Front Curtain Stuck in Closed Position

[hadyashraf]

Dear All,

 

Trying to find a solution for a shitty situation im in right now. Would hope that you guys could help.

 

I live in Cairo, Egypt. Bought my camera 2 months ago from Dubai, UAE.

 

All of a sudden, i was taking a picture and the screen went all black. When trying to take another picture, the camera shows "Camera Error, turn off then on again". I took off the lens and found that the shutter curtain is stuck in closed position with a small metal hinge or something sticking out. As could be seen in the image below. [sorry for the low quality]

 

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When i touched that metal part sticking out, it snapped back in and the shutter curtain opened again. 

 

When i took another picture, the exact same thing happened again.

 

The thing is, my warranty is only valid in UAE, and i'd hate to ship it there for repair as it might take to long.. I urgently need the camera up and running by mid-April because im going to mexico and the US.

 

My options are:

1- Do a non-warranty repair in Egypt which might cost too much and i honestly dont trust them with my camera.

2- Do a DIY fix which wouldnt damage the camera [Preferred option]

3- Ship it to Dubai for a fix

4- Take it with me to the US for a fix. However, im not staying that long over there and i dont think my warranty would apply there

 

 

Sorry for the long post, Im kinda freaking out over here

 

Thanks in advance

[Steve C]

Take it back to Dubai and get a refund/replacement,it's dead.

[hadyashraf]

My god.. that breaks my heart ... 

 

First time i spend real money on a camera .. this happens

 

I also read that Sony comes up with excuses not to fix or replace them .. 

 

Anyone had the same problem..  

[lenoindex]

try if you can shoot with silent shuttle mode, so you can still play with it before returning or fixing it.

[yeer31]

The A7II does not have a silent shutter and even if it did, it would require the shutter to be up in the first place.

 

I really feel for you, it's obvious that this is something you have saved up and bought with great anticipation. Many of the people here have had bad experiences with Sony Support but it's really you only option to have it fixed cheaply and professionally. If you tamper with the shutter of have it fixed by any other means, it will void your warranty - for whatever that is worth.

 

If official channels fail, I would look into having it shipped to somewhere Europe to have it fixed. Somewhere where there is proper customer service. But do try official channels first and good luck!

[JonathanStewart]

Same thing happened to me, twice, with my A7R2. The first time, they replaced the shutter under warranty. The second time, they claimed that I'd gotten the camera wet and refused to fix it, meaning I had to go through my third-party insurance that I bought with the camera (a real battle).  Strange that a warranty would only be in UAE. I thought Sony's warranty was worldwide. That's something you'd better check with Sony, first and foremost.  Call them, ask them where the authorized warranty repair place is in Egypt, tell them you'd like to initiate a claim, and take it from there. I'd be surprised if they tell you your warranty is not valid in your home country.  When I called to initiate my second repair, I was in Peru, and they sent me to a place there. I had to explain that I was coming home in a week and wanted to repair it in the USA - Sony's somewhat incompetent. I just waited and started over when I got home.  

 

If you can get it fixed in Egypt, obviously that would be easiest.  If you wait until you come to the US, remember that even the best camera shop, with the part in stock (unlikely), will still probably take at least a week to get it back to you. If you have to wait for the part, you may wind up going home without it and have it shipped back to you.

 

I'm already using my 4th A7R2 body now.  I just insure them and treat them like disposable napkins.  They're not really made for harsh use, and Sony's service is famously bad, so I insure them and carry on, hoping that the next version will be more robust.