatever happens, I know this: my unexpected journey with the Canon 5D Classic is far from over. And I can’t wait to see where it takes me next.