Please recommend a camera repair place

blueice · Sep 21, 2007

My friend gave me several cameras and lenses, including
Canon EOS 3,
70-200/2.8L
17-35/2.8L
50/1.4

All gears was dropped into water several years ago, and partial functions of the equipments are not appropriate. Could somebody recommend a repair place with resonable price? I checked KEH, their repair center seems down.

Thanks

David A. Goldfarb · Sep 21, 2007

I'd send them to Canon. Check their website for information.

Pinholemaster · Sep 21, 2007

"dropped into water several years ago"

give them to someone else, and buy new gear

Murray@uptowngallery · Sep 21, 2007

Murray@uptowngallery said:
Garry's Camera Repair in Illinois,Chicago suburbs is cheap, but I wouldn't expect a neglected water immersion victim to be a cheap repair, and I wouldn't be surprised if many places wouldn't work on it if there is corrosion.

Some repair places warn you if they find sand inside they will stop work immediately and return unrepairable.

Look at the cost of used cameras before committing to a repair if you find a quote you like. Personally, I'm not sure I'd trust a quote that wasn't based on the camera being opened up & looked at. A flat-rate quote might be safe for normal aging;that is, a clean lube & adjust. Water damage is likely to mean a great deal more labor will be needed, and either your quote turns into a rough estimate or the repairman cuts corners because he is unhappy at a significant increase in labor he will lose money on if he honors a flat-rate quote.

Maybe an EOS is from the 'plastic generation', and corrosion would be mostly limited to electronics.

Lastly, few repair people are qualified or equipped to open up lenses very far (and get them back to factory alignment).

Just my opinion.

Paul_C · Sep 21, 2007

ICT Camera http://www.ictcamera.com/

cosm670 · Sep 23, 2007

I would at the very least look into the 70-200 the non IS model sells for just under 1200 and the model with IS sells for just under 1700. So even if you spent a few hundred bucks to repair it you could turn around and sell it at a decent price or have a really nice lens for dirt cheap.

resummerfield · Sep 23, 2007

Pinholemaster said:
"dropped into water several years ago"........give them to someone else, and buy new gear

I'll have to agree with Pinholemaster. Once a camera is immersed, only a very valuable camera is worth repairing, and then only if done immediately. Buy new gear.

DWThomas · Sep 23, 2007

Any electronic gear that goes underwater with a battery attached is a candidate for oblivion (unless maybe it's distilled water). I've seen traces eaten right off the circuit boards.

DaveT

blueice · Sep 24, 2007

Thank everyone for helpful response. The situation is that: the EF 70-200 lens can still focus quite smoothly, all apertures function as it should. I can see a big water stain inside of front element. However, the pictures from this foggy lens are still amazingly good. So I am wondering in this situation if I spend $200 to just clean the element, it maybe still worth to do it.

The EF 50mm/1.4 lens, when I received it, it still worked well, and only minimium stain inside of it. However recently I found AF was not working any more, I don't know why.

I opened the EF 17-35/2.8L, and found some cable was broken, probably my friend already did something about it.

The EOS 3, I found the LED in the viewfinder can't show the exposure colume, other information can still show up. The problem I found is the battery leakage.

John Hermanson · Sep 25, 2007

Most manufacturers now refuse to work on water damaged equipment. You will probably see constant problems. Buy new or working used.

Please recommend a camera repair place

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