Killed my camera!!!

[ukcatfan]

Well, not my good one I brought our Nikon S210 to the beach on Friday. I accidentally dropped it about two feet off the ground on to the compacted sand parking lot. I am not sure if it was the impact or if a grain of sand got in there, but I am now getting a lens error. It landed face up and I didn't see any sand near the lens, so I am thinking it was the impact. Also, this was extremely compacted wet sand, so very little got on the camera at all.

It is not really a big deal since we hardly used it, but it was nice to grab and stick in my pocket when I didn't want to carry my DSLR. Anyone have any ideas? Also, does Nikon have a trade up program like Canon does?

 

[curtiswheat]

my wife had a camera do the same thing and a fried asked her if the lens was extended when she dropped it. It was and he had her pull on the lens lightly while on and somehow it got back on track or something and has been working since.

 

[ukcatfan]

I tried that with no luck. It was off when it happened. Also, it will extend pretty much all the way and then makes a strange noise and retracts. I might try taking it apart, but it is really small and I am sure everything inside is really compact. So, I doubt I will have any luck.

 

[Bstanley]

A few things I would try.

First I would try spraying some compressed air at it while the lens is attempting to extend. You can buy a can at pretty much any store that sells anything electonic (Best Buy, Staples, etc).

If the air doesn't have an impact I would try a brief spray of a Silicon lubricant while the lens is attempting to extend. Just a puff really since if it gets deep into the camera it might blur things.

And lastly - assuming its still DOA (nothing to lose) - even though you've already tried the 'grab the lens and pull' thing - I would try to drop the battery out of it while the lens was attempting to extend so that it would stop with the lens extended and then give the lens enough of pull to see if it pops it to the next tooth on the gear or whatever is causing the noise at the end.

Good Luck.

 

[MICKEY88]

I fixed a friends camera by gently twisting the lens and pulling as it tried to open..

 

[mom2rtk]

Whew! I'm glad it's not the good one!!

I dropped my little P&S last year with the lens extended. Oops.... I tried everything but no go.

I gave it to my teenage son who enjoyed taking it apart and then crunching all the parts with his bicycle..........

Good luck! I hope some of these great suggestions work!

Maybe you need to keep your next P&S on a Black Rapid strap????

 

[ukcatfan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to try to mess with it this weekend. I will let you know if there is any luck.

 

[zackiedawg]

Once all else fails, there's always the 'hit it again' method. Shockingly, this method has worked more than a few times for me with various electronics when I had already decided it was beyond help and ready to throw out. A nice sharp and quick rap of the corner of the camera on a countertop might just undo whatever was done when it dropped. Or, it'll do nothing at all. Or break it more. But hey, it's broken anyway, and it's a last resort move!

 

[Cinbride]

Once all else fails, there's always the 'hit it again' method. Shockingly, this method has worked more than a few times for me with various electronics when I had already decided it was beyond help and ready to throw out. A nice sharp and quick rap of the corner of the camera on a countertop might just undo whatever was done when it dropped. Or, it'll do nothing at all. Or break it more. But hey, it's broken anyway, and it's a last resort move!

that worked for me with my camcorder.

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Have you gotten it to work again? This has happened to 2 of our P&S cameras in the past, of course they were Canons....

 

[ukcatfan]

Well, I have an update and it is not good. My wife was messing with it and noticed that something is rattling around when the lens extends. My guess is that some gear was knocked loose when it hit the ground. So, it looks like the drop is the culprit and not the sand. I don't think this thing is going to be fixable, so I am going drastic this weekend and I am taking it apart. Probably will not succeed, but hey, why not try.

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Some DOA P&S cameras still retain some value, check out ebay and see if you are better off getting rid of it before opening it up. I know that some broken cameras still get a few bucks, which is more than youd get for a paperweight...