How to Replace the LCD Flex Cable for Canon HF11 Camcorder

My Canon HF11camcorder started to fail displaying the image when the LCD was fully open, for a while it worked only when it was only half-open and finally I had no image on the LCD.The culprit – the LCD ribbon cable that pass through the hinge.

The only Canon service from my country refused me twice.First time they said that the required part for the reparation is no longer produced.I managed to find the required part on Aliexpress for about 10$, produced by “Skiliwah Digital Technology Co.Ltd.”.When I had the part Canon service refused again to make the reparation claiming that they only make repairs with original parts made by Canon.They ensured no post-warranty support and practically forced me to buy another camera.Screw you Canon for sh***ing on me! I had to replace the cable myself despite the fact there is no service manual regarding Canon HF11.The closest thing you can find is a schematic for HF20, but there are differences http://www.tomorrowsgarden.net/content/how-repair-canon-vixia-camera-black-screen-issue .SleestaksRule (the author) give some useful advice there – draw the part you are removing and tape the screws to the corresponding place on the drawing, otherwise you will not know from where is which screw, and they are not all of the same length.

Step 1: Requirements

1.Screw driver with magnetic heads: small cross (PH000/PH1.5) and standard (SL1.0) – without magnetic head there is a high risk to drop your screws inside the camera.

2.Soldering iron with small tip – you have to move 2 small switches from the old cable to the new one.

3.Photo camera – take pictures from multiple angles before removing a component.You will need them to ensure you placed everything right when closing.

4.Pen, paper and adhesive tape – see SleestaksRule’s advice

5.Drill and 2mm drill bit – I had one screw so stuck that the head gave away and the screwdriver couldn’t turn it.I had to destroy the head with the 2mm drillbit and remove the resulting iron particles with a vacuum cleaner.

Step 2: Disassembly 1

1.Make sure the battery and the SD card are removed.

2.Extract the panel from the right side of the camera covering the HDMI and USB connectors by unscrewing 6 screws.

3.Extract the top cover (with HD CMOS and OPTICAL printed on it) by unscrewing 5 screws (one of them is hidden beneath a small square black patch behind the LCD) and by lifting it from the lens side.

4.Remove the piece near the LCD hinge - is fixed by 2 screws visible when you open the LCD.

5.Remove the front cover (note that I didn’t disconnect the ribbon that controls the lens cap, I moved the front cover only little,enough to get access to a hidden screw beneath it):

- disconnect the connectors for the microphones; be careful that nearby are the connectors of a big capacitor, risk of electric shock!

- remove 2 screws from the bottom part

- remove 2 screws from the top

- remove 1 screw from beneath the strap

- remove 1 screw hidden beneath the part removed at point 4.

6.Remove the “Zoom button” block – 2 screws

7.Remove the dial that changes the mode (Video/Photo/Playback...) - 1 screw.I let parts 6 and 7 dangling by the ribbon cables.

8.Remove the hotshoe (4 screws) and the U-shaped piece that surround it (1 screw)

9.Remove the metal cover from beneath the mode dial (point 7) – 2 screws.Be careful with the capacitor!

10.Remove the circuit board beneath the part from point 9 – 2 screws

11.Remove the block containing the display (LCD unit):

- 2 screws in the space where the capacitor from point 10 resided

- 1 screw behind the left microphone, near the lens

- 3 screws on the bottom of the camera

- 2 screws near the AV-Out and Mic ports (remove the plastic cap to find them)

- 1 screw inside the battery space, near DC 8.4V input port

- 1 screw at the topside of the block, near the hinge – this one I had to destroy with the drill bit

- carefuly disconnect the ribbon cable from the connector on the inner side of the display block.Do not pull the ribbon!!The connector has a small plastic lid that you have to open and it will release the ribbon.Be careful not to break the lid, it’s fragile!!!

Step 3: Disassembly 2 and Replacement

Now you have isolated the display block (display unit).To change the cable you have to:

A.Remove the hinge cover (2 parts) – 1 screw

B.Remove the LCD cover – 2 screws near the hinge (accessible only when you rotate the LCD and the block is isolated from the camera) and 2 screws near the “Set” button.Gently pry open the cover starting at the hinge.

C.Remove the transparent plastic part that secure the cable on the block wall – 1 screw

D.Free the 2 small plates with the switches – 1 screw each, one is on the wall, the other in the hinge.

E.Remove the hinge from the wall – 2 screws.Before steps D and E take multiple photos to know how to position the hinge at closing part.Study carefuly how the old cable is wound.The new cable you will receive straight and you have to wind it.

F.Open the 2 connectors that keep the LCD cable in place and free the cable in block with the hinge.

G.Move the 2 switches from the old cable to the new one (soldering iron with small head).Be careful not to melt them or burn the new cable.One switch turn off the LCD when it’s closed, the other one flip the image when the screen is upside-down.I have no idea what happens if you do not put the switches, I suppose your LCD will be permanently on (when the camera is on), no matter if it’s opened or closed and drain the battery faster ; the image will not flip when you turn the display upside-down.

H.Wind the new cable on the hinge – study the photos you made when you un-wound the old cable.Place the 90 degrees bend from the LCD extremity on the hinge.Be careful at the position of the metallic contacts of the cable to match the connector from the display, be careful at the position of the hinge relative to the camera body and to the LCD.You don’t want to wind the cable more than once.If the bend is placed properly wind the cable on top of the bend until it reaches the next 90 degrees bend.Secure the plate near the second bend with a screw in the hinge.Check the correct position in the photos made at the un-wind.

I.Place the cable’s extremities in their corresponding connectors and close the lids.Double-check that the alignment is good.I had a small alignment error on the LCD side and I showed no image first; I had to perform again all the steps to extract and replace the cable in the LCD’s connector.The error occure because you have to fold the cable and in that moment is slips out of the connector.

J.Perform the steps from E backward to 1, this time securing the parts with the screws.