Broken LCD screen on Sony DSLR

[aimeeg]

About a month ago I purchased a Sony A300 DSLR camera. I have to say thank you for the recommendations I received on this board. I love love love love love my camera!!! I love that my old Minolta lenses fit and I mostly love the beautiful clear crisp pics of my girls!!!

I did something very dumb . . . We were going out on my Dad's boat. I packed a large tote bag and placed the camera inside the bag. Big surprise something knocked into the screen cracked it. The screen does not work and Best Buy only has a 14 day warranty. I did not buy the extended warranty. Yeah, I know. I need to have the screen replaced before we leave for vaca on August 3rd. Has anyone had to do this and does anyone have an idea about how much it is going to cost?

Thanks!!

Here is a pic I took this morning of my little cupcake this morning.

 

[zackiedawg]

Ouch! I honestly don't know the current cost for LCD repair on a camera. I had a broken 3" LCD on my Sony camcorder 4 years ago after it got burned out from water intrusion while I was out shooting in a hurricane (the camera was covered, but the 80+MPH winds drove the rain inside the cover)...I received a quote from Sony of approx. $350 to repair. I decided since it was a 5 year old camcorder to look for other options, and found some third party LCD repair places listed online that could do it for $100. I took a chance with one, and they fixed it fine...I don't know if you'd want to trust a third-party repair outfit or not.

I'd suspect the Sony cost may be between $300-400, and a third party probably between $100-200 with varying degrees of quality or trustworthiness!

(BTW - you should still be able to shoot with the camera without the LCD in a pinch - you can't see all the menu settings, but if you generally shoot in P, A, or S mode, or auto, they won't matter too much. And you can see your aperture, shutter, and ISO in the viewfinder. So just in case you absolutely couldn't get it fixed and need to take photos, you may be able to get by without the LCD).

 

[jann1033]

check out keh(phone (770) 333-4210.) i talked to shawn there this morning about a lens repair...they seem really helpful. they have a 6 month warranty for repairs..not sure what it would cost for the lcd but for the lens they were cheaper than canon and will look at it for free( you just pay to ship it to them) then give you a firm estimate.

 

[brandydandy]

This happened last month when I fell and broke the screen on our H9

Google Darntoothysam.com He is awesome awesome awesome. It was less than 1/2 the cost.

 

[aimeeg]

Thanks! I will check into the other people mentioned.

I called Best Buy to talk to the Geek Squad. They quoted me $700!

Then I googled cracked Sony screens etc. Apparently this is a common problem with these cameras. They sell a hard plastic screen cover that I am buying asap. I then contacted Sony. They are going to evaluate the camera damage and hopefully they will repair it since it is under warranty. Otherwise it will be $238. Also, the turn around time is 7-10 business days. Our camera would be shipped back before our August WDW trip. I might be Fed Ex'ing in the morning.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thanks! I will check into the other people mentioned.

I called Best Buy to talk to the Geek Squad. They quoted me $700!

Then I googled cracked Sony screens etc. Apparently this is a common problem with these cameras. They sell a hard plastic screen cover that I am buying asap. I then contacted Sony. They are going to evaluate the camera damage and hopefully they will repair it since it is under warranty. Otherwise it will be $238. Also, the turn around time is 7-10 business days. Our camera would be shipped back before our August WDW trip. I might be Fed Ex'ing in the morning.

I was going to suggest talking to Sony - I've read a few reports where they have fixed things that were due to accidental damage and really shouldn't have been covered under the warranty. Hope you get lucky!

Cute pic of your daughter BTW!

 

[Code]

Then I googled cracked Sony screens etc. Apparently this is a common problem with these cameras. They sell a hard plastic screen cover that I am buying asap. I then contacted Sony. They are going to evaluate the camera damage and hopefully they will repair it since it is under warranty. Otherwise it will be $238. Also, the turn around time is 7-10 business days. Our camera would be shipped back before our August WDW trip. I might be Fed Ex'ing in the morning.

Doesn't seem like it would be a problem specific to any brand.. in general, LCDs are pretty fragile.

I have a Sony A700 and started with the Sony plastic screen protector, but ended up hating it because it added glare, scratched too easily, and didn't attach securely enough. Also, I read too many stories of people that get a speck of sand stuck between the protector and the screen only to have it scratch up their screen.

To replace it, I got a cheap thin glass protector from Ebay for something like $8.50 shipped (GGS brand). It cuts glare and is easy to clean without worrying about scratching it. I've actually had two of them, because the first did its job protecting my LCD from the head of a kid that ran into my camera when I was wandering around World Showcase..

 

[itzmehkristine]

what about broken Kodak screens? I got the Kodak EasyShareZ1485 IS for christmas and I fell in love with it. Unfortunately, I was stupid. My camera was around my wrist, I bent down to tie my shoe, and it hit the ground.
Everytime I turn it own, it shows a cracked screen, and I don't think I can take pictures with it. I don't have a warrenty on it, so how much would it cost to repair it?

 

[ukcatfan]

what about broken Kodak screens? I got the Kodak EasyShareZ1485 IS for christmas and I fell in love with it. Unfortunately, I was stupid. My camera was around my wrist, I bent down to tie my shoe, and it hit the ground.
Everytime I turn it own, it shows a cracked screen, and I don't think I can take pictures with it. I don't have a warrenty on it, so how much would it cost to repair it?

More than buying a new one.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Did you buy it on a credit card? Check with them to see if they cover any damage. I dropped my old 717 and it needed a new lens (eg user error, not a defect.) Visa actualy picked up the tab from Sony. (I was shocked!)

 

[aimeeg]

Great News to Report!

Sony received my camera yesterday, fixed and shipped it back today free of charge.

Thanks so much for all the advice!

 

[brandydandy]

That is great!!!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Awesome news!