Canon EOS 300 Troubleshooting

Camera LCD screen won't turn on when dial is turned

First, ensure the camera contains batteries. If the the batteries are dead, your EOS 300 won't turn on. Access the battery chamber on the bottom right of the corner and replace the batteries with two CR2 lithium batteries. If the unit still does not power on, the main system board of the camera may be bad.

• Replacing dead batteries

The battery contacts are located on the battery door. If they are blocked, try cleaning them with a small brush or steel wool. If that does not work, the door is replaceable.

• Replacing broken battery door

If the battery on the LCD screen is blinking and you're sure that the batteries have been replaced, the camera is not operating properly. Try pressing the shutter button halfway. If this doesn't remedy the issue, the camera may need professional repair as something may be wrong with the main system board.

Camera images turn out unclear, blurry, out of focus, or completely black

Look at the front lens of the camera. If you notice any dust or streak marks, the lens may be dirty and it may help to wipe off the lens. A soft microfiber cloth or the edge of a cotton shirt will work fine.

The shutter speed may also be too slow. Try gently pressing the shutter button with a steady hand, or use a faster shutter speed. A tripod or bracing yourself against a wall or fence may be helpful.

A third issue may be that the contacts between the lens and the camera are dirty. Remove the lens and clean the contacts with a soft, clean eraser. You can follow steps here in order to do so.

If you are trying to take pictures in different modes such as Macro and they are out of focus, you may have an issue with your command dial. It may need to be replaced.

• Replacing command dial

If your picture is grainy with evenly spaced speckles, your ISO setting may be too high. Try lowering the ISO setting to the lowest or second lowest number.

If there are still spots on the image, the CCD sensor may need to be cleaned. You must be very careful in cleaning this, and should only be attempted as a last resort. Damage to the CCD sensor is not repairable without professional help.

There are two options. First is using a blower bulb. The bulb should not enter the camera further than the lense mount. This simply redistributes the dust in the camera. If there is more dust surrounding the sensor than on it, there’s a chance the problem will become worse, not better. Second, you can try to clean the CCD sensor with fluid and lens tissue. This option is most likely to scratch the sensor, so be very cautious when attempting.

First and foremost, make sure the lens cap has been taken off the lens.

If your pictures are still coming out completely black or distorted, you may have a sticky shutter issue. Turn on the camera and take a picture while looking into the lens. If you don't see any fluttery movement, you may have a sticky shutter. Try following these steps in order to remedy the shutter. This can also be a problem related to the batteries, in which case refer above for help replacing them. If these do not fix the issue, the shutter blades may be damaged or aligned and should be replaced or the shutter does not release.

There can be a few causes to the shutter not releasing. First, check to make sure rewound film is not in the camera by looking at the LCD screen. If the frame counter reads blank, replace the roll of film in the camera with a new one. The problem could also be attributed to not properly loaded film. Check below to make sure your film is properly loaded. If these both don't fix the issue, you may have a problem with the focus. If focus is not achieved, the shutter will not release. When shooting a picture, be sure to press the button halfway until focus is achieved. If focus cannot be achieved through autofocus, set the focus mode on the lens to MF or M and manually focus with the focusing ring.

If your pictures are coming out half black, you may have an issue with the submirror. For a temporary solution try moving the submirror up the main mirror. This will make the camera not autofocus, but it should be able to be focused manually.

Check to make sure that the film is properly loaded. Refer to the physical manual or the pdf here.

If the film door is loose and won't close, you may need to replace the back lock-release lever on the side.

• Repair for back lock-release lever

Camera will not take pictures when shutter is pressed

If your EOS 300 is not giving any feedback when the shutter button is pressed, the camera may not be on. Turn the dial on the left hand side to turn on the camera to any setting except <L>. If the camera does not respond, the camera's batteries may have died.

Flash will not open when taking a picture

One or both of the switches that move when the flash pops up have gotten stuck. Your camera thinks it’s connected to an external flash (which also causes the switches to get stuck while they’re down) so your camera doesn’t pop up the camera’s own flash because it believes it already has that source of light. You can fix this by moving the hotshoe around until the pins pop back up (as they should be when the flash is down and you don’t have a detachable flash). You can follow these steps here.

"Eyepiece is cracked or broken. Rubber around eyepiece is damaged"

If pictures are turning out fine when photos are being taken, but don't look that way through the eyepiece, it may need to be cleaned. If that does not fix the issue, you may need to replace the eyepiece.

• Replacing the eyepiece

If the rubber around the eyepiece is damaged, it is possible to still use the camera normally. The rubber is replaceable if need be.

• Replacing rubber for eyepiece