is it ever worth it to get a flooded camera repaired?

is it ever worth it to get a flooded camera repaired?

i took my Sony DSC-P9 to 50 fsw with the housing latch open. :11:
the strobe tray kept it closed, i didnt even realize it.

this was several months ago and i was so disgusted i havent bothered to find out about getting it fixed or purchase a replacement.


thanks in advance

If you were in salt water, it's done, kuputt. If it was fresh water and you dried it out well it might be repairable. Have you tried to run it since? Does anything happen? If not make sure the battery is good, and the battery contacts clean. I've sold cameras for years and everyone that goes into salt water even for a quick dip is finished. Hope this helps.

Digital cameras can sometimes be repaired if the water is removed immediately and if the camera wasn't totally submerged. But if your door was open and you've let it sit all this time, salt or fresh I would expect it's toast.

mannydib:

is it ever worth it to get a flooded camera repaired?

i took my Sony DSC-P9 to 50 fsw with the housing latch open. :11:
the strobe tray kept it closed, i didnt even realize it.

this was several months ago and i was so disgusted i havent bothered to find out about getting it fixed or purchase a replacement.


thanks in advance

Click to expand...

It's too late.
The camera needed to be soaked in distilled water immediately.
There is almost no chance of saving a flooded digital camera at any rate.
The saltwater gets into the layers that make up the monitor along with other components.
I flooded an Oly C4000Z some time ago. I took the camera apart just for grins. Too many parts. I saved it to use a as a dummy camera for testing my housings.

It depends I work at a underwater digital wholesaler/retailer place, we have a repair tech at our disposal - this is of course my opinion and what we recommend to those unfortunate to have suffered a flooded camera.

If it is a micro flood - possible and worth looking in to, we never recommend immersing the camera in more water - water is the enemy.
Major flood - we recommend you take out the battery memory card leave all ports that can be opened on it open if it has an easily accessible back take it off, blow dry with air and leave to dry in a non humid area for say the weekend, we have revived many cameras this way by the time we get them back together and pop a battery in they flash up, but then some function may or generally always are missing, the flash tends to be a bit messed up, if you get some signs of life after it drying out get a quote on it, if no signs no point cost of repair outweighs cost of replacement.

We have saved a lot recently but they tend to have a few issues afterwards.

I flooded my Sea&Sea in the salted water. We put vodka into it immediately (the best is 98%proof spirit - it doesn't destroy any electronic things and absorbs the water and salt) and then took the camera to be repaired and it works!!!!
Mania

Talk to Sony. Maybe they can offer you something like Olympus offered me. I sent them my flooded camera. They said they would either repair it or swap it out for under $200. They swapped it out and I got a brand new camera (didn't have insurance yet).

Although I've flooded my share, Nikonas V and Digital Oly 3040 & 4040, each time it's toast as indicated above. Digital especially, BUT !!!.. they can repair them or at worst replace the guts which is still cheaper than getting a new one...
I think the last time I "Did" a 4040 and got it fixed, the repairs were apx $300 and the camera at that time, was apx $500, so cheaper to get it repaired - it's basically a refurbished one.

The real problem is if they can't replace the guts, then you have to get a refurbished one directly. It kinda goes like this (this is with Olympus)
Camera floods, you send it in:
- minor repair - depending upon flooding
- no repair, replace the guts
- no guts, get refurbished
- no refurbished, go to e-bay
- no e-bay etc, buy a new set up cause you're now outdated. You now have an expensive door stop.

Ironically, Oly, when it says they can't/won't repair it and recommends a refurbished one, will claim that they are out of refurbished models for xx weeks/months. Yet you go on e-bay and who do you think is the number one seller of refurbished cameras ??? (C4040)
Olympus!!, there selling them left and right.. so it's pretty much what you can scrounge around for.... got my "Backup" 4040 from them for $279 or so...

I say backup for the reasons stated above. When the camera can't be repaired, can't get a refurbished and is not available, what are you going to do... so got a back up to extend the life of the housing etc...

Frustrating to say the least, but a good excuse to upgrade. Kinda like computers etc.. just a lot of $$$, like computers..