LCD Screen goes blank after opening up
I actually have several of these cameras and have seen this happen many times with this model. The ribbon cable that goes from the body to the LCD tears in the same place in all of my experiences. If you look at the hing area, you can see the black coating on the ribbon cable between the body and the LCD. The top edge of this cable tears right where it enters the LCD component. If it works when only 1/2 way open, it's just a matter of time before it totally stops working...the damage has already begun. A replacement LCD runs >$100. Instead, I search e-bay for parts cameras. Just make sure that the description doesn't say that the LCD is bad.
Taking apart the camera isn't all that hard. Start with the e-bay parts camera just in case something goes wrong. Take off the lens cover (the lens actually stays attached to the camera for this entire fix) by removing a screw on the bottom, one just under the eye piece, one inside the LCD door area (near the top), and one inside the tape area...the one closest to the front of the lens. Then, the lens cover slides forward. Once you get it moving forward, extend the eye piece and the lens cover comes right out.
The 2nd step is to remove the LCD. The easiest fix is to remove the entire left side (LCD and SD flip cover). This is done by removing the 3 screws on the bottom (careful, 1 is smaller than the other 2), the screw in the battery area, a screw near the front of the lens, and 2 screws near the top (one above and 1 below the lens). Once the left side is free, tip it forward, exposing the 2 ribbon cables. The larger one is the LCD. Disconnect it by simply flipping the grey bar where the ribbon cable connects to the body up. The ribbon cable should come out with no effort. The other, smaller ribbon cable is the speaker and the "LCD is Open/Closed switch". Be careful with this one. Hold the white connector in place against the body (I apply pressure using a small, flat screwdriver). Pull the ribbon cable out of the holder at the body with your fingers (it should require only a moderate amount of force). If the white cable connector comes off with the cable, you're in trouble...the wires are extremely thin and difficult to get back in the right place...but it can be done.
Once you've removed the left side portion, do the same with the good LCD. Reconnect everything in the reverse order. I use a small needle nose pliers to put the small ribbon cable back into the connector. The larger one just slides in with little to no effort. Lock it in place by tipping the locking back back down. Once you've connected these 2 cables, you can carefully put a battery in and test that it works. If all goes well, remove the battery before continuing to put it back together again.
When you're done, put the parts camera back together again and keep it. You may need it for the lens assembly (I've had grease inside my lenses at times and the front lens can scratch easily, so a replacement is good to have around).
I've tried replacing just the ribbon cable, but getting it out of the LCD isn't worth the effort since finding a good cable usually means that you've also found a good LCD for the above proceedure.
You can find the
repair manual complete with exploded views at
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/download.php?fileid=27179.
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