How to Replace a Digital Camera’s LCD – a Walkthrough
A very common camera repair performed today, no matter the type or manufacturer, is the replacement of the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen. At the outset of this walkthrough a few things must be stressed; a disclaimer if you will. Trying to replace an LCD without proper knowledge and experience can be very difficult and sometimes hazardous. Pulling electronics apart and seeing how they work can be fun for some, but it can easily result in further damage and far more costly repairs. Nine times out of ten, when an LCD is being replaced, it is physically broken due to damage that was likely caused by some sort of trauma (from dropping etc).
Cameras are very tightly packed little pieces of technology and generally the LCD is attached to and/or part of a lot of other integral components. Because of this, there is a high probability that there are other things broken that only a trained professional can diagnose/fix easily. Also, having spare parts on hand doesn’t make economic sense for your average consumer because the costs of replacement parts for cameras are not in proportion to their selling price.
Furthermore, camera repair facilities have the necessary testing, calibration and adjustment equipment to get cameras fully operational. Bottom line, if one does attempt this at home, there is very little to no margin for error. Keep in mind this is a general walkthrough NOT a repair guide, I take no responsibility for any damage to property or personal harm that may occur from anyone making use of this information. With that said…
The first things first, parts and tools are necessary to doing this job right. Obviously the part needed is a replacement LCD. It has to be for that particular make and model; this ensures the connections align and it fits properly. The essential tools for “most” LCD replacements are:
- A set of small Phillips Head screwdrivers (preferably magnetized)
- A straight pair and a curved pair of ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) safe tweezers
- A lint free cleaning cloth (microfiber)
- Compressed/canned air
- A shallow container or a flat refrigerator magnet for screws and parts
*In more complicated configurations, a few additional tools may be needed, such as a soldering iron and solder.
And now for the show, replacing the LCD! Please keep in mind this is a general many camera models are more complex and will require additional disassembly in order to remove and replace the LCD.
- Battery and memory card are removed. Inspection for any additional accessories that might get in the way is also done.
- Location and unscrewing of all housing screws to remove the necessary housing cover(s).
- It is easy to strip out the tiny screw heads; many manufacturers “glue” the screws in place. If the LCD was damaged due to impact, the housing may have shifted, making the screws problematic to remove.
- Proprietary screws can also be a problematic; the screwdriver may have to be special ordered from the manufacturer. Screws may also be hidden behind stickers or panels.
- The cover is loose now. The LCD is either attached to the rear cover or bracketed to the main circuit of the camera.
- There is a very real risk of shock from this point on. DO NOT TOUCH ANY CIRCUITRY. The flash capacitor circuit on some models is located nearby and will give a painfull serious jolt if one is not careful.
- Flexible Printed Circuits (FPC) and wires attach buttons on the external housing to the main circuit board; pulling those out accidentally is bad.
- The screws securing the LCD to the rest of the camera are now removed. These are fairly easy to find but there may be additional clips or seals to watch out for.
- Connecting components (generally wires or FPC’s) that run from the LCD to the rest of the camera are disconnected using the appropriate set of tweezers.
- It will be clear whether or not a soldering iron and solder is needed at this point. Proper soldering techniques apply here.
- Once those connections are severed, removal of the damaged LCD is easy. The damaged LCD is discarded after any important components are removed.
- The new LCD has a protective plastic sheet that is removed before installation. Touching it with bare hands must be avoided, potential damage could be done. It’s also in bad form to get any oils on the nice new LCD screen.
- Using the compressed/canned air, dust is blown out that may have settled on the new LCD or inside the camera.
- Care is taken to not blow dust into the wrong spots (viewfinder, lens, sensor, etc).
- Work in reverse; re-connection of the connections/wires and re-securing with the previously removed screws to the new LCD is done.
- Beware: It is very easy to bend/crack the connections.
- Special attention is paid to the FPCs and connections. They must be secure and seeded.
- Screw size is very important here. Using the wrong size can short or damage other components in the camera.
- Housing Cover(s) is/are re-fastened onto the camera and secured with the housing screws.
- Things may not line up properly at this point, something has gone wrong. It will have to be taken apart for evaluation and reassembled.
- Wires can bunch wrong here and there is a risk of pinching wires.
- The Battery and memory card are replaced and the camera is powered on. This only tests if the LCD was installed correctly. If the camera/LCD is not working there are countless other things that could be going wrong and are evaluated. As mentioned in the beginning, there is a high possibility that something else is broken and/or needed to be calibrated/adjusted. Further testing of the entire camera must be done to ensure the camera is fully operational.
Just to stress again, trying these kinds of repairs at home, can be a great hobby for some, shouldn’t be taken lightly. Professional photographers always have a backup camera in case of any type of equipment malfunction; it’s not a bad idea.
Kevin Gornto is a Factory Trained and Authorized Technician at C.R.I.S. Camera Services, a digital camera repair company located in Chandler, AZ. Kevin has an electronics degree that provided him with his advanced hardware knowledge and digital imaging expertise. He also enjoys writing about his technical experience and is a major contributor for the company’s camera repair blog; focused on care, maintenance and repair tips for digital cameras and imaging equipment.
13 Responses to “How to Replace a Digital Camera’s LCD – a Walkthrough” - Add Yours
March 29th, 2011 at 1:13 am
The video isn’t accessible, as it is marked as private!
March 29th, 2011 at 1:15 am
The video is private.
March 29th, 2011 at 1:35 am
Video Fixed
March 29th, 2011 at 3:03 am
It works for me
March 29th, 2011 at 4:57 am
This is really something you don’t want to mess with unless you have the technical qualifications of the person who posted this. I recently had the LCD of my Nikon D3100 replaced by a Nikon Canada service facility after a minor bang cracked it, the cost was $350 Canadian. To add insult to injury they informed me my 2 month old camera’s 2 year warranty was invalid now even though they certified their repairs had returned the camera to as-new condition.
March 30th, 2011 at 5:41 am
The video runs ok but in high speed and is useless as a guide, which is probably a good thing.
Anyone trying this without training is making a big mistake and probably should be prepared to purchase a new camera just after trying to reassemble it!!
March 30th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
I am really don’t know how is this work but I know this is an important things we have to know as a photographer. Well, thanks for the sharing.
April 1st, 2011 at 4:21 am
Actually, it isn’t that difficult. I replaced the LCD of my EOS 5D MKII myself, which save me the equivallent of US$400/500. I couldn’t buy the replacement of the LCD, so I had to get it through a friend of mine who owns a camera shop in Paris. Anyway, it took me about 45 min. Actually, it could have taken less time, but I fully documented disassembly (took notes and pictures with a poibnt and shoot) in order to be able to re-assemble it. The key is to have the right tools and a lot of discipline in order not to loose any screw or other parts – obvliously it also helps if one has a min. of mechanical skills (if you are geberally clumpsy, don’t do it…:-) ).
April 1st, 2011 at 10:51 am
as the author was saying, not everybody would be able to carry out this kind of repair and for those people (including me), the best thing to do is bring it to a qualified camera technician or simply be extra careful when using your camera to avoid this kind of problem.
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:49 am
If I ever had to replace my LCD, I’d like to think I’d be brave enough to give it a go. But cameras are just too expensive and too complex pieces of equipment for me to be learning & earning my online technicians degree. But if I was in a pinch, something like this would help out. Here’s to hoping that never happens!
April 3rd, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Thanks for sharing. I still would recommend a professional to do the fixes.
April 6th, 2011 at 11:46 pm
May be the professional is the better option
April 13th, 2011 at 7:00 am
I repair cameras and lenses and I would avoid magnetic tools and magnets to hold screws (to hold screws use a pill container with compartments).
The last thing you want to do is magnetise a screw and have it fall on a circuit board where it will be attracted to the nearest ferrous object and possibly cause a short between components.
I wouldn’t use compressed air if I was anywhere near optics or sensors as it can spray propellant which could cause stains and waste time cleaning.
I would reckon with a good tutorial most people could replace an LCD but it really depends on the camera and the user’s mechanical ability and steady hands.
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