I Can Has Camera Repair?

June 4, 2008 4:12 PM

DSLR is broken. Repair or replace?

Our beloved and not-too-old but not-too-new (about 6500 shutter releases to date) Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D has begun exhibiting a tendency to stop tripping the shutter when it warms up. Focus works, all other functions seem to be fine, just push button = no clickie. Once it has achieved this state, it cannot be recovered by any other method than just turning it off and walking away from it for a while.

Cursing has proven to be unhelpful.

So, given our relatively hefty investment, we'd like to try to have it repaired. Is the above-described behavior a "known issue" among the Maxxum D5 loyalists that can be fixed at home, or do I need a recommendation for a reputable camera repair facility in the Nashville, TN area?

Thanks in advance for your wisdom.

posted by ZakDaddy to technology (5 comments total)

Good lord. D5? 5D? I can't seem to decide.
posted by ZakDaddy at 4:14 PM on June 4, 2008

You might start here: Contact/Repairs Konica Minolta

I'd get a quote, and then price new dslrs, and go from there.
posted by gyusan at 4:30 PM on June 4, 2008

I'd bring it to a local shop known for a reasonable turnaround time (if in SF, notAdolf Gasser) and get an estimate. If it's cheap, fix it.
posted by zippy at 4:32 PM on June 4, 2008

on review, you're nowhere near Adolf Gasser. Feel free to substitute the name of your local poorly managed camera store repair department.
posted by zippy at 4:33 PM on June 4, 2008

You should ask your question at dyxum, a forum dedicated to KM (and now Sony) DSLRs.

I think Precision Camera fixes them but it will cost you a couple hundred dollars. If it was the First Frame Black (or Blue) issue - where the shutter fires but recorded frame is dark - then Sony is repairing those for free because it was a design fault.

If you can't get it fixed for free, go replace it with an A200 or something. Hell of a lot cheaper than the 5D was at release, not to mention better. Or you could get a second-hand A100 for peanuts and it's still a good upgrade from the 5D.
posted by polyglot at 11:25 PM on June 4, 2008