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:fujifilm-xf1-teardown
Destroying an expensive camera for science
March 12 2022
After [hacking](https://petabyt.dev/blog/hacking-the-fujifilm-digital-cameras) the Fujifilm camera firmware, I got a cheap
broken Fujifilm XF-1 and decided to perform my hacks on it.
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It's been my testing camera for the past few months of research.
Recently, I decided to take it apart to see the damage.
([I already know how it broke](https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4238715))
The camera won't take any pictures, and shows a `Lens Control Error` on startup.
The shutter mechanism and exposure sensor is on the top of the lens,
connected to the motherboard with a ribbon cable. After a year of zooming
in and out, the cable eventually rips apart, leaving the shutter closed
and the camera useless.
I was able to get into the shutter to manually close it, but the lens assembly
was too far gone by then.
After I removed the lens assembly, the camera worked fine, and I could see
the image from the sensor. (but blurry of course)
Also, I had to cut up the lens power switch (yes, you expand the lens to turn the camera on)
and tape the switch down in order to make the camera think that it's turned on.
It's a shame that a flaw so small could ruin a nice product, and it's even more of
a shame that [Fujifilm support refused to acknoledge the problem](https://www.amazon.com/review/R22AI2UMU2ESM4).
If you consider XF-1 trash, then here's an *idea*:
- Drill a hole inbetween the shutter and the lens.
- Tear out the shutter mechanism (or manually close it?)
- Create a custom firmware using my [hack](https://github.com/petabyt/fujifilm), that bypasses the errors
- Camera is semi-usable?
What do you think? Shoot me an email if you want to try it out.
Also if anybody has an XF1 they don't want, I'll be happy to pay
to ship it to me, to test my hacks on.