Broken Camera Gear, Now What?
5 Easy Steps: How to Get a Camera or Lens Repaired
Is this lens broken? Actually, it’s just an inexpensive
protective UV filter. It unscrews and can be replaced for less than $10.
It’s scary, it’s awful, it sucks… I know! It’s the worst feeling in the world looking at a
shattered front element or a cracked LCD screen. But fear not, cameras are
tools, and just like all tools they can be repaired and replaced.
This article will take you step-by-step through the process of repairing your
equipment, and common pitfalls to watch out for.
Step 1: How to diagnose what’s broken with my camera or lens
Sometimes this is a no brainer (like
if you drop your camera and break the screen). Sometimes it can be a little
harder to tell what the true issue is. I can’t count the amount of times
someone brought me a lens with a broken front element, and it turned out to
only be a broken filter. They had clearly put a filter on for protection long
ago, or even bought the lens with the filter, and never knew or remembered it
was there. The filter did it’s job, we were able to remove it and replace it at
the camera store, and the customer left having spent less than $30.
Sometimes there are multiple issues.
A cracked screen might seem obvious, but until that is fixed, it would be
virtually impossible to tell if the camera is taking photos correctly, because
we cannot see the results or the camera settings.
To diagnose an issue yourself,
Google and YouTube are excellent resources. Typing in your gear name/model, as
well as your symptoms, will often lead you to others who have had similar
experiences, plus, loads of information on repair options and pricing.
Need help with your diagnosis? We
can often help with a quick video call.
Step 2: Should I replace or repair my broken camera gear?
This seems simple enough, but it
gets complicated quickly. The short answer to this question is, if it’s more
expensive to repair it then to replace it, or the same price, it’s smarter to
replace it. The reason for this is obvious; you can get a new piece of
equipment that doesn’t have any wear or tear on it, perhaps one with a new
warranty, which would then allow you to use the old piece of equipment as a
back-up, even if it only partially works.
With this train of thought, it’s
important to evaluate the age and wear that is on the broken piece of
equipment. If the item needs a relatively cheap fix, but it’s seen more than
its share of photoshoots, it might be wise to replace it anyway. This also
helps maintain a set of more reliable equipment if you’re a professional
photographer.
To see what a replacement or new
part would cost, we recommend going to eBay and searching under the criteria
“sold items”. This will show you what people are actually paying for that piece
of equipment at both new and used prices.
Determining repair fees is harder.
It really depends on the issue that is needing to be fixed, and it’s always
wise to reach out to the manufacturer before paying for a repair. This will
allow you to check if you still have a warranty on the part. Otherwise,
reaching out to the repair department is still a great jumping off point. If
they can’t repair your item, they might recommend someone who can.
Having trouble deciding if it’s
worth it? We can’t choose for you, but we can do some research and give our
professional opinion.
Step 3: How to ship broken camera gear to a repair company
At this point you probably have
already made up your mind as to where you would like to have your item
repaired. Whether that be a simple fix that can be done by Riverside
Photography, or a larger repair that must be sent to the manufacturer.
At this point, you likely already
have a quote from that company as well. Keep in mind, this quote is not 100%
guaranteed. If the techs begin to repair your gear and discover another
critical issue, they will usually pause the repair, update your quote, and ask
you to accept or decline the new price.
Following the instructions from the
repair company when shipping (including diligently packing your item in a
generous gob of bubble wrap) will help ensure the success of your repair. After
all, you don’t want your item to take even more damaged in the mail. The repair
company will often send you a shipping label, otherwise they will send you an
address. After printing your own label, it’s as easy as that. Drop it at the
Post Offices/FedEx/UPS of your choice and await your confirmation email from
the repair company.
Step 4: How a camera repair company does payments
Some repair companies ask for a
deposit, But most will keep your item until payment is made in full.
If you have any concerns that the
company you’ve chosen may not be legit, feel free to give us a call and we will
let you know.
Step 5: How to check the quality of your repaired gear
It’s likely been at least two weeks,
maybe a couple months, and you’ve been so patient because you know how busy
those repair techs are. But, alas! The day has arrived, your repaired equipment
has returned.
You should receive it as well packed
as you sent it. (If you have any concerns whatsoever, it never hurts to
take out your smart phone and make an unboxing video. You don’t have to share
it with anyone, but you will always have proof in case you need it.)
Unbox the item, save the
paperwork/receipt somewhere safe in case you need it, and test the
functionality of your repaired item. As long as everything seems to work
correctly, then that’s all she wrote. Keep on trucking and be more careful next
time!
For any questions, concerns, or
further assistance, please reach out to us here.
Thanks for reading,
Jesse McCullough-Wilson
Riverside Photography
riversidephotowichita@gmail.com
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