How To Replace a Broken LCD Canon Powershot SD400

So, I abused the hell out of my camera. It rode in my back pocket as I stumbled through the last few months and I ended up smashing the screen on my Canon SD400 (sometimes known as the IXUS 50.) It was not the camera it once was. Note the dents, scratches and the fact that all the coloring around the optics is gone. Despite broken screen, I’m pretty happy with the amount of abuse it absorbed. The camera still worked and took pictures despite not having a working screen, but the optical viewfinder was all clogged with dirt and I was attempting to navigate the menus from memory and without feedback. It sucked.

This was sad, so I started googling for the possibility of a user replaceable screen and while what I found certainly voids the warranty faster than throwing the camera under the wheels of a moving van, it worked. Nuts to you warranty.Andy Ozment has a nice (if google adword covered) multi-model write-up about repairing the screens, but no pictures. I *guess* this is an understandable side-effect of writing a guide on repairing a camera, many people might find it tough to photograph the repair while trying to repair the object that would be used to take photographs. I am not one of those people. Oh, now is as good a time as any I guess:

Perform at your own risk. This shit WILL void your warranty, oh god don’t sue me

Here we go.
I got a new screen from Foto Geeks it came in a silly little box and seemed tiny for costing 65bux.

From reading on the internet I took a guess that my backlight was *NOT* broken, the chief indicator of its well being was the glow it gave off through the shattered screen, this is good. I don’t know where you can order a new backlight, but I’m pretty sure you could replace it in nearly the same method I use here

I used two Craftsman Professional screwdrivers, a flat head 3/32×2-1/2, and a philips 00×2-1/2. I love these screwdrivers ’cause I’m pretty sure you could prison stab someone with them and my Dad gave them to me. (thanks Dad)

You’ll also need Scotch Tape, a Post-it note and scissors.

First, remove the battery and memory card, I guess you should also be worried about static discharge frying the camera, but I did this repair whilst wearing socks on the carpet, I think you’ll be fine. I’m fairly sure that static electricity doesn’t really exist.
Here’s the unboxed replacement SD400 LCD screen. I tried to keep the new screen as dust free as possible so as not to trap any crud under it during installation. Determining the orientation is going to be important later, so notice that the screen has two distinct sides.

There are six screws on the exterior of the camera, REMOVE THEM!

When all the screws are out, pull the two overlapping halves of the camera apart, being careful as it is possible to bend the metal.

Parts that will fall out:
Silvery plastic circle thing.
Rectangular silver mount for the wrist strap
Buttons

I did a powerup here to check that I hadn’t messed anything up at this point, and ’cause I didn’t have a picture of the screen in all it’s glory.This may have been a shock risk or just stupid, I don’t know.

At this point I installed an InvisibleSHIELD on the new screen while it was still outside the camera

Removal of screw number 7, this screw is a different size than the others, so don’t get it mixed up.

This is one of the hardest parts of the whole procedure. The backlight and LCD are held together with a series of metal clips that have to be freed before you can replace the screen. I used a small flat head screwdriver to wedge in between the two and try to get the claps undone. This is also the part I have the worst pictures of. The goal is not to get the LCD off right now; it’s just to get it detached from the backlight.

When it comes loose, you’re going to want to slide it to the left before you lift it up like the pictures shows. There’s a few little catches that you don’t want to break off, but sliding the screen out a little bit before lifting should avoid this.

Flip the camera over and using the screwdriver, lift up the small black plastic gate holding the ribbon cable in, and pull it out.

Now comes the really unpleasant part. The ribbon cable is threaded through the internals of the camera, if you pull it free, it’ll be very hard to get the new cable back through. That’s where the tape and Post-its come in; you can use them to make yourself a little retrieval cable and pull both the ribbon cable and the post-it through. You can then use that same bit of paper to guide the new ribbon back through.Make sure that the new screen is going on in the same orientation as the old one; there likely won’t be room to turn the ribbon over when you get it threaded.

Here’s the old screen with retrieval post-it attached and ready to go

Now the old screen, ribbon, and post-it have been pulled through.

Transfer of the post-it from the old screen to the new one, with the new screen in the correct orientation

Threading of the new ribbon through the cameras internals, this would be quite hard without the post-it already in place as the path inside the camera goes up and down. Also consider applying tape to both sides of the ribbon/post-it interface to make sure nothing gets snagged inside the camera.

When you have the ribbon cable back through, reseat it very deeply into the channel and lock the gate back down. Then give the camera a power on:

Counter-Terrorists WIN!

Put it back together and do a little dance, that wasn’t so bad.

Check your warranty Canon SD200 / Canon SD300 / Canon SD400

Check your warranty Canon SD200 / Canon SD300 / Canon SD400

Most cameras have a 1 year warranty. If your camera is still under warranty you may want to see if you can get the camera professionally repaired free. Look at the details of your warranty. Most companies have you write a letter stating how the problem occurred (ie: LCD wouldn't turn back on after transferring pictures). Cracked LCD's are harder to explain because the warranty doesn't cover you if you dropped the camera. If you purchased a warranty package at a retail store (such as Circuit City or Best Buy), their plan may cover accidental damage. If you did drop it, and plan on sending the unit to the manufacturer, do not admit to dropping it, lie.

Recognize the problem

Before you begin to tear into your camera, make sure it is a problem that you are comfortable repairing. A lens problem requires a much more invasive repair compared to changing an LCD.

Avoid static damage

The first time I tried to repair a digital camera, I did everything correct, except one thing. I did not take the proper precautions to make sure I wouldn't damage the circuitry of my camera with a static charge. The camera I tried to repair thus needed even more repair than when I started.

Here are a few precautions you can take to avoid damaging your camera with static electricity:

1) Remove the battery from your camera before you open the case

2) Wear anti-static latex gloves, or a wrist strap that grounds you.

3) Try to keep your body at the same electric potential as the camera.

You can do this by touching something metal (non-electrical) on the camera at different points during the procedure. For example, I know most Canon's have a metal frame holding their shape.

Keep track of materials

There is nothing worse than closing up your camera after a successful repair and realizing you don't have enough screws, or just as bad, realizing you have too many screws.

Here are a few tricks that you can follow to make sure you don't lose any screws and so that you remember where every screw was removed from:

1) Do all of your work over a paper plate. This way, if you do drop a screw, the edges of the plate won't let it roll away.

2) As you remove each screw, tape it to the plate or a piece of paper and label where it was removed from (ie: 'top of LCD'; 'housing case left bottom'; 'under LCD top right'; etc.)

3) Even though a magnetized screwdriver would make loosing screws more difficult, one should not be used because it may interfere with the electrical and mechanical parts of the camera

4) If you want you can sketch the camera on a sheet of paper and tape the screw on corresponding area of the sketch.

How To Replace a Broken LCD Canon Powershot SD200 / SD300 / SD400

If you have a damaged LCD follow the steps below to repair this problem.

Step 1: Make sure that the LCD is what is the problem and that by fixing this the camera will be like new again. The best way to do this is to take the A/V cable that came with the camera and plug it into the camera and TV (A/V slot on camera found by the USB cable)

Step 2: Unscrew housing, keeping track of the screws. You should have a total of six (6) screws (2 from each side and 2 from the bottom)

Step 3: Separate the LCD from the backlight. The LCD can be removed by taking a small flathead screwdriver and inserting it between the top and bottom metal snaps on the LCD/backlight unit (see image below). Fold down the LCD unit.



Step 4: Remove the ribbon for the LCD (located on the front of the camera. After the ribbon is detached, thread a piece of string (I prefer dental floss) through the holes of the ribbon end.



Step 5: Remove the broken LCD from the rest of the camera, making sure the sting doesn't detach. You may want to unscrew the backlight unit to give yourself more space to pass the ribbon through, but this is not a necessity.

Step 6: Now get the new LCD. (information on how to get a new LCD can be found on the repair shop link). Attached it to the string and gently pull it through to help the ribbon go through all the way.


Step 7: Attach the LCD ribbon to the camera. Make sure it is FULLY inserted (use toothpicks in ribbon holes for aide in this step)


Step 8: Replace the housing.

Step 9: Insert the battery and test to see if the LCD unit works.

Congratulations, you did it!!

Didn't work? - If you only see white, this means that there is either a problem with the LCD unit you inserted, or that you failed to insert the ribbon fully. If you see an image, but is dark, then the backlight ribon was not replaced correctly or fully. If the camera doesn't power on, then you may have shorted a circuit, and failed to take the proper precautions as mentoined here.