I am so mad right now with my camera!

[Spinning]

I bought a new camera in July. I thought it out searched and found what I felt was a good camera, I didn't want digital. I bought a Minolta 160. And it isn't working for the second time! They repaired in Oct. It would shut off when you pushed the shutter! And now it is doing it again! Granted I have the repair warrenty but I will be without a camera for up to 4 weeks! I do have a back up, my mom will lend me her digital to use but it isn't the same! I cna't get use to that delay and I haven't found paper I like as well...plus I like matted finish and they say home printers don't do as well and should use glossy!
I am so upset. I wanted to cry at the store! I felt they should replace the camera! I told them my whole sob story and how much film I use per month and that I scrap! I also told them I missed great shots at Halloween because it was being repaired and now the end of the year!
Thanks for letting me vent!

 

[grover]

That sucks!!!!
Would they give you a refund or allow a trade in for a different camera??? Perhaps if you went "high" enough up the chain of command they would allow this, I would push for it as you don't want this happening again!!
At the least they should give you a loaner if they won't accomodate the request for a new one...most times a squeky wheel will get the grease!
Hope it all works out...us fellow scrappers totally understand your frustration.
Grover in Winnipeg

 

[safetymom]

If you have a good printer you can print your photos that look as good as the store developed ones.

Cost is about the same and the archival life is longer if you print them yourself.

I am here at WDW right now and I went and took photos with my digital and printed them at the scrapbooking event. I use Epson printers and they look wonderful. Many people have commented on how good they are. You have to use the right printer with the archival inks but traditional prints only have a life of 25 years. With many of the inkjets you will have an archival life of 80 plus years. The archival life is rated on the image being exposed to strong light. With scrapbooking they are protected and kept in dark places so the life will be in the 200 years range. This isn't the case with all printers but those with archival inks.

The life of the print is determined more by the paper than the inks. If you use glossy it will be shorter, matte paper has a longer life.

So I gave up my high end 35mm camera to go totally digital. It is a great way to go because you can take many more pictures without the expense of developing.

 

[Spinning]

Hi Grover,
I did the whole thing about my need for a camera and that I felt since this was the second time they should just replace it. They will have a loaner for me todaybut it won't have the same zoom.
I also asked what happens if it breaks again? She said she would call Minolta and see if they could do something.
I did speak with the regional manager. The first store I went to the guy was very nice but didn't have a loaner and and couldn't authorize a replacement. He felt it should be. So he told me which store she was at.
I plan to contact Minolta and let them know how upset I am.
I think if it was 2 years old I wouldn't be so upset, Well some....but it is less than a year and this is the second time. Last time they felt some type of soidering must have loosened.....

safetymom
I know down the road I will go digital. but at this point in time I am not ready! The printer we have does a really nice job and they do look nice, different though but I think all digital look different. More depth I think. But I have a feeling once my warrenty is up on this one I will be buying digital....So I will start to save. I want a new printer at the same time!

 

[Spinning]

A postive note this time.
I had to go back to the camera shop today to pick up the loaner which I figured would be a dog of a camera well...it ended up being a nice Konica with a 130 zoom and is brand new. So thank goodness for that. At least now I can still get great shots with the end of school.
SHe did put a request in to have the camera replaced. I hope they do.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Isn't it upsetting when things don't work? They make things so cheap now-a-days.

We took a day trip to Boston last year and I decided to take the 35mm with us instead of the digital. The camera was about 2 yrs old...and had been only on 2 trips to WDW.....and maybe had taken 15 rolls of film. When I got the 2 rolls of film from Boston trip developed they were blank. Turns out the shutter never opened on any of them. I was so disappointed because I knew I had some really nice pictures on it.

Camera store thought the camera was new since it looked in excellent condition. I take care of my stuff. They suggested I send it to manufacturer with story of how little it's been used -- yada yada yada....... and Pentax fixed it even though warranty was up.

I learned I either carry my 35mm & digital ...... OR ...... only the digital. I still don't trust the 35mm. Lately, I hardly ever grab the 35mm at all.

 

[Timon]

Spinning,

I feel for ya! We had a similar thing happen to our brand new pentax a few years ago, had to take it in twice, second time right before our wdw trip!

I know you are not ready but you won't regret going digital! The prints they can make now are unbelievable. Our London Drugs store prints them in either glossy or matte and the quality is great, even when I use my printer at home!

I fought my hubby for 2 years about getting a digital and now that we have one, I regret not doing it 2 years ago! I have yet to use my 35mm camera since!

 

[eeyoreforever]

If I were you, I would go ahead and contact Minolta directly. It is amazing what some companies will do to maintain their customer service. Even if they won't replace your camera, they may offer you something else-like film or something. I have contacted several companies about products that I was either disappointed in or loved, and most of the time, they offer you some token. Doesn't hurt to try!

 

[safetymom]

Spinning, once you go digital you will never go back. You can get a great Epson photo printer for only $99.

The photos and scrapbooks pages printed on an Epson have been rated to 200 years in a scrapbook.

 

[Spinning]

Safetymom is that using special ink?
Right now we have a new HP that does print great photo's but it isn't photo ink. I htink we can buy that for it. It said it was photo quaulity. But I dripped water once on a picture and it just washed away! Does that happen with you pictures?

 

[safetymom]

Epson photo printers come with that ink. On photo paper it is as resistant to water as a traditional print. If it is on matte paper then it will run somewhat. The pigmented inks are totally waterproof.

 

[kittychatalot]

I use my HP 7550, which I guess is the best HP home use photo printer they make. I also make sure that the setting on my digital camera is for high quality because before I figured that out my pics were lousy. My matte pictures look just as good as my glossy ones with the CM paper. Good luck- and btw- my camera is a Sony and it is fabulous! My family and friends all have bought SOny so that way we can all help eachother out in how to use it!

 

[giatocj]

Spinning,

If you have the receipt you should definitely be able to return it. The "Lemon Laws" do NOT only apply to cars!!! If your camera was already repaired for the same problem before then you DEFINITELY should get a replacement, or at least the full value of the camera towards a new one.

I have a Minolta SLR (XTsi) and LOVE it...knock on wood in three years I've had no problems with it. I'm not familiar with your model, but that doesn't matter. It's a lemon-it's defective-and it should be replaced.

I bought a $ 400 lens for my camera and when I put it on, the camera wouldn't work. So I took it back, the guy at the store tried it on 3 different Minolta models and it didn't work on ANY of them, even though it should have worked on ALL of them. Therefore, the lens was defective and he took it back with no problem at all. I believe the same is true of your camera.

Good luck!!! And be persistent...you know what they say about the squeaky wheel!!!

Donna C.

 

[safetymom]

Whoever told you that about the inkjet paper is incorrect. They are available in all sorts of finishes. You would have a hard time telling the difference between that and store developed pictures.
Depending on the make of the printer you have have less choices. But I use and Epson and I can print glossy, matte, semi-gloss, lustre. There are plenty of finishes depending on the project I am creating.