40D Mod - UV/IR filter dealers question

[dugnsuz]

Hello all...
All this modding talk has got me wanting to reach for the jewellers screwdrivers!

Before I do though I need to get a Baader (or similar) UV/IR filter to fit my 40D.

Where (hopefully in OZ) can I get one of these filters?

Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[gbeal]

PM'd ya.

[Omaroo]

Do you have any spare PM's Gary? :)

[gbeal]

Always grinding away in the background, you know me. Nudge nudge.

[Omaroo]

hehe... thanks Gary! :)

[EzyStyles]

yeepp i was gonna tell you same as what gary told you ;) fast delivery also! do it doug do ittt :D

[dugnsuz]

Thanks for the replies and contact from Gary.
After looking at the online 40D mod tutorial I have become apprehensive and have come down with a case of the "what ifs"!
The dealer Gary recommended is in Hong Kong and the costs to insure a camera of the value of a 40D is horrendous! (But his service is very cheap too!!)

Is there anyone in Oz that do this kind of conversion?
Doug

[dugnsuz]

ps...
Does this kind of work fall under the remit of local camera techs?

[Astrod00d]

I'm sure a local camera tech could make a good business out of modding DSLRs here in Aus. I've heard the camera servicing industry is experiencing hard times due to DSLRs, folks are upgrading rather than getting their cameras repaired. Perhaps an opportunity for an enterprising and skilled tech?

[EzyStyles]

Doug, im thinking of getting my hands on a cheapo DSLR 300D, 350D then mod it myself with a baader UV/IR filter. if it all goes well, i wouldnt mind doing yours and if i stuff it up, i'll be happy to buy it off you :)

[dugnsuz]

Cheers Eric - I may take you up on that if the next part of my cunning plan fails!!!!

I'm going to contact a few repair guys in town tomorrow to see if any are game. I suppose it equates to a repair in terms of labour, but they may balk at the prospect of a modification! Who knows!? I reckon if you've opened it up to repair the thing then modding it is pretty much the same thing:shrug:
If they say OK - I'll go ahead and order a BCF filter for the 40D and do it that way.
It may turn out to be the cheapest/safest mod option around for many of us.
I'll keep you posted

ps... if any South Aussies know a good DSLR tech please let me know.
I've got a shortlist of 4 places from the Yellow Pages...

Twin City (Grenfell St)
Digicam (Halifax St)
Eden Photographics (Aberfoyle Pk)
L&P (Kent Town)


Doug:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[EzyStyles]

Forgot to mention Doug, i work at Hewlett Packard as a specialist advisor to onsite tech repairers for notebooks. I know notebooks and cameras are completely different, but they both are electronic devices and requires opening up :) just so you know abit of background about me hehe otherwise i might be some bloke who works at the meat market :P

[dugnsuz]

:lol::lol::lol:

[Craig_L]

Hi Doug,

"Twin City (Grenfell St)
Digicam (Halifax St)
Eden Photographics (Aberfoyle Pk)
L&P (Kent Town)"

I tried Twin City and they said no - too hard. Digicam will do it - their tech has had to do a few replacements because of scratched filters from people trying to clean them, but only on 350D's. They also won't give you a price except to say it's $72 an hour. Might be okay to have them take it out, but replacing another might be expensive. Let me know if you have any success. Otherwise I will probably try Peter Tan.

Craig

[dugnsuz]

Thanks Craig,
I'll give Digicam a bell.
Peter Tan does it pretty cheaply ($300-500HK) but international postage insurance works out at roughly $10 per $100!!!
Doug:thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

Talked with a camera repair tech in Adelaide this arvo!
He reckoned filter replacement would be no problem - he had done a few 350Ds but no 40Ds!
(thought that sensor dust shaker would be the only sticky part)
Labour at $70/hr for an approx 2hr job - so, $140+ cost of filter($100) = $240.
Cheapest technician done mod around - and that's Adelaide! Reckon the competition in Melb, Syd,Bris etc might lower that labour price!
Happy hunting modders

[iceman]

hmm good point Doug, probably a good idea to check with local camera techs.

Will they warranty the work?

Is he putting the new filter in, or is the new filter a 2" screw-in?

[dugnsuz]

I think the canon warranty will be void, I'm yet to ask about what happens if they stuff up the mod - I'm talking to a reputable lot so I would assume they guarantee their work ( I know - never assume...I'll enquire fully!)

I'm getting a Baader BCF-400D/40D filter - so I'm providing that.

[dugnsuz]

The guy I talked to had replaced a few scratched 350D filters from customers who tried to clean them - so he had that experience of stripping the camera down to sensor level.
I had thought that he wouldn't know what i was talking about as what we require seems so "niche" - but I'm glad to say i was wrong.
This may be the way to go for home grown filter mods - save the heartache of sending your pride and joy O/S!!!

[Craig_L]

Well he'll have some practice on yours before I send him mine. Good work Doug.

[dugnsuz]

:lol::lol::lol:

[Suzy_A]

I phoned Canon a while back and spoke to their camera tech and asked if he could replace the senser filter with a Baader filter that I would supply. Then the Canon warranty should still apply...

He said "Filter? Why don't you just screw it off the lens and change it yourself?"

I said, no, the in-built UV/IR blocking filter over the sensor.

He said "What are you talking about?"

[dugnsuz]

:doh:

[RB]

I don't blame them, they are not trained to do mods like this.
If they had to replace other parts within the camera they can but taking apart the sensor filter and replacing it with a third party filter is not what they are trained to do.

This sort of mod is only considered by people who are into astro imaging.

[dugnsuz]

Yeah, bloomin' madmen (and women)!!!!!;)

[RB]

No Dougie, we're non-bloomin.
Bloomin is usually associated with the dedicated CCD crowd.

:P