Posts Tagged ‘digital camera repair’

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Top 5 Reasons to go Digital vs. Film

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

One thing I discovered during my experience with digital photography is that it is very well suited for the portrait photographer. Why is it that they don’t jump on the digital band wagon? Many commercial shooters have known about and mastered the use of digital in their business’s for far longer than the portrait photographer.

My thought is that possibly they are afraid? Afraid of the learning curve and afraid that the quality just isn’t there unless they spend an ungodly amount of hard earned cash on some scary looking gigantic array of confusing and awkward, let alone “how am I going to learn how to use this stuff” equipment.

Truth is, you can easily get away with as little as a 5 megapixel camera. Don’t fear that DSLR’s create lower quality images, I’ve seen amazing work over and over with fantastic results. Yes, even if you have only a 5 or 6 MP camera.

There are many reasons, here are 5 good ones.

1- Service

These days a real camera repair shop is very hard to fine and service for film cameras is evaporating even more rapidly. Most camera stores will just send your camera to the manufacturer and then charge you more than the flat repair rate that you would get from Sony, Canon or Nikon etc. yourself. If you look online you can still find a real digital camera repair shop including ones that specialize in digital SLR camera repair and charge much less than the $250-300 flat rate repairs that the manufacturers offer.

There are many repairs that the consumer can do themselves including replacing battery doors, memory card doors and parts like the zoom switch. There are plenty of people who want to repair their own camera and replace the LCD screen or lens, but many prefer to leave the repair to a professional service instead.

The real problem with finding good Canon digital camera repair for example is lack of knowledge. Most any store you go to and ask about repair will tell you to throw the camera in the garbage and buy a new one. A retail store has no idea that there are actual affordable camera repair options available, including parts for the do it yourselfer! A couple simple searches on Google will go a long way to help you find a reputable repair shop for your Canon digital camera repair.

2- Quality

The quality of images captured with a high quality lens, properly exposed and well posed is more than enough, even if you shoot JPEGS. Yes, JPEGS. More than 90% of the photos I take are shot in JPEG instead of RAW. Why would anyone in their right mind shoot in such a “low quality” mode? The answer is simple: It works.

Portrait photographers don’t always need super sharp high resolution photos. If they have in the past, they’ve always degraded the image through retouching and other means. It’s ironic if you think about it? You can still shoot in RAW mode if you wish, but it isn’t really needed.

3- Control

People want their photos fast. We are living in a drive-through culture and every minute counts. Even a small studio can create a slide show of the clients session within half an hour of taking the pictures. Clients love it. Customers get the results instantly. The client is already in the studio ready to see the images, and ready to spend, so sales go up. Their is ample evidence that when you show the images sooner, and you create large projected images, which is a cinch with digital, sales go up. Using a DSLR it gives portrait photographers greater control over the sales flow and this means and increase in profits.

4- Retouching

Let’s face it, people want to look good. What used to take hours and whole lot of aggravation with spray booths, smelly and dangerous lacquers, is now possible with absolute ease. Farming out all retouching took weeks and sometimes months to get back and we incurred huge retouching bills.

Not to mention the loss of control I had over the retouching aspects. It was up to the subjective interpretation of the retouching artist to enhance the images the way I wanted them retouched. All the time spent retouching photos in the past has been replaced with only minor Photoshop knowledge and much less time. In mere minutes. With absolute astounding results. This ultimately translates to satisfying a basic need that needs to satisfied in our clients, their vanity. Customers want to look good and they want to see the results right away.

5- Innovation

I could go on for days when it comes to what new products, ideas, services, sales processes, packages, etc, etc. . . I have created due to using a digital camera instead of film.

Suffice it to say for now that I am excited and alive again with passion about my photography and about the possibilities. When you apply the power of digital, and get a handle on it in your workflow, you can create new and exciting products like never before.
I’ve seen it and experience it every week in our busy little small-city studio. The proof boils down to the quality of the product, which is shown by your net profits?

After all, we are in business first, and creative artists second, right? We are in business to make money and survive. We need new and exciting angles, ways to stay afloat, so we can pay our bills, keep the bankers happy and provide for our families. No one can predict how digital photography will ultimately evolve, but my bet is with it all the way.

Anyone remember when color film and paper was introduced as a mainstream commodity? I don’t, I was just a wee lad, but I heard stories about the many studio owners closing their doors and packing it in because they didn’t want to keep up with the demand and latest craze that color film and color paper had created.

I have always been a fan of photography and shot many rolls of film over the years. I never thought I would switch to digital, but once I gave it a try I was sold and haven’t looked back.

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Digital Camera Repair #2 Problem? Broken Lens

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Digital camera lens repair is as common as LCD repair, but it’s #2 on my list because it’s harder to repair a digital camera lens and there are so many different types of lens problems whereas a broken LCD is a broken LCD no matter how you look at it.

Basic Lens Care Tips:

- Do not leave the batteries in your camera in the camera bag. The power button can be pressed accidentally causing the lens to extend and get jammed because it cannot open properly inside the bag.
- Try not to drop the camera with the lens extended.
- Do not attempt to pull or twist the lens barrel if it’s stuck, it’s not going to fix it.

I would have to write a book to fully explain lens problems fully (hmm.. what a great idea!) so I will try and keep it simple and informative.

The lens is made up of many different parts… Let’s start with the several pieces of glass referred to as the lens elements. The outer lens element is prone to being scratched and scuffed, and usually has a special coating on it that you DO NOT want to clean off with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), or Windex or something similar. Nothing to worry about if it’s not there, it’s not a big deal. Try to always have a clean lens (how do finger prints get on the glass anyway??) and scratch free.

The inner-most lens element is responsible for the fine focus and resides directly in front of the CCD. When you press the shutter button half way down to focus, this part moves forwards and backwards till it’s in the correct position and your image is in focus. You won’t be messing with this part of the lens… unless you feel like removing the lens from the camera and then tearing down the lens to get at it’s ‘guts’. It’s kinda fun the first time, but uh… Good luck putting it back together properly. The tearing apart stuff is awesome, the putting it back together is a drag!

The lens has two small motors with their own gears that connect to the two main parts of the lens. The larger motor drives the lens barrel in and out when zooming. The smaller motor drives the fine focus element mentioned above and controls the focus. If you get ONE GRAIN of sand in these gears, they will jam and the lens will “error out” as we like to say. Open it up and clean it out if you like, but it’s not easy. Typically the main motor of the lens has 5-6 different gears that must be set and aligned properly to function. But hey, your lens is already jammed, why not see how it works, right?

Then there is the CCD, “charge-coupled device” which translates the light that enters the lens into a digital signal that the camera can record.

There was a very large CCD recall for digital camera lens repair over the past few years that covers many manufacturers like Canon, Fuji and Nikon and not just Sony, but Sony provided the CCDs to many other manufacturers for their cameras so they do have a large amount of defective cameras on the list themselves. The defective CCD’s cause the camera to take solid black photos, or purple/pink “dripping paint” photos, or they have repeating white horizontal or verticle lines on the images. If your camera does this, call the manufacturer and tell them you want a repair under the CCD recall no matter how old your camera is! IF it’s on the list, you might get your camera repaired for free.

Got spots on your images that get bigger and smaller as you zoom in and out? Usually there’s a spot of dirt on the CCD unit. You will need to remove the lens and then remove the CCD from the back of the lens and clean it off. Don’t lose the gasket that goes around the CCD, don’t get any other dirt inside the lens and don’t leave any fingerprints! Tall order I know, sorry, I’m demanding. =)

Let’s see… what else? Your lens is part way out, stuck at an angle because the camera was dropped while turned on. Now please read that carefully; the lens must be stuck part way out or all the way out, and one section of the lens MUST be stuck at an angle. The lens must not move freely at all for this section to apply, and you may follow this advice AT YOUR OWN RISK. The following repair trick works, but I am not responsible for your actions or anything you do to your camera.

Ok, it’s stuck at an angle and you want to try and repair your camera lens yourself. No problem.

Hold the camera with the angled part of the lens resting against the edge of a table, and the rest of the camera hanging over the side. Do not place the camera facing down with the “Canon Zoom Lens…” metallic front section down flat on the counter. The round part of the lens barrel is what we want on the flat surface of the table. Now… here is the tricky part… press the angled part of the lens back into alignment by pushing down on the lens on the edge of the table. Put your fingers on the LENS below the angled part to support it and press firmly but still gently (how do I do that? I don’t know.. you just do it) and the lens will either POP!! back into place and work perfectly or it won’t budge and no harm will be done, -OR- one of the “guide pins” that run inside a small track in the lens barrel will break off and you have just destroyed the lens.

I told you it was at your own risk!! Camera repair is great… right?

Ok, how are we feeling about lenses? I think we have covered most of the basic problems, and possible solutions. You may buy a lens to repair your camera in several ways; the most expensive would be to call the manufacturer as they typically will charge $150 or more for the lens assembly.

Do a Google search for “digital camera repair” and you will see at #1 the only site that has affordable digital camera repair and DIY parts… Darntoothysam.com!

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Why Is It So Hard To Design a Good Digital Camera?

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Has your digital camera battery door broken off and is missing? Or your battery door has broken tabs on it and no longer holds closed tightly so the batteries don’t make contact and the camera won’t turn on?

Maybe your removeable battery door was taken off to add on a grip with extra battery power… and where exactly did you put it down?

I know; the tiny little piece of plastic on your CF (Compact Flash memory card) door broke off and your camera won’t turn on!

Oh man… how many cameras out there will not turn on because your memory card door is open, or the battery door is open, even though there really seems to be no reason for it? It can be annoying… the thin plastic battery doors are molded from one small drop of plastic and some are so thin that they break extremely easily, ( Canon SD750 broken battery door.. don’t get me started!) making your camera useless. What were they thinking when they designed this?? Are you SURE somebody tested this design? Did anybody stop for one second and ask what the reason was behind it?

I could work for ANY major digital camera company and tell them exactly what is wrong with the design of any new camera they release and save them hundreds of thousands of dollars in warranty repairs and upset customers! Think they would hire me? No way; I don’t have an Engineering Degree or a PHd is Physics so what do I know, right?

But just look at the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2 shutter button , I would never have let them put the camera on the market if they had only asked!!

Well I know plenty having fixed THOUSANDS of cameras over the past 5+ years, I know what is wrong with your camera if it is a certain model before you even tell me.

Sony H2 or H5? Damaged or missing shutter release button. Canon SD850? Jammed lens Canon SD750? Broken battery door… I’m not going to list dozens of cameras here, that’s not what this is about.

What do you do with your camera when one small piece of plastic is broken or missing? You paid hundreds for it and once again the guy at the store tells you “Throw it in the trash, this one is better, it goes to 11.” (A little movie humor there, hey it’s 1:30am I’m entitled) Tell that guy at the store a resounding “NO!” and walk out. Go home, get on the computer and get surfing.

Back we go to eBay… search for your model number and “door” or “parts” and voila, look at what you find!

As a side note here, I was the first and only digital camera parts store in the world on eBay. I used to buy hundreds of defective cameras and repair them and then used what could not be fixed for parts. I sold all those annoying little parts that you cannot buy anywhere for dirt cheap! $10 for a battery door and all you do to install it is twist it into place… and that “geek” at the store told you it would be $175 to send it in to Canon or Sony and have them do it for you…

Even if you don’t find the item you need right away don’t quit, keep searching. Even if you don’t want to try repairing it yourself it’s no problem, there are still places that can do it for you. Hopefully you will find one with decent prices; don’t pay anyone $50 to install a battery door for you… please.

(Google: “affordable digital camera repair” and you will find some help with your camera!)

Broken battery doors and memory card doors are very common. I think we would see a lot more customers asking for them if only they knew they could actually repair it and get their camera back working for less than $25-30! It really is that cheap, with many doors for only $15-20.

I hope this helps you find your camera repair solution and running again for very little money!

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You Can Repair Your Canon SD Series Lens Barrier Covers Yourself!

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

So many different people have asked us about fixing the built in lens covers/barriers/flaps on their Canon Powershot SD series digital cameras that I’ve gone ahead and written some instructions. The barrier kit on most Canon PowerShot SD series cameras is a little tricky but not impossible to replace yourself. You will need patience, a good eye and a steady hand as well as a small screwdriver. We’ve been using dental picks for some time, they do a good job!

To get things started, turn on the camera to extend the lens and then open the battery door and remove the battery so that the lens stays out. This allows you to easily work on the lens barrier assembly.

First the part we need is the ‘barrel drive ring’, it’s the ring with the small piece that sticks down into the lens. Some cameras don’t have one, so if there isn’t one in your kit then your camera doesn’t need it. Make sure it rotates slightly once it has been inserted, otherwise it’s not in properly and can jam the lens.

Next we will install the barrier plates or ‘flaps’ with the springs attached. There is a small little tab that holds the spring in place when you put it on the ‘flap’ or ‘barrier plate’ as they are actually called. They are TINY, they are hard to hold and if you drop it… lets just say DON’T drop it on the carpet, ok? We do have just the springs available for purchase, but please try not to lose them.

Gently put the flap in the hole with the spring laying towards the post that the free end will mount on; then with something with a very small tip (we use dental picks!) gently grab the loop of the spring and stick it on its post.

If you do this with the lens covers or ‘flaps’ in the open position they will stay in place once you get them properly seated. If everything pops off, just start again. Try not to stretch out the springs, they need to remain tight for the assembly to work properly.

Then gently put on the barrier cover, it’s a flat plastic ring. The tabs on the outer barrier cover match up with small slots in the lens housing and it will lock into place. Be gentle, don’t force anything too hard or you will break it and the parts will not hold it place.

Now you may test your repair prowess! Put in the battery (cross your fingers) and press the power button! Did it work? Did it go *SPROING!* and maybe all the parts scattered all over the place? I hope not, but you’re not alone I’ve been there too.

Once it’s working nicely …you’re almost done with your first camera repair!

Next put the dual sided tape on the barrier cover. CAUTION: Make sure to take the tape off of the backing paper but DON’T remove the paper that matches the shape of the tape on the other side!! If you take off the small paper part it will ruin the tape because it will fold and stick to itself. Bye bye tape!

The tabs fold over the edge, don’t let them stick out or the lens cover won’t fit and the lens will jam. Line up the tape tabs, starting at the 11 o’clock position and then fold down the tabs and press them in.

Now put on your chrome or black lens cap, line up the cap with the small indentation at the bottom, you’ll see how it goes on easily.

Fire up the camera again and admire your handywork! Congratulations you now know more about Canon camera repair than the Geek Squad, and they told you it would be two hundred dollars and take 3-4 weeks to repair. Whatever Geek Squad… Whatever.

Hmm… I think I’m seeing the beginning of something big here; affordable do it yourself Canon camera repair!

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How to Care For Your Digital Camera

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

The continuing development of digital camera technology offers near limitless choices for the professional and amateur alike when looking to achieve the best photographs possible. The variety of cameras available is huge, ranging from tiny compact point and shoot cameras to very large professional digital SLRs. Each type of camera available has pros and cons associated with it, so shopping for the right camera can be confusing. Camera preference will come down to the features and specifications that the individual desires, there is no one camera that will please everyone.

With any digital camera, there will be an assortment of features and utility levels which will make a good camera well above a thousand dollars. The current top digital camera brands are Canon, Sony and Nikon.

The two most important and expensive parts of the camera are the lens and the LCD screen. These parts should be regularly cleaned and maintained. These sensitive components such as a camera LCD screen should never be bumped or have a battery put against it inside the camera case; you don’t want to have to pay for a camera LCD screen repair It is also important to invest in good quality lens cleaning equipment such as a good lens brush, a lens blower and lens cloth. A blower will help remove the dirt while a lens cleaning solution removes sticky particles on the lens. Another important reminder is to protect the cameras lens by always putting on the lens cover when the camera is not in use.

Be sure to store your digital camera properly when not in use. It is recommended that the camera be stored in a cool and dry space. Always keep the camera out of the sun and from cold temperature. Digital camera batteries should also be taken out when the camera is not in use. Also keep in mind that magnets of any kind should also be kept away from the camera.

Besides just the camera itself, you should also remember to take care of your accessories such as memory cards. As these accessories are small, they should always be handled with utmost care. It should not be taken out while in the process of transferring images from the camera. Memory cards should be stored in the camera or in a card case to avoid damage to them and avoid losing them.

Taking care of your most prized digital camera is imperative to make certain that they will last for a very long time. You should look for overall brand reliability before making your purchase, and Canon has a great rating; but this does not mean that the camera won’t suffer from normal wear and tear just from normal use. As much as possible, to avoid having to find a Canon digital camera repair shop you need to protect it from impact damage, water exposure, sand and dust and extreme tempertures.

If you notice any damage or malfunction to any part then it is important to find someone who can affordably provide you with reliabledigital camera repair services. Keep in mind that a good digital camera is not cheap, and it pays off in the long run to take good care of it.

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