The (almost) indestructable camera
July 28, 2011 7:30 PM Subscribe
My camera fell into a lake. Yikes! Took it home, let it dry in a bowl of brown rice and now it turns on (Yeah!) but the screen shows the view as a monotone blob of something. Help!
The camera is a Olympus PEN E-PL1 w/a 14-42mm lens kit. Incredible camera, it survived a month long mountain bike race, with its only protection being a waterproof bag.
Of course, the ONE TIME I keep it out of this bag, it happens to fall into a freezing, snowfield fed lake. I scavenged it within minutes of it going keplunk and gave it a few days to dry out.
When I tried turning it back on - surprise - it turned on! And seemed 100% usable, although the Micro SD card doesn't seem to be readable, anymore (haven't tried a different one, so it could also be the card reader in the camera). Although, the big problem now is that image is this weird blur of drab brown, instead of wonderful full-color. There's still a little condensation in the lens itself (which happens just in normal use in drizzly conditions), but if I take off the lens and try to take a photo, it's still just this weird drab brown, just you know, now out of focus.
Anything I can do about this? I'm sort of wondering if there's simply dirt on the sensor. When I took the lens off the body, it didn't seem like much of any water got in between the lens and the sensor - maybe a baby drop. I'm pretty astounded with this camera, already - the body itself seems so jammed pack with Stuff, as to be impermeable, so I'm wondering where down the line the image is getting screwed up.
My one long-shot hunch is that there's a very thin film of, well, brown rice dust on the sensor itself and a good cleaning would help get that out. What's the best way to clean the sensor? Take it in to a pro? Could something very possible be damaged somewhere else?
The camera is still now sitting in a bowl of brown rice, to try to suck up any more water. I'm already amazed it's still working. Any way I can get it to still work, 100%
The camera is a Olympus PEN E-PL1 w/a 14-42mm lens kit. Incredible camera, it survived a month long mountain bike race, with its only protection being a waterproof bag.
Of course, the ONE TIME I keep it out of this bag, it happens to fall into a freezing, snowfield fed lake. I scavenged it within minutes of it going keplunk and gave it a few days to dry out.
When I tried turning it back on - surprise - it turned on! And seemed 100% usable, although the Micro SD card doesn't seem to be readable, anymore (haven't tried a different one, so it could also be the card reader in the camera). Although, the big problem now is that image is this weird blur of drab brown, instead of wonderful full-color. There's still a little condensation in the lens itself (which happens just in normal use in drizzly conditions), but if I take off the lens and try to take a photo, it's still just this weird drab brown, just you know, now out of focus.
Anything I can do about this? I'm sort of wondering if there's simply dirt on the sensor. When I took the lens off the body, it didn't seem like much of any water got in between the lens and the sensor - maybe a baby drop. I'm pretty astounded with this camera, already - the body itself seems so jammed pack with Stuff, as to be impermeable, so I'm wondering where down the line the image is getting screwed up.
My one long-shot hunch is that there's a very thin film of, well, brown rice dust on the sensor itself and a good cleaning would help get that out. What's the best way to clean the sensor? Take it in to a pro? Could something very possible be damaged somewhere else?
The camera is still now sitting in a bowl of brown rice, to try to suck up any more water. I'm already amazed it's still working. Any way I can get it to still work, 100%
if saving photos is the priority, take out the micro sd (maybe give it's own rice treatment) and try a different card reader. If there are faulty electronics you don't want them to accidentally wipe your card.
posted by titanium_geek at 8:19 PM on July 28, 2011
posted by titanium_geek at 8:19 PM on July 28, 2011
I'd give it some more time. I had something similar, not a full soak but a lot of moisture. It slowly got better. I'd leave it off for another week.
posted by sully75 at 8:21 PM on July 28, 2011
posted by sully75 at 8:21 PM on July 28, 2011
Response by poster: @Blazecock Pileon - oh - the drop of water is gone - didn't want to wipe it off - didn't really want to touch the sensor at all, although it's currently covered in rice!
titanium_geekSaving the photos are of little priority, but will try a different card reader.
@sully75 - "give it more time" - not a hard one to follow!
posted by alex_skazat at 8:24 PM on July 28, 2011
titanium_geekSaving the photos are of little priority, but will try a different card reader.
@sully75 - "give it more time" - not a hard one to follow!
posted by alex_skazat at 8:24 PM on July 28, 2011
Yeah my android in a bag of rice in a sealed ziplock didn't work after 1 week, but worked with no problem after two!
Give it more time!
posted by crawltopslow at 1:10 AM on July 29, 2011
Give it more time!
posted by crawltopslow at 1:10 AM on July 29, 2011
Normally it goes like this:
* Electronic item falls into water
* You wash it with distilled water
* Sometimes you wash it with ethanol afterwards - not always recommended
* Then you dry it in a bag with rice
If have been there and done it with my laptop (I removed battery and hard-drive, did not submerge the screen)
posted by yoyo_nyc at 3:49 AM on July 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
* Electronic item falls into water
* You wash it with distilled water
* Sometimes you wash it with ethanol afterwards - not always recommended
* Then you dry it in a bag with rice
If have been there and done it with my laptop (I removed battery and hard-drive, did not submerge the screen)
posted by yoyo_nyc at 3:49 AM on July 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yoyo almost has it
Just add
• Remove batteries before washing in distilled water.
You could also try and bake it dry in a very low electric oven, or placed on top of a warm radiator. This is very tricky, as even low ovens and radiators can get hot enough to damage plastics and electronics. Gas ovens are not recommended because burning gas gives off a lot of moisture.
posted by Gungho at 6:11 AM on July 29, 2011
Just add
• Remove batteries before washing in distilled water.
You could also try and bake it dry in a very low electric oven, or placed on top of a warm radiator. This is very tricky, as even low ovens and radiators can get hot enough to damage plastics and electronics. Gas ovens are not recommended because burning gas gives off a lot of moisture.
posted by Gungho at 6:11 AM on July 29, 2011
If for whatever reason you can't get it to function (at least mostly), there's nothing to be lost by dunking it and soaking it in fresh water (minus the batteries) and repeating this drying process. I'd used distilled water.
I put my 5D ($3k camera) next to the wood stove, but that was in November in Maine.
posted by sully75 at 7:41 AM on July 29, 2011
I put my 5D ($3k camera) next to the wood stove, but that was in November in Maine.
posted by sully75 at 7:41 AM on July 29, 2011
Response by poster: Is there any reason why it's a sealed plastic bag full of rice? Right now, It's in a big pot of rice, on the front porch. The weather here is so dry (in Denver), that I'm hoping the indirect sunlight should be enough to dry things out.
posted by alex_skazat at 12:10 PM on July 29, 2011
posted by alex_skazat at 12:10 PM on July 29, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:40 PM on July 28, 2011