I'll Just Go Get A Coffee

" I've brought my camera in for your chap to fix. I started to do it but I ran out of time. But It's probably just a little thing...shouldn't cost much at all. I'll just go up the cafe and get a coffee while he he pops it together. I'll call back in half an hour, eh? " This is why we have a counter between you and the repairs department staff - for your protection. It is also why we keep the workshop upstairs - we've heard the technician scream before and it's not a comfortable sound. Okay - that was a joke. And presumably you laughed, if only to be kind...but home repairs for photographic equipment are no joke in themselves. They are possible - but only within sensible boundaries: a. The home tripod repair. This is actually more of a tripod adjustment. Many of the tripods we sell have bolts that are fitted with allen heads, and many of the makers supply allen keys to go with them. This is because they know that legs, pivots, heads, and locks can wear slightly in time and become sloppy. If there is enough thread built into the parts, the bolts can be re-tightened carefully and the whole device carries on as before. The important word is " carefully ". Some people think that if tight is good, too tight is better. Too tight is next door to stripped bolt and on the border of new tripod, so exercise a bit of restraint. And if something bottoms out before it actually fixes the problem, it is time to bring the problem to the CE repair department. b. The home sensor clean. Well, sensor cleaning kits are sold, and have been sold for years. Some of them are gentle and some of them are agricultural, but the only time you discover this is when you have scored an own goal by scouring a line on your sensor. Desperate times may need desperate measures but remember that despair should be only resorted to after careful blowing and shaking have been tried. And only when there is no possible access to the CE repair department. Note: I have seen the CE techs at work on a certain brand of camera that had a dirty sensor problem from the start of production and seen them clean off that problem with a very clever means. No more hints - it's a shop secret. But if you seem to have never had a good run with your camera, no matter what lens you used, call in. You might be shooting one of the ones that handicapped you from the start...and the CE discovery might be the start of a whole new clear view of the world. c. The home flash repair. Oh, yes, poke a screwdriver into that flash gun with the fully charged capacitor. But wait a moment until I get a box of popcorn and a big orange drink. If it's a studio strobe and you want to unscrew the back, give me time to get to the other side of the street before you poke it. d. The bent part. If you bent it, and it still works, congratulations. If it stopped working, consider whether the force you have already hit the poor old camera with was only on that part or whether it has gone further inside and disrupted the entire works. Just replacing one bent bit may make it look fixed but the performance may be degraded. e. Water. By all means try the trick of putting a soaked camera into a bucket of rice. If the rice swells up and is ready to cook in a couple of hours, with a nice salty taste, throw the camera away. If it was fresh water dry everything you can see and rush it down to Stirling Street. Disregard folk tales about soaking it in meths or oil or microwaving it. f. Steel yourself - the repair quotation is coming. And you're gonna pay for it beforehand, as well. If the thing that you have busted is over 5 years old, think seriously about getting a new one and just moaning about your misfortune to your mates. Digital equipment advances at a rapid rate and as soon as your Ol' Faithfulflex has been rendered less so by your own carelessness it is time to think about something new.