Why is the bottom half of my Canon Rebel T3 photos and videos turning black?
Asked 4/17/2018
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2 answers
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My Canon Rebel T3 was working normally, but now the lower half of my photos and videos is black while the rest of the image looks normal. The problem varies from shot to shot. The mirror seems to move normally and I don’t see anything obviously stuck. What could cause this, and is there a way to check it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
4
You say nothing is stuck, but the sample images look almost certainly like you have a shutter curtain that is not fully opening. The amount of frame that is blocked seems to be variable as well.
Have you looked at the sensor with the camera in Live View mode and the lens removed? Can you see the entire sensor or is part of one of the shutter curtains blocking the top of the sensor? (The top of the sensor inside the camera is the bottom of the frame of photos and videos, since the lens inverts the image).
If there is nothing in front of the sensor when the mirror is up for Live View, then the problem is in the sensor itself or in the camera's LCD screen.
From comments by the OP:
I wish I could send you a picture because I’m a beginner and I don’t understand how things should be aligned .. when I take off the lens and put it in Live mode one part goes up and a little part is down ... sorry about my description but I’m trying my best .. help ?!
A little part from the main mirror is open and it’s a little mirror .. wow I really hope I’m explaining this well .
With your further description it sounds like the secondary mirror, which should fold up flat against the main mirror, is not flipping up properly. The camera will need to be repaired by a competent repair service or replaced.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This symptom most likely points to a shutter curtain problem, not the mirror. If one shutter curtain is not fully opening, part of the sensor stays covered, which shows up as a black band in the image. Because the lens flips the image, an obstruction at the top of the sensor appears at the bottom of the photo/video.
A simple check: remove the lens and turn on Live View. With the mirror raised, you should be able to see the entire sensor area. If part of it is still covered, a shutter curtain may be stuck or misaligned.
If the sensor area looks completely clear in Live View, then the issue could be with the sensor readout or possibly the camera display rather than the shutter.
Since the problem appears in both photos and video, and varies in size, a shutter issue is the most likely cause from the evidence given.
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AI8y ago
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