RIP, My 16.1 Mp Friend?
May 4, 2012 2:18 PM Subscribe
Drove a car over my brand new Nikon Coolpix S8200. Can I give it the Heimlich?
So, decided to get all super-parenty whilst field-tripping with my first grade son today and took the camera with us to the zoo. I loaded him up to come home with his pops and while doing so, set my bag outside my sister's car. This was an unknown to her...
And I'll be damned if she didn't pull out, right over the top of my bag. I had a BRAND NEW Nikon Coolpix S8200 in that bag. Granted, the camera was in a Lowepro case to protect it from falls and bumps but alas, apparently not from tires attached to motor vehicles. The camera is a goner. (Amazingly, my aviators and unprotected cheap cell phone survived.)
What's odd is that nothing seems fucked but the INTERNAL screen. The outer screen is still solid and has no cracks but when tilting the camera in the light, I can see cracks inside the screen. When just gandering at the camera, it looks as it should but no longer turns on and inside the screen, it looks almost as if ink has spilled in tiny puddles.
Came home, pulled photos of giraffes and hippos off the card easily enough but I can't seem to find any situation via Google similar to this. I know it's not covered by my warranty but I'm wondering, get the screen repaired if possible or just buy a new camera?
MeFites, do you know: Will it be so costly to repair that it's not worth it to mess with? Is a new camera a better idea in general? How long might a repair take? This surely isn't something I could repair myself, right? And is that smart considering I don't know if the lens or any other important internal organs are shot?
I'll be needing this camera in a very serious way come May 31 so I'm not too keen on sending it off but thought I might pick the hivemind before deciding the best course of action...
So, decided to get all super-parenty whilst field-tripping with my first grade son today and took the camera with us to the zoo. I loaded him up to come home with his pops and while doing so, set my bag outside my sister's car. This was an unknown to her...
And I'll be damned if she didn't pull out, right over the top of my bag. I had a BRAND NEW Nikon Coolpix S8200 in that bag. Granted, the camera was in a Lowepro case to protect it from falls and bumps but alas, apparently not from tires attached to motor vehicles. The camera is a goner. (Amazingly, my aviators and unprotected cheap cell phone survived.)
What's odd is that nothing seems fucked but the INTERNAL screen. The outer screen is still solid and has no cracks but when tilting the camera in the light, I can see cracks inside the screen. When just gandering at the camera, it looks as it should but no longer turns on and inside the screen, it looks almost as if ink has spilled in tiny puddles.
Came home, pulled photos of giraffes and hippos off the card easily enough but I can't seem to find any situation via Google similar to this. I know it's not covered by my warranty but I'm wondering, get the screen repaired if possible or just buy a new camera?
MeFites, do you know: Will it be so costly to repair that it's not worth it to mess with? Is a new camera a better idea in general? How long might a repair take? This surely isn't something I could repair myself, right? And is that smart considering I don't know if the lens or any other important internal organs are shot?
I'll be needing this camera in a very serious way come May 31 so I'm not too keen on sending it off but thought I might pick the hivemind before deciding the best course of action...
Response by poster: It was bought in March. With a debit card :(. I do have a warranty but that doesn't cover "accidents" so I'm assuming I'm up a creek there...
posted by youandiandaflame at 2:33 PM on May 4, 2012
posted by youandiandaflame at 2:33 PM on May 4, 2012
Check your debit card. I just checked, and the MasterCard debit card I have through my local credit union (BECU) also comes with "90 days of insurance for theft, damage or loss of purchases" which is exacly the same protection that Amex offers.
posted by halogen at 3:06 PM on May 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by halogen at 3:06 PM on May 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've broken Panasonic and Pentax digital cameras in that price range before, and the general response from local repair places was there wasn't a cost-effective repair option, and that I should just replace them. However, I've thought about trying United Camera out the next time I drop a camera, as I've moved up a bit in price range. If your credit card warranty doesn't cover it, I'd be interested to hear whether a mail-away repair service was able to help.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 3:13 PM on May 4, 2012
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 3:13 PM on May 4, 2012
I looked into getting a drive motor repaired on mine. I was quoted $750. I has to give a non-refundable fee to even have it looked at, then if I okayed the repair that would be applied to the repair.
I switched to my iPhone exclusively. Good enough is good enough for me.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:39 AM on May 5, 2012
I switched to my iPhone exclusively. Good enough is good enough for me.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:39 AM on May 5, 2012
Best answer: Not worth repairing, unfortunately.
The LCD screen is badly cracked... it's more delicate than the external "armor" which covers it. That's the soource of the "puddles" you see. And there is undoubtedly more internal damage, it would be a real crapshoot to try to repair this puppy and I think it would certainly cost more than it'd be worth!
posted by drhydro at 8:54 PM on May 5, 2012
The LCD screen is badly cracked... it's more delicate than the external "armor" which covers it. That's the soource of the "puddles" you see. And there is undoubtedly more internal damage, it would be a real crapshoot to try to repair this puppy and I think it would certainly cost more than it'd be worth!
posted by drhydro at 8:54 PM on May 5, 2012
Can you buy a service plan from Amazon, and then have it fixed?
The LCD on my Lumix broke after a couple of years, and the plan I had purchased (along with the camera, from Vann's) covered the repair 100%.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:10 AM on May 10, 2012
The LCD on my Lumix broke after a couple of years, and the plan I had purchased (along with the camera, from Vann's) covered the repair 100%.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:10 AM on May 10, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by halogen at 2:21 PM on May 4, 2012 [2 favorites]