Thanks to those that have been doing the modification and providing advice and suggestions on the instructions. I have been updating the instructions with user suggestions. Here are some comments from those that have done the modification:
UPDATE: In January 2009, I set up the Yahoo Group "DSLR Modifications" for discussing the modification of DSLRs for astro and infrared imaging. Please consider joining:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/DSLRmodifications/
Kevin Hobbs:
Hi Gary; I have now done the mod … thanks to your procedure … excellent.
<snipped: Kevin's suggestions that have since been included in updates to the instructions...Thanks Kevin!> I removed the filter from the holder and put it all back together as was minus that glass … seems OK, but haven't had clear skies to test yet. Can't wait the WSP in a few weeks to try it out. I also taped all the parts to a piece of paper and numbered the step they came from … I am not sure that all the reassembly steps are really required as opposed to a simple "go backwards direction". I went through the printout and added the step number that the parts "came from" (as labeled / taped to my paper) at the applicable reassembly step (ie: Step 31 uses screws removed in step 23) Total mod time less than 2 hours thanks to you!!!! TNX Kevin
Kevin's Web Site: http://home.cogeco.ca/~hobbservatory/
Daniel McCauley:
Gary, Cool. Just got your email. The procedure is already excellent and a great asset to us "do-it-our-selfers" and i by no means want to make it look like i'm nit-picking the procedure and belittle-ing it in any way.
<snipped: Dan's excellent suggestions that have since been included in updates to the instructions...Thanks Dan!>
Anyways, just some of my comments. Again, your procedure was of great help and i wouldn't have even attempted this without it. The camera didn't work at first, but after taking my camera apart again i found that one of the flex connectors wasn't seated properly. Whew! Hope this helps! Thanks again. Dan
Dan's Web Site: http://www.easternvoltageresearch.com/astronomy/astrophotography.htm
Jason:
Howdies- Saw your step by step guide- very well done. Wish it had been around when I did mine (I used Terry Lovejoy's- very good too). Camera fried the onboard power regulator, but as I discovered the camera is capable of firing at 5fps. That means both the 10D and the 300D are capable of burst speeds at 20D (mechanically), however it remains to be seen if there is a 'bottleneck' imposed on the data transfer rates. Seeing as it would take far more energy to devise a way to slow down the transfer rates it would make sense that the camera itself is software- dummed down. Just some thoughts- great astro work- I'm going to forward it onto a few of my friends that have kicked that idea around.
........................
The little blue connector was mis-aligned and (according to Canon Factory Service) it was burned out. I don't know that for certain; it's just what they replaced...
Terry had the same problem- the mis-aligned connector caused the shutter to assembly to fire at 5fps (couldn't turn the camera off)- you had to remove the battery.
Just a case of bad luck... Jason
Terry Lovejoy:
Gary,
This is excellent work! Thanks for the spending the time documenting this. Regarding Peltier cooling I have just about got my next prototype ready :) - but I want to stick with external cooing for the time being.
I have also updated my pbase page with a link to yours if thats OK.
Terry
Terry's Web Site: http://www.pbase.com/terrylovejoy/300d_mods
Bobby:
(From posts on CloudyNights):
I followed the directions from a gentleman by the name of Gary Honis. He has created a step by step tutorial that after following to the letter is FANTASTIC. You Really cannot go wrong if you follow his directions.
I will say this though, The filter takes quite a bit of work to free up fom the frame it is encased in. It actually took me longer to remove it from the frame than it did to get to that point of the modification . Just take your time and use the tools he suggests and his techniques and you WILL succeed.
.................................
First, thanks for the congrats. I honestly wouldn't have attempted it if it wasn't for your tutorial. The clean pics and very well written instructions made it VERY easy to perform once I took that first deep breath Lol. I followed your steps to the letter for removing the window but found that mine was VERY well glued in place. I used the same style exacto blade you did and just took my time slicing through the glue being careful not to cut into the ledge that the window sits in/on. I should have the Edmunds Glass just after Christmas so we will see how that works out.
Again Gary, Thank you for an EXCELLENT tutorial.
Bobby's Web Site: http://www.digitalastro.org/
Rui Alvaro:
(From posts on the Digital_Astro yahoo group):
I got a 300D and today I modified it. I want to thank the great link from Gary Honis about the procedure. I made all as he explained and SUCCESS!!...now I have a modified 300D also capable of doing normal daylight photos!!! THANKS A LOT GARY for the excellent web page on that!
.…..the only difference I made from you(r procedure) is that for cutting the glass I used a normal glass cutter since I found it a bit hard to make a deep enough scratch on the glass with a scribe to cut it. I left the plastic protection on top of the glass and cut it. Later I used a carburundum stone to make the necessary adjustments to the sides.
In fact, if one plans to use the camera only for astro imaging and forget(s about) the autofocus feature no need to put a replacement glass I suppose, only a UV-IR cut filter anywhere in the optical train. What I found most difficult was cutting and taking out the filter and replacing the new one. It happened that one of the side plastic "ears" broke (so fragile they are) that I had to glue it back but it turned out fine. Canon should make that holder in a much stronger material. Also in my camera I just had to put the razor in the tape area and the filter holder came out without much difficulty, I didn't have to cut it.
It's a risky job anyway but with care and patience it can be more or less easily done by everyone I suppose.
Clear skies, Rui
Peter Higham:
( Note by Gary: I have updated the instructions and added a closeup photo as per Peter's suggestion)
Hi Gary,
I finished the mod today, took me two days due to work and not wanting to do it while I was tired. I have never done anything electronic and the lack of experience showed as I broke one of the ribbon connectors. It was the one at step 21. I went to work this morning all doom and gloom then thought of a way to fix it while at work then fixed it when I got home. Used an old bankcard and some '5 minute Araldite epoxy resin' and two magnifying glasses so I could get up close to the action.
I didn't realise the ribbon went on top of the hinged part of this specific connector, it is the only one that does so can I make a suggestion, you should emphasise this (with pictures if possible) on the instructions. I tried to slide the cable underneath the hinge and thats how it broke.
Everything else in the instructions was well written and easy enough to follow but I would not like to attempt it again :) Now all I hope for is the glue to keep its hold and the ribbon to never fall out and the sky to clear.
A warm Aussie thanks for the instructions, Peter Higham
Jaime Alemany:
( Note by Gary: I have updated the instructions per Jaime's suggestions)
First of all, thanks for your wonderful pages. I've actually "done" the mod twice (first one I just removed the filter, and after a few months, missing my camera for daylight use, installed the clear filter). This last time, using your step-by-step guide, was most easy, but unfortunately I have had to open the camera 3 times due to a shutter problem.
My suggestion for inclusions:
- on step 40: this cable goes really deep in the connector... I just missed it the first time I opened the camera, not a big issue, as it's easy to correct, but one suffers if it doesn't work on the first try.
- step 32: the biggest of the ribbon cables shown there is, IMHO, the most difficult part of the mod. Reassembling it, I mean. It's also important to notice the way it enters the connector, as it's counter intuitive.
- step 30, where I have had real problems. The black cover over the filter (the one you show with a small crack and black paint) must be really flat or you'll damage the shutter. Mine was not, and I ended up removing it at all and very carefully repairing the shutter. I've seen no problem with reflections or whatever for the moment. (by the way, shutter problems show as error 99 on manual mode and error 05 on auto mode; it's easy to diagnose if you select sensor clean).
Well, thanks again for a very nice job! Cheers,
Jaime Alemany
Jaime's Web Site: http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/mediocielo
Denis Slattery:
Subject: RE: 300D Modification (all done!)
Add another successful 300D conversion, thanks greatly to your web tutorial. The camera fired up fine, image flaws are minimal, autofocusing seems spot on, and everything's gloriously pink! I have now also added the firmware hack and made my TC80N3 interchangeable between cameras. I'm a happy guy today, though that was a nerve-racking time for me at least.
(Denis provided suggestions which have been added to the directions.......Thanks Denis!)
That's it. Of course the clouds have now rolled in! Again, many thanks for your guidance in this.
Cheers,
-- Denis Slattery
UPDATE 2/20/04:
After taking some great test astro images with the modified camera, Denis had this experinece:
......I discovered that two of the buttons on the back panel weren't working, and I blamed this on a slightly damaged ribbon connector. A smart fella would have left well enough alone, but I had to go and open it up again, fiddled some more with the connector, powered it up with the back off, and .. killed the camera. No display, no lights, errors, nothin. Dead.
<snip>
I did a deep (and outrageous) disassembly in search of a possible power problem. It took a lot of digging and some more de-soldering, plus removing the lens mount and the front and top covers. I doubted that things would ever go back together right. Way in there beneath the on/off switch I found the dc/dc power board, a two-sided pcb with no fuses visible. Surface-mount components were buried even deeper, and further disassembly was beyond my already-stretched capabilities.
What I did next will offend all engineers and prudent people everywhere: I 'deduced' where the buried blown fuse was by following the traces and using an ohmmeter, then soldered a bridge across it!
Next came 2 more hours of reassembly, and my heart was thumping when I fired it up. But..
Success!! It works, and seems to have all functions, except for slightly quirky behavior of the back display, quite minor and not important for astro-work. All the buttons and major functions are good.
Lessons learned: 1. Don't mess with a good thing; 2. It's possible to 'mend' a blown fuse in a Digital Rebel but it sure ain't easy; 3. For those considering the mod, be REAL careful of the ribbon connector that goes to the camera back, it's the most fragile of all and the first (and last) one you'll encounter; 4. Never attempt to power up a partially disassembled camera.
-- Denis Slattery <-- breathin' a big sigh of relief Note: self deprecating remarks omitted in Denis's comments above:)
Denis's Web Site: http://home.earthlink.net/~dslattery1/images/
Chris Venter:
Just a quick note to say thanks for your instructions on the 300D mod. I just did it in about 2 hours and all went well. I did not use replacement glass and went with the Baader UV/IR cut filter. Pretty hard to make a mistake with your detailed plans.
Awesome resource you put together.
I was surprised how easily the filter holder came away from the chip. I just put a very thin blade underneath and gently applied upward presure. The whole assembly just peeled slowly away from the double sided tape and left the tape neatly in place around the chip.
The hardest part for me was actually removing the filter from the black filter holder.
Chris Venter's Web Site: http://www.dslrfocus.com
WNM of Shanghai:
Hi Gary
I have modified my 300D according to your pages, thanks very much.
<snipped: WNM's discovery that the size of the IR cut filter in his "EOS 300D" is different than the size of the IR cut filter in the "EOS DIGITAL REBEL" sold by Canon in the Americas. His notes have since been included in updates to the instructions...Thanks WNM!>
Regards,
WNM
WNM's Site: http://wnm.lamost.org/article/300dmod.htm
Ryan Hilton:
(Note by Gary: Ryan has made the modification for the primary purpose of monochrome near-infrared pictures of landscapes.)
As if you haven't heard any of this before, great work, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart (what's left of it after the heart attack I almost had as I first powered it up after performing the mod).
The mod went fine, for the most part, when I first powered it on it worked, which was a plus.
A few things I ran into, mostly due to my own personal ignorance/incompetence, and not due to your instructions, were:
When cutting/prying the original filter I caught it with a point on my blade, causing chips. The original filter is now useless, but I don't care, don't plan on using it ever again now that I can do my infrared handheld.
I was ill equipped and very ignorant towards glass cutting, let alone at this small of a scale. I used the scribe as suggested, though with the coating on. This caused a poor break that went right through the area I was planning on using, and not along the line. I tried again without the coating and it worked very well, though was slightly larger. I ended up grinding down the inside of the holder to make room for it as I didn't have anything good to sand/file it down with and it was around midnight. It all worked out in the end.
I used the cover of a binder (the clear plastic that lets you put a piece of paper in the front) for spacers, it looks good so far, but haven't done any astro stuff or looked at it too closely.
One piece of advice I could give to anybody trying this is to take a sedative first, do not attempt this mod after drinking a 24oz Rockstar (hardcore energy drink, which works very well for all nighters). I was shaking up a storm and am really surprised that I didn't totally destroy my camera.
I was smart and bought an extra piece of glass, which as it turned out, I did not use and in face could probably make another filter or two with the remains of the first piece. A big thanks to Edmund Optics for the great glass.
Well, I've probably said enough to bore you.
Thanks again for making my photography much less time consuming (and I'm sure my fiance will thank you for that as well).
Ryan Hilton
Roger Salmon:
Thanks for posting the great set of instructions for modifying the Canon 300D(Rebel). I’m currently working on one to convert it to a dedicated IR camera by inserting a Wratten 89b equivalent glass filter. Your instructions proved invaluable.
I have a couple of comments that might help others:
Be careful with the focal plane adjustment shim washers under the sensor mounting posts(3). On my camera they were not sealed in and could fall out if the body is inverted. On the D30/60 Canon seal these washers in place.
The replacement glass or filter should have maximum dimensions of 26.9x19.4mm or it will not fit in the holder. The filter on my camera was 26.9x19.45mm. These dimensions were checked with a micrometer.
FYI, I have a small business converting Canon D30 and D60s to dedicated IR cameras and plan to extend the range of cameras to the 300D, 350D and 20D. I’m fortunate with the D30/60 in that I have the Canon service software to adjust AF. With the other cameras I’ll need to adjust the sensor shims exactly to maintain AF accuracy. Manual focus is adjusted with shims under the focusing screen. If you’re interested I have a small gallery of images from cameras I’ve converted:
http://www.asla81.dsl.pipex.com/IR_Examples/index.htm
Once again thanks. Best regards,
Roger Salmon
Infrared Conversions
I forgot to mention something else. The double sided tape holding the filter to the sensor glass cover serves 2 purposes. The obvious one is to hold the two together. Less obvious is the sticky strip designed to catch any dust particles trapped inside.
Roger
Roger Salmon's Web Site: http://www.asla81.dsl.pipex.com/IR_Examples/index.htm
Roger Salmon's email address: james.salmon@ds1.pipex.com
Ian Sharp:
(From post on the Digital_Astro yahoo group):
Hi all, I'm so excited because I just modified my 300D successfully! To prove it, here's a shot of me 'in the pink'. Hoping for a clear sky tonight!
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/inthepink.jpg Thanks to Gary Honis and his superb instructions. I feel like I've just joined some sort of elite club! Cheers, Ian Sharp
Ian Sharp's Web Site: http://www.astro-sharp.com
Raymond TSE:
Dear Gary, Thanks for your website. My friend John and I were greatly helped by following your steps-to-steps procedures last month when both he and I modified his 300D at my office. It took us one and a half hour to make the modification when he completely removed the filter (without replacement filter). Thanks ! Regards, Raymond TSE, Hong Kong.
Raymond TSE's Web Site: http://mobile.yahoo.com.hk/
Scott Pellet:
Dear Gary,
I completed the modification last weekend using your instructions. It took me only about 3 hours. Your instructions were excellent and saved me many hours, frustration, and practically eliminated the possibility of failure. Thanks for this excellent write-up.
One thing of notice was that my IR filter was glued into the plastic frame very securely. It was glued completely around the periphery of the glass (How the heck do they do that so precisely and cleanly?) and cutting the glue was difficult. It was hard to tell where the glue ended and the plastic began. I would say that the cutting process takes almost an hour alone and is extremely difficult to perform without scratching or damaging the filter, which I did. I did not intend to put it back anyway, since I intend to use this camera strictly for astrophotography. It was not entirely clear to me how to proceed when not performing a replacement. I recommend adding to the instruction some detail on what parts need to be replaced if no glass is intended to be inserted. I re-inserted the plastic frame for the IR glass, the double sided tape on the CMOS side and the thin gasket on the other side (even though this had no obvious use anymore). So that’s basically everything but the IR filter. I was toying with the idea of not replacing any of these parts, but it seemed necessary to be used as a shim or to keep stray light away from the CMOS chip. True, or was replacement of these parts unnecessary afterall?
(This message is from Dan Mccauley who also completed the modification: Scott, I believe that even if you do need to replace the entire plastic frame assembly even when not installing a new filter or replacement glass. This prevents stray light from bounching from metallic and other surfaces within the camera when the shutter opens and possibly causing stray light to hit the sensor. Its also important to keep that small gasket intact as well.)
Also a warning about the end tabs of the plastic frame may be appropriate. These are quite thin and easily bent or broken, especially with the pins that stick up. The pins make it difficult to place on a flat surface to do the cutting. One of my end tabs got bent a little during IR filter cutting and almost broke.
I used clear nail polish to seal the plastic frame component after getting as much glue off as possible. There was a lot of stray bits that I was afraid might get into the optical train later. The polish sealed these bits securely and also provided enough stickiness while still wet to use as glue for the thin gasket that used to hold the IR filter in place. Time will tell if this was gluey enough for that purpose, but since the gasket is butted up against the frame, it doesn’t seem like it can go anywhere. The polish was only intended to hold this piece in place long enough to get it back together.
Anyway, thanks again for an awesome write-up it was very helpful and professionally done. <snip>
SP
Ralph McIntosh:
Hi Gary As you read at cloudynights my modification worked. Thanks to Dirk who made it 90% for me. We ran into big problems getting the filter from the holder. Doing it like you did, did not work at all. So we figured out a way to get the filter out.
<snip> Ralph
(Gary's Note: Ralph and Dirk made a metal mask just alittle bit larger in size than the size of the IR filter and also a wooden plug the same size of the IR filter. They then used a bench vice to force the filter out of the holder in small steps. I heard from one other doing the modification that had some difficulty removing the IR filter from the plastic filter holder. I suspect that some Rebels may have more glue used than others for securing the IR filter glass in the filter holder, since most modifiers do not have this problem. I would suggest that my directions be followed and the appropriate time taken to free the IR filter glass from the plastic filter holder using a razor knife. I also think that it is best to re-install the plastic filter holder as per my directions since it will block stray light and dust from reaching the CMOS imaging chip .)
Another note from Ralph:
Hello Gary We did modify the second 300D. <snip>
For the second modification we made a perfect plexiglass mask, replacing the rough metal mask used previously. With this tool and a wooden plunger the filter could be removed very easily. But we ran into another problem, stated by WNM of Shnaghai (see above). My modified 300D was a 1.5 year old model. The last modified 300D was a brand new one. Both where bought in Germany as a 300D. (no gray market models) My 300D had the same 19.6 x 27 mm size filter as yours. The new 300D had the 22 x 28 mm size filter. It looks like the new models do have different size filters. WNM thought the difference in filter sizes was between Rebel and 300D models.
Ralph Mcintosh's 300D Gallery: http://home.arcor.de/ralph.mcintosh/html/mod__300d.html
John Ng:
I have modified my 300D modified with the IR filter just removed. I did not add any filter back. Thanks alot for your information!! It is wonderful! : )
Clear Skies Man in Black
John Ng's Web Site: www.astrofarm.net
Jan Andersson:
Many thanks for your excellent instructions on the Canon Rebel Modification. It wouldn't have been possible for me to succeed without it. Without experience in this kind of work, apart from a Webcam modification (SC1), it went fairly easy in about 12 hours (I worked slowly and documented all the cable connections with close-up photos before disassembly ). Comments (already mentioned in your instructions): · The size of Original IR cut filter in my camera - sold in Europe under the label: EOS300D - is 27.8 x 22 x 2.7 mm +/- 0.05 . · Quite easy to remove the filter holder from the CMOS-chip, by carefully pressing the holder up and leaving the double sided tape on the chip. · The biggest problem and most time-consuming moment was removing the Original IR cut filter, which was very tightly glued all the way around the black plastic frame (IR cut filter got ruined by my impatience of getting it off , but the actual need of the original filter - in self-defence - is not great).
Best regards , Jan Andersson Boras (57°42'N 12°54'E) Sweden
Alan Smallbone:
I want to thank you for your wonderful detailed instructions for modifying the digital rebel. I picked one up used and wanted to modify it for astro work, did it last night and things went very well, success! Many thanks to you.
Here are a couple of observations on my conversion. I ordered the glass from Edmund and then took it to a Stained Glass shop and had them cut it, they cut it into 5 very clean exactly sized pieces for $10. They even left the blue plastic on, I figured they had way more experience cutting small pieces than I did, and it worked out great. The only difficult part, was the original IR blocking filter, there was soooooo much glue that it was almost impossible to get it out. I chipped it in several places. I had to resort to solvents so that I would not break the filter bezel. Acetone was not good, it started to melt the plastic, alcohol did not affect it, but kerosene dissolved it nicely, I then cleaned every thing in alcohol and I was back in business. For shims I used brass shim stock .004" thick (0.1mm) I drilled a 0.080" hole, which was the same diameter as the Canon shim's hole and then cut them out slightly larger and that worked great. Autofocus is spot on now. Here are some test shots, I took today, no astro yet but that is coming.
http://www.snoleopard.com/irmodtest/index.htm
The camera went back together smoothly and fired up the first time.
Thanks again for all your efforts.
Alan
Alan's Web Site: http://www.snoleopard.com/
Mark Achterberg:
Hi Gary, Thank you for your great description of the 300D-filter-removal. It was very helpful.
I had a job-split with a Canon-Contract-Office. They did the disassembly and assembly work for me; I executed the steps for the change of the filter to the edmunds glass (steps 27 to 30). By the way: The note (above) from WNM of Shanghai is not completely correct: The cameras which are sold in Germany (EOS 300D) have exactly the dimensions (as your instructions) (The Canon IR cut filter is 27mm by 19.6mm and is 2.7mm thick.) You can see my first results with removed filter at this address:
http://www.space-watcher.de/galerie/deepsky/nebel/nebel.html
The pictures with no filter are M8, M20, M16, M17 an the 2 Veil Nebulas. Greetings from Berlin, Germany Mark Achterberg
Mark's Web Site: http://www.space-watcher.de
(Gary's Note: The method mark used by Mark to modify his camera, by having his Canon Service Shop do the disassembly and re-assembly, seems like a safe way to do the modification. Based on Mark's findings and that of others above, to be sure of the size of the original IR filter glass in a European camera, it would be well advised to dissasemble the camera to determine the filter size before cutting a clear replacement glass.)
Matthieu Thuillier:
Hi! I am from France and your website is great! I used it for my 300d and had no problem with focus and autofocus. It is very helpfull!
(Gary's Note: Matthieu is preparing a web site about modification of the Digital Rebel 300D that will be in french.)
David Grennan:
Hi Gary, Thanks for your excellent mod procedure for the 300D. I took the plunge today and modified my Canon 300D to remove that nasty IR blocking filter. Just finished putting it all back together and it works!! Turns out I had one of those 28mm x 22mm filters in place. Basically it all went roughly to plan. All except I had an awful job getting the old filter glass out of its frame. It seemed that they used half a glue factory to stick my filter in place. After an hour of prodding and chipping the old filter and after deciding I was past the point of no return anyway guess what I did? I took a screwdriver and a hammer to it!! That sorted it out pretty quick! The other problem I had was removing the black gasket covering the filter holder. It seems that all the glue they used sticking the filter in place had bled onto the gasket and stuck that pretty rigid too. I broke it twice getting it off, some black paint once I had reinstalled it sorted that out.
The bit I was most worried about, cutting the new piece of glass, turned out to be a doddle, nice clean cuts with a rotary glass cutter, in fact the fit was so tight I didnt even need to glue it back in to the frame (I did an a couple of dabs of glue just to be sure. Reassembling all of the internal ribbon cables was a bit of a chore, I was worried that I might not have pushed them home far enough. So when I put the battery back in and fired it up I was delighted It all worked ok. All my normal images are pink but that will be sorted by an XNite CC1 filter which should hit my doorstep in a few days. All in all it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Scary as hell though ripping open an expensive camera like that. All I need now is a clear sky to test it under the stars!!!! Thanks angain for a first class procedure. Clear skies, David Grennan Dublin, Ireland.
Robert Krings:
In the process of getting up the courage to do the Modification I removed just the 1st ribbon from its connecter. This ribbon is seated deep and can be hard to remove. After swinging the hinge upward and pulling on the ribbon it came out and so did the bottom half of the hinge from the connector. Stress! There are connecting teeth between the hinge and connector, and with some care the hinge will snap back into place with the connector. This connector is very fragile; the ribbon is in deep and is well seated. All other connectors can be gently removed and reassembled. It was great help to me, to make note of how deep the each ribbon was inserted into the connector before removal. I was then confident that the camera would power up fine, and it did! Also a small block of wood with two small holes drilled for the filter frame will greatly reduce the chances of breaking the plastic tabs when removing the filter, and yes the filter is glued in well!
HINT: Wear one or more reading glasses stacked, this stuff is really small.The Mod. is not hard to do; just a-bit scary when confronted with that 1st connector, after that it’s all down hill.
I did not replace the filter with glass in my camera.
Thanks a million Gary!
Robert has a web site and photogallery here: www.robsastroimaging.com
Glenn Burke:
I just wanted to thank you for your excellent web page on modifying the Canon Rebel 300D. Your instructions were very thorough, and the modification went perfectly! The only dificulties that I encountered were in getting the first two ribbon cables reconnected when putting the camera back togther, and getting off the black gasket from on top of the filter glass. You made a very good point about noting exactly how the large cable from the cmos chip fits back into its hinged connector. I took a close up picture which was instrumental in showing me how to put it back together. Reconnecting the two cmos cables was in my opinion, the most difficult part of the procedure. The black gasket over the IR filter was VERY difficult to get off. It really got beat up pretty bad when I took it off. I glued it back on the best I could, but I did use a little black tape in spots to cover up places where the gasket broke.
Thanks again for your great instructions!
Clear Skies,
Glenn Burke Hope NJ
Another note from Glenn: In my opinion, the hardest part of the mod is taking off the gasket above the original filter. I tried loosening the glue with the exacto knife, but it really did not want to come off. Once the gasket broke in several places, I tried just pulling it off. That seemed to work, and if I were to try it again, I think I would work one corner loose and pull it off.
If you completed the modification and would like to let me know how it went for you, you can contact me at the following email address:
I will add any comments to the modification instructions that might be helpful to others and a link to your site if you wish.
CLICK HERE for links to web sites of others who have done the modification.
Modification Testing:
Part 2: Plans for Peltier Cooling
Continue to Astro Images: Gallery of astro images with the modified camera
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