dropped my camera

mel · 04-09-2008, 11:59 AM

I think I'm going to be sick. I am soooo diligent about zipping my bag but one small moment of distraction....

My lens took the brunt of it and it's rather funny looking now all in pieces. The camera seems to function okay but the pop-up flash housing is cracked. Although the flash will kinda stay down most of the time it takes some finagling to get it to do so. The flash seems to work okay too.

I remember someone else with a similar situation and tried to get it fixed. What was the result of that? Is it work even bothering? It's not that bad really but considering the camera is only 4 months old I'm kinda sick about it. There's a slightly larger gap between the flash and housing than there should be but otherwise cosmetically it looks okay. The damage is inside of the housing.

So, is it worth even trying to get it checked out and fixed? I'm pretty strapped for money, and with having to replace the lens, I don't want to spend money unnecessarily.

I'd post pictures of it and one I took after the droppage to see what everyone thinks but I haven't figured out how to do so yet. And I have to go to work anyway.

Any thoughts and/or sympathy would be most welcome. I should change my signature tag to proud but clumsy owner. Sheesh. I can't believe how stupid I can be sometimes. Arg.

MJB DIGITAL · 04-09-2008, 12:03 PM

once i really slammed my k10d and pentax fixed it as a courtesy.

now it is back in colorado for the same thing and it costs 250 bucks.

thats my experience.

8)

squarerigger · 04-09-2008, 12:55 PM

Just a thought but is something like this covered under a homeowners policy?

mel · 04-09-2008, 02:51 PM

Originally posted by squarerigger

Just a thought but is something like this covered under a homeowners policy?

I think my deductable is higher than the price of the camera.

This is my dilemma really. If the camera is working fine, and so far all the shots I've taken look good (flowers, garbage cans, mailboxes, busted lenses, just a plethera of junk to test the different settings), at least to my eye, then really the situation with the flash not wanting to stay down can be resolved with a chunk of electrical tape I guess. Not the best but if it ends up not being covered (not sure if warranties cover stupidity) then I'm sure I can live with that. I don't use the flash much anyway.

The idea of sending my precious camera away for several weeks makes me unhappy. Not sure if I can live without it for that long.

I'm going back to the store where I bought it tomorrow (Penn Camera) to get a new lens. I'll bring it with me and see what they say.

Still kicking myself.

Torphoto · 04-09-2008, 03:01 PM

I just had my FA 35mm roll off my table and smack the hard wood floor, a good 4 ft drop. The hood took the hit but strangely it seems to work better now.

davemdsn · 04-09-2008, 03:32 PM

Outside of cosmetics, I would worry about seals. If it hit hard enough to break housing it could have messed with the seal not only at the flash, but in other places. I have actually shot in the rain several times so the weather sealing of the K10/K20 are big features for me.

mel · 04-09-2008, 03:39 PM

Originally posted by davemdsn

Outside of cosmetics, I would worry about seals. If it hit hard enough to break housing it could have messed with the seal not only at the flash, but in other places. I have actually shot in the rain several times so the weather sealing of the K10/K20 are big features for me.

If you had weather sealing issues wouldn't there probably be light leaks as well? I haven't been able to detect any on what I've shot post-drop but I also haven't had a chance to blow anything up really big yet to look closely.

craig1024 · 04-09-2008, 06:51 PM

Probably not going to help now, but in the future it may...I got personal property insurance on my gear. I think it's like $30 a year. It covers water, dropping, just about everything. Something to think about.

cputeq · 04-09-2008, 08:39 PM

My sympathies mel

Craig -- good info, I may do this myself. I can't afford to replace my K200D

HGMonaro · 04-09-2008, 09:58 PM

(hug)

that's the best I cold do!

I once rolled my pride and joy Ricoh SLR over while is sat on a tripod. Landed on the lens but ripped the baseplate off of it around the tripod socket although it continued to function. Lens was ok too, I can't remember if it trashed a UV filter, probably did. Claimed it on our householders insurance and 'sold' the replacement, to my father. I added more money and bought a new Nikon FE (still have it). The sad part of this story is that he purchased a 70-210/3.5 Series 1 Vivitar at some stage and when he took off (from mum!) he took it with him. Had he left it behind, I'd would now have it for my K10D!

Cheers, Nige

MJB DIGITAL · 04-10-2008, 12:20 AM

dude

i dont know what kind of shooter you are, but i can guarantee (99% sure) that you will be happy if you get that blemish fixed.

i have snapped off TWO flashes with the camera's hot shoe attached.

all of those wires hanging out....they're quite vulnerable to lots of stuff.
please, for your own shooter's-sake....get it fixed.

hell. mine is already back in town and fixed, i just need to pay to pick it up.
ASK YOUR GRANDMA for the money. this is photography that we're talking about....i have a feeling that someone will hook it up....

BUMP

im wishing that your camera deliver the BEST images.

benjikan · 04-10-2008, 02:51 AM

Man that hurts...I am sooo neurotic about my gear and that includes computers, musical instruments etc. My Multiblitz Monoblock Flash fell during one of my shoots. I could have just replaced the flash tube, but spent 250 euros and replaced everything that was cracked or scratched. I wanted it to be in new condition again. If I were you and I am not, I would have it repaired to new condition.

I feel for you..I think you will feel better if you get the stuff back to where it was before this accident occurred.

Ben

Peacekeeper · 04-10-2008, 03:37 AM

Twice, This time last year my K10D dropped onto concrete floor from 2 feet and shattered the viewfinder and cracked it inside, cost me under $150 AUS to fix. I had only had it a few days and felt sick when I saw it broken.

A month ago I flew home to grab my K20D in Australia, had it 5 days and the missus is cleaning house and my camera is on the arm rest of one of the lounges. She lifts the lounge leg and my K20D goes flying. Luckily wooden floor boards this time. The only thing I can see wrong is the letter D under the K20 logo is missing.

Other than that it works fine.

Get it fixed, it will make you feel a whole lot happier about your camera and your photography.

pshphoto · 04-10-2008, 05:35 AM

I dropped my DS a couple weeks back after releasing the quick release from my tripod. Landed on the lens (plastic mount, so it shattered), but the DS is still working great. I do have an issue with it in manual focus (auto focus servo is running on) and difficult to do White Balance because of the focus issue, but otherwise, no problems. I thought about sending in for repair, but for the minor inconvenience, I don't think it's worth the cost of repair.

It's a difficult decision about repairs, but it really boils down to how bad the problems are and if they interfere with the picture taking process.

jshurak · 04-10-2008, 06:06 AM

I experienced nearly the same thing a month or so ago. I questioned pentax as to the cost of the replacement parts with the hope of fixing it myself. I ended up sending it in and they fixed it for about $250. replaced the broken parts and the interior of the camera. Not bad for the cost.

04-09-2008, 11:59 AM	#1
mel Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,531	dropped my camera I think I'm going to be sick. I am soooo diligent about zipping my bag but one small moment of distraction.... My lens took the brunt of it and it's rather funny looking now all in pieces. The camera seems to function okay but the pop-up flash housing is cracked. Although the flash will kinda stay down most of the time it takes some finagling to get it to do so. The flash seems to work okay too. I remember someone else with a similar situation and tried to get it fixed. What was the result of that? Is it work even bothering? It's not that bad really but considering the camera is only 4 months old I'm kinda sick about it. There's a slightly larger gap between the flash and housing than there should be but otherwise cosmetically it looks okay. The damage is inside of the housing. So, is it worth even trying to get it checked out and fixed? I'm pretty strapped for money, and with having to replace the lens, I don't want to spend money unnecessarily. I'd post pictures of it and one I took after the droppage to see what everyone thinks but I haven't figured out how to do so yet. And I have to go to work anyway. Any thoughts and/or sympathy would be most welcome. I should change my signature tag to proud but clumsy owner. Sheesh. I can't believe how stupid I can be sometimes. Arg.

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04-09-2008, 12:03 PM	#2
MJB DIGITAL Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: st. louis Posts: 1,170	once i really slammed my k10d and pentax fixed it as a courtesy. now it is back in colorado for the same thing and it costs 250 bucks. thats my experience. 8)

04-09-2008, 12:55 PM	#3
squarerigger Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: James City County, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 322	Just a thought but is something like this covered under a homeowners policy?

04-09-2008, 02:51 PM	#4
mel Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,531 Original Poster	Originally posted by squarerigger Just a thought but is something like this covered under a homeowners policy? I think my deductable is higher than the price of the camera. This is my dilemma really. If the camera is working fine, and so far all the shots I've taken look good (flowers, garbage cans, mailboxes, busted lenses, just a plethera of junk to test the different settings), at least to my eye, then really the situation with the flash not wanting to stay down can be resolved with a chunk of electrical tape I guess. Not the best but if it ends up not being covered (not sure if warranties cover stupidity) then I'm sure I can live with that. I don't use the flash much anyway. The idea of sending my precious camera away for several weeks makes me unhappy. Not sure if I can live without it for that long. I'm going back to the store where I bought it tomorrow (Penn Camera) to get a new lens. I'll bring it with me and see what they say. Still kicking myself.

04-09-2008, 03:01 PM	#5
Torphoto Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Trinidad W.I. Photos: Gallery Posts: 612	I just had my FA 35mm roll off my table and smack the hard wood floor, a good 4 ft drop. The hood took the hit but strangely it seems to work better now.

04-09-2008, 03:32 PM	#6
davemdsn Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Boise, Idaho Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,413	Outside of cosmetics, I would worry about seals. If it hit hard enough to break housing it could have messed with the seal not only at the flash, but in other places. I have actually shot in the rain several times so the weather sealing of the K10/K20 are big features for me.

04-09-2008, 03:39 PM	#7
mel Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,531 Original Poster	Originally posted by davemdsn Outside of cosmetics, I would worry about seals. If it hit hard enough to break housing it could have messed with the seal not only at the flash, but in other places. I have actually shot in the rain several times so the weather sealing of the K10/K20 are big features for me. If you had weather sealing issues wouldn't there probably be light leaks as well? I haven't been able to detect any on what I've shot post-drop but I also haven't had a chance to blow anything up really big yet to look closely.

04-09-2008, 06:51 PM	#8
craig1024 Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 109	Probably not going to help now, but in the future it may...I got personal property insurance on my gear. I think it's like $30 a year. It covers water, dropping, just about everything. Something to think about.

04-09-2008, 08:39 PM	#9
cputeq Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 464	My sympathies mel Craig -- good info, I may do this myself. I can't afford to replace my K200D

04-09-2008, 09:58 PM	#10
HGMonaro Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Melb. Aust Posts: 840	(hug) that's the best I cold do! I once rolled my pride and joy Ricoh SLR over while is sat on a tripod. Landed on the lens but ripped the baseplate off of it around the tripod socket although it continued to function. Lens was ok too, I can't remember if it trashed a UV filter, probably did. Claimed it on our householders insurance and 'sold' the replacement, to my father. I added more money and bought a new Nikon FE (still have it). The sad part of this story is that he purchased a 70-210/3.5 Series 1 Vivitar at some stage and when he took off (from mum!) he took it with him. Had he left it behind, I'd would now have it for my K10D! Cheers, Nige

04-10-2008, 12:20 AM	#11
MJB DIGITAL Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: st. louis Posts: 1,170	dude i dont know what kind of shooter you are, but i can guarantee (99% sure) that you will be happy if you get that blemish fixed. i have snapped off TWO flashes with the camera's hot shoe attached. all of those wires hanging out....they're quite vulnerable to lots of stuff. please, for your own shooter's-sake....get it fixed. hell. mine is already back in town and fixed, i just need to pay to pick it up. ASK YOUR GRANDMA for the money. this is photography that we're talking about....i have a feeling that someone will hook it up.... BUMP im wishing that your camera deliver the BEST images.

04-10-2008, 02:51 AM	#12
benjikan Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Paris, France Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,308	Man that hurts...I am sooo neurotic about my gear and that includes computers, musical instruments etc. My Multiblitz Monoblock Flash fell during one of my shoots. I could have just replaced the flash tube, but spent 250 euros and replaced everything that was cracked or scratched. I wanted it to be in new condition again. If I were you and I am not, I would have it repaired to new condition. I feel for you..I think you will feel better if you get the stuff back to where it was before this accident occurred. Ben

04-10-2008, 03:37 AM	#13
Peacekeeper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Back at work :( Photos: Gallery Posts: 168	Twice, This time last year my K10D dropped onto concrete floor from 2 feet and shattered the viewfinder and cracked it inside, cost me under $150 AUS to fix. I had only had it a few days and felt sick when I saw it broken. A month ago I flew home to grab my K20D in Australia, had it 5 days and the missus is cleaning house and my camera is on the arm rest of one of the lounges. She lifts the lounge leg and my K20D goes flying. Luckily wooden floor boards this time. The only thing I can see wrong is the letter D under the K20 logo is missing. Other than that it works fine. Get it fixed, it will make you feel a whole lot happier about your camera and your photography.

04-10-2008, 05:35 AM	#14
pshphoto New Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 22	I dropped my DS a couple weeks back after releasing the quick release from my tripod. Landed on the lens (plastic mount, so it shattered), but the DS is still working great. I do have an issue with it in manual focus (auto focus servo is running on) and difficult to do White Balance because of the focus issue, but otherwise, no problems. I thought about sending in for repair, but for the minor inconvenience, I don't think it's worth the cost of repair. It's a difficult decision about repairs, but it really boils down to how bad the problems are and if they interfere with the picture taking process.

04-10-2008, 06:06 AM	#15
jshurak Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: philadelphia Posts: 626	I experienced nearly the same thing a month or so ago. I questioned pentax as to the cost of the replacement parts with the hope of fixing it myself. I ended up sending it in and they fixed it for about $250. replaced the broken parts and the interior of the camera. Not bad for the cost.