Replace the LCD screen on your Canon digital camera

This page will help you to replace/repair the broken/cracked LCD screen / LCD display / LCD monitor on your Canon digital camera.

I believe that these instructions apply to a wide variety of Canon digital cameras. However, I have only received confirmation that these instructions work for the following models:



 Powershot A640, Powershot SD-450, Powershot SD-400, Powershot SD-300, Powershot SD-200, Powershot SD-100, Powershot S400, Powershot S410, Powershot SD450, Powershot S500, Powershot SD500, Powershot SD630, Powershot SD770, Powershot SD780, Powershot SD800, Powershot SD880, Powershot SD870, Powershot SD940, Powershot SD960, Powershot SD970, Powershot SD980, Powershot SD990, Powershot SD1200, Ixus 30, Ixus 40, Ixus 50, Ixus 55, Ixus 400, Ixus 430, Ixus 700, IXY 55

Note that these instructions are based on an SD300 (Ixus 40). However, I’ve had confirmation that, with slight tweaks, they work on all of the cameras above. The primary tweaks are that you may have to remove extra screws: e.g. from the tripod. So keep an eye peeled for screws that I may have failed to mention.

Warning:

This repair voids your warranty and may damage your camera. Perform at your own risk. The publisher of this site is not responsible for any damage you cause.

This replacement is of medium difficulty. If you have ever “built” a computer from parts, you are probably capable of it. If you are patient, orderly, and meticulous, you can probably do it. But you do risk breaking your camera even further, so don’t do it if you won’t accept that risk!

Be carefully that you are grounded and thus do not harm the camera via static discharge. Google the terms “grounding” and “static discharge” if you need more info.

Read all of the instructions before proceeding. Within each step, I don’t necessarily use exact chronological order.

Tools:

  • A small Phillips head screwdriver that fits the external screws on the camera.
  • A smaller flathead screwdriver (used for prying).

Step 1. Ascertain what is broken.

Symptom: your screen still glows with light, but shows crazy colors or a visible crack surrounded by crazy colors.

Problem: your LCD screen is broken but your backlight still works. You need only purchase a new LCD screen.

Symptom: your LCD does not glow.

Problem: your backlight is probably broken. This didn’t happen to me, so I don’t give any further advice about this problem on this page. However, the information on this page will take you about 60% of the way to replacing the backlight as well, so it may be useful.




Step 2. Order a replacement screen.

Online replacement parts:

  • Foto Geeks sells them for around US$65.
  • UK: H. Lehmann’s Ltd: +44 (0)1782 413 611 at a cost of 33 GBP (including shipping)
  • US: Canon +1 732 521 7230 / +1 800-828-4040 at a cost of around 50$ (including shipping)
  • France (and possible other European countries): Wishwork Store on eBay. Includes screen, screwdriver, and tool for disconnecting the ribbon. 28 EUR + 5 EUR shipping (July 2009)
  • Germany: Ruediger Maerz GmbH, +49 (0)40 731 40 77, can order via email to infohamburg |at| fotomaerz.de at a cost of 60 EUR (cash on delivery)
  • Canada: Canon parts department: +1 905 795 1111 at a cost of ~105 CAD (including shipping)
  • All countries: try ebay stores. Stores that people have used include lcdelite_2008
  • darntoothysam.com

The part number for the SD-300 / Ixus 40 LCD screen (without backlight) is: ck9-1103. The part number for the SD450 is ck9-1138-000. For the Canon IXY 600 it is: CK9-1137-000. Check with the manufacturer when you contact them.

Step 3. Open the camera

  • Remove the battery. Otherwise, you could possibly cause a short.
  • Remove 6 screws in total: 2 from the left side, 2 from the right. side, and 2 from the bottom.
  • Gently pry open the case/
  • The plate covering the “grommet” to which you attach the strap will fall off. So will the round grommet. Don’t worry about it.

Step 4. Remove the screen & backlight assembly from the back of the camera

  • Remove the screw from the upper right corner of the backlight/LCD package. Note: this screw is of different size to those you have already removed. Keep it separate.


  • Be careful of the tongue extending from the bottom right corner of the backlight/LCD package. It’s very tiny and easy to miss. You want to be sure to slide it out, because it’s easy to just break the plastic into which the tongue slides. (I did. Not a huge crisis, but I wish I hadn’t!)
  • There is a tab on the left side of the backlight/LCD package. Pull it back slightly so you can lift the backlight/LCD package. (I used the flathead screwdriver to pry it off.)
  • You should now be able to lift up the backlight/LCD package. It will still be connected to the camera body via two ribbon cables.

Step 5a. Separate the LCD from the backlight

  • Be careful not to damage the film in between the backlight and the screen.
  • If you have a Canon Powershot S410, Powershot S400, Ixus 400, or Ixus 430 then you should skip this step and move to step 5b.
  • There are a number of fiddly plastic/metal tabs holding the two together. Just gently pry and poke until you have separated them. It’s a bit time consuming, but I can’t really give better instructions than these.
  • You should be left with the LCD totally separate from the backlight, but still connected to the camera via a ribbon cable.
  • The backlight should also remain connected to the camera via a ribbon cable.

Step 5b. Only for Canon Powershot S410, Powershot S400, Ixus 400, or Ixus 430

The only differences on the instructions below that should be followed are: to detach the LCD/backlight assembly completely you have to disconnect a small ribbon cable at the top left corner of the assembly. On the other hand detaching the backlight is unnecessary, since detaching only the LCD still leaves enough room to maneuver the ribbon cable of the LCD from the underside of the camera. Thanks to Lars H for reporting this information.

Step 6. Undo the LCD ribbon cable

  • The LCD ribbon cable extends under the bottom of the camera (actually passing under the tripod screw hole, which cannot be removed). It re-appears in the front of the camera and is connected to a socket. The socket is rather like a DIMM socket on a computer. It has a flat, black, clasp which is folded down to hold the ribbon cable in the socket.
  • Examine carefully the way the ribbon cable is attached to the socket. Note that it is pushed in entirely, so that the wider part of the cable (with two holes at either side of it) is flush against the socket. Note: the most common mistake is to not push the ribbon in far enough when you have replaced the screen. So be certain to examine how the ribbon is connected beforeyou disconnect it.
  • GENTLY lift the clasp (I used the flathead screwdriver). It should swivel up and the ribbon cable should fall out. DO NOT YET PULL THE RIBBON OUT OF THE CAMERA.

Step 7. Totally remove the LCD

  • Tape a long, narrow strip of paper to the end of the ribbon cable. This paper is to help you thread the ribbon cable of the new LCD back through the inside of the camera.
  • Note how the ribbon cable is threaded under the tripod mount to the front of the camera. Wiggle it around a bit, get a feel for it. Sliding the new one back through is a bit tough, so experiment with how this one fits and where it goes.
  • Gently pull the ribbon cable out from under the tripod mount, leaving the broken LCD screen now completely detached from the camera. Make sure to leave the paper threaded through the camera so that you can tape it to the new LCD’s ribbon cable and pull that one back through.
  • If you messed up with the paper, don’t worry. You can still push the new ribbon cable through: it just takes some wriggling and some time!

Finishing.

  • You have now got to go through the process in reverse, installing the new LCD screen.
  • Threading the LCD ribbon cable back under the tripod mounting screw is tough. Just keep sliding it back and forth and exert pressure to push it through. It will go through, eventually.
  • As you connect the LCD ribbon cable, read the “white screen” problem below, so that you do not suffer from it!

Additional instructions for the SD500

(Thanks to Michael S for providing these.)

First off there are seven initial screws to separate the housing. 2 on the left side, 3 on the bottom and there are 2 on the right side (although one is hidden underneath the “A/V OUT DIGITAL” flap)

When open the lanyard does not fall off, but the left side piece of the camera will fall off. But don’t worry, no small pieces.

Now here’s where it gets a little different. There is a screw on the top left of the LCD screen that needs to be removed. You can separate the screen from the backlight as described, but this will not remove the backlight fixture. There is an additional screw on the top right of the screen to remove the backlight, but … You must carefully disconnect the “ribbon” for the backlight because the screw is underneath it. Ultimately, removing the backlight will allow you to access the LCD ribbon once it needs changing.

This next part I did, but it may not be necessary. I removed the mounting screw that holds the shutter button on. I took the shutter button off and removed the mounting screw in the top right corner of the “menu/function/set” panel.

So here’s the good news, with this panel now shifted slightly out of the way (and the backlight removed), I was able to access the LCD ribbon. No fishing it through and around anything. I just popped up the black plastic holder and the screen was free!!!! Now inserting the new ribbon was a piece of cake. I made sure to see how deep the ribbon went in so when I replaced/repaired it, I made it look the same.

The only difficulty came in remembering where the longer screws went. I got lucky and didn’t lose any screws on this journey, though I sure had lots of them out trying to figure out which piece needed to be removed and which one didn’t. Then it was all about getting the camera seated properly. Everything now works perfect!!

FAQ

  1. My screen just shows white or gray. (E.g. white screen, white display). What did I do wrong?A. The ribbon cable that connects the LCD to the circuit board was not inserted deeply enough. The end of the ribbon cable has a narrow portion, then a very small much wider portion with two holes at either end, then it narrows again. The very tip should be inserted into the “socket” deeply enough that the wider portion is pressed right up against the “socket.” Physically, it cannot be inserted more deeply.It may help you to use two wooden or plastic toothpicks, one in each of the small holes at the end of the cable, to push the cable into the socket.
  2. After replacing the LCD, the LCD is black when in picture taking mode. In movie mode, it works fine as a viewfinder; it also does playback of photos taken just fine. In picture taking mode, the menu is visible, but the background is just black.A. This is not a problem with the LCD installation or the backlight if the LCD is working in movie and playback modes. You need to do a reset to resolve this problem. To reset, hold down the “menu” button for about 5 seconds (I did this in movie mode so that I could see the screen, it may work in other modes as well. I also took out my memory card to do this….just in case a reset could affect the images on the card; no idea if this precaution is necessary or not). A pop-up will ask you to confirm “reset settings to default?” Select “yes.” Viewfinder now works as expected during picture taking mode.

Help others!

If you buy your LCD screen from a supplier not listed on this page, please send me the information. I’ll add it to the page. Also, if you are replacing the screen on a different type of camera, send me links or advice on your efforts. I’ll add the info here!

Help me!

If you’ve found this advise helpful, please consider making a paypal donation.


Accessories to help you protect your camera’s LCD screen

Now that you’re finished, consider buying an digital camera LCD protector/cover. There are two types of camera lcd protectors: hard and soft. It seems like a hard LCD protector/cover would be more likely to help protect against this type of crack than a soft LCD protector/cover. Also, consider purchasing a camera case to best protect the camera when you aren’t using it.

More information

These threads all deal with this issue (although some may cover other cameras as well):

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=53287
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7839&page=1&pp=20
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=437490

Questions?

I have been receiving a lot of emails with questions, but unfortunately I have no answers! I haven’t performed this repair in years, so I don’t remember anything more than I have written down. To the best of my knowledge it works on any Canon camera with a body similar to those listed above. I have no idea whether or not it works for non Canon cameras.

I hope this helps!

Andy

First posted: 8 April 2005
Last updated: 29 August 2009




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