Dropped Camera - The Good and Bad News

[Denvernoob]

So my a6000 is all of one week old, and while trying to get a closeup at the Denver Zoo yesterday I dropped it about 6 inches without a lens on it (while changing them out).  

 

The good news:

Camera is fully functional.  No mechanical damage to be found.  The camera fell on the bottom corner and came to rest on the rubberized grip.

 

The bad news:

The battery door popped open and the metal plate and open/close switch separated from the door.  I found the metal plate no problem,and the door is still attached to the body and closes without issue...but the switch/latch piece is missing.  I could not find it to save my life.  So....I have a fully functional camera with a battery door taped shut with electrical tape at the moment because a $.05 piece of plastic can not be found.

 

Any ideas as to where to find such a piece?  I looked at a couple of exploded diagrams of the camera and it appears that the door assembly is part of a larger assembly that is costly to replace, since the camera must be dissembled to replace that entire assembly.  I really don't want to pay $30 for a part and who knows what labor to replace what amounts to a plastic switch.  So....

 

I am totally open to ideas and advice if anyone has any. 

 

TIA

 

Ted

 

 

[Golem]

You could get the grip.

 

Or you could invent a latch.

 

The camera with an invented latch will be

of reduced marketplace value, but not of

reduced utility value. How much reduced ?

How much is the repair, using the proper

replacement part ? Are those about the

same dollar values ? I suspect they are

not far apart.

 

Also, even if the invented latch HUGELY

reduces market value, if you plan to keep

it for about 2 years, then the depreciation

of it as a digital tech item will be so great

that you'll be very happy you did NOT pay

for a pricey repair using original parts.

 

Very often, invented repairs [not tape !]

can be equal to, or even superior to, the

original construction ... cuz the original

is always compromised to facilitate mass

production, while the invented version can

be more carefully and thoughtfully built.

 

You can spend a couple hours and a few

dollars to do this, but a mass production

operation can spend only a few cents and

a few seconds, for the same latch.

 

`

[Golem]

Did you buy it from a place that allows you thirty days

grace to change your mind about refusing the extended

warranty with accident coverage ? You've still got 23

days to go ....

 

`

[Denvernoob]

Good points all around. Obviously this is very frustrating. I very rarely drop stuff....

The tape is not a long term option obviously. I am also compulsive about this kind of stuff, so a solution will be found one way or another. I am more inclined to try and have it serviced, though there is a risk to delicate electronics being taken apart and reassembled again...though I shift the liability in that case from myself to the repair facility. Hmmm...

[Golem]

Right.

 

Too bad it's not a Nikon. You could

send it to them for "estimate only",

and they would lose it and hafta

send you a fresh refurb.

 

`

[Denvernoob]

Just a quick update....

I sent the camera back in through a local SONY retailer.  The quote to repair was 4-6 weeks, and it seemed likely to them that due to the lack of overt damage, that I should only really have to pay the price of shipping back and forth as it should be covered under the manufacturer's warranty.  We will see in a couple of weeks what happens I guess!

 

I used to work for SONY when they had a retail presence....this time quote for repair seems to be about PAR for the course with SONY...for any product generally.

[Denvernoob]

Well...got the camera back today.  The camera went to Precision....so just in case anyone was curious about the numbers behind a VERY basic repair (battery door)...

 

-Camera was gone 6 weeks nearly to the day.

-It took 3 weeks to evaluate to get a quote, 3 weeks to repair the broken battery door.

-Cost was $270 with shipping charges included.  This included the replacement of 1 battery door assembly, re-calibrate to factory specs, and a thorough cleaning (I broke the camera at all of 2 weeks old so I don't know how dirty it could have been).

 

I repaired it because I couldn't stand the thought of using tape or some other way to secure the door on such a new piece of equipment...but I think it goes without saying this is a TOTAL ripoff.  Bad on me for not getting accidental coverage...but still.  Just stupid...

 

So...take that for what it's worth if you decide to have a factory repair through Precision.

[Aerial harmony]

Tape sounds like a reasonably priced fix after all.

[1950n]

Seems like a discouraging policy. Throw away and buy new! FAIL

 

 

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[Austerror]

Dang that sucks.

 

To be fair, I've had extensive experience with many different manufacturers and their not warranty repairs are always expensive. Its the modern way of doing business.