Dropped my G3 in the sea...

[Be_there]

At the end of a very good holiday last Thursday, I dropped my G3 in Mallaig harbour. Yes, I know that was neither clever nor sensible but I was lifting my daughter onto a boat and had I grabbed the camera as it fell, I would have dropped her instead...
Fortunately the air in the case kept it afloat long enough for me to hang down the side of the boat and grab it. There wasn't even that much water in it, just too much. I dried it carefully for several hours before switching on but predictably it was just dead - no response at all.
It's gone off to Canon but in the meantime I wonder if any of you knowledgeable folks would like to give me an idea of what is likely to have happened to it. I guess it would be to do with power and circuitry but beyond that I don't know enough about how these things work.
Thanks in advance. (and feeling a litle foolish)

[Sgouz]

What happened to it?

It got wet!

[Penguin_101_1]

Did anything happen to the CF card?

[Be_there]

The CF card was fine. I'd uploaded a set of shots from that morning and had only taken one before the boat trip, but when I plugged it into the card reader it worked fine. But only a very small amount of water had got into the camera and just a drop or two into the CF compartment - there was more in the battery compartment.
I know Canon will tell me the exact damage but I'm just curious as to what the possibilities are.

[twl845]

:shock: Next time hold on to the camera and let your daughter go. She will float longer, and once dried out, an ice cream cone is all the repair she will need. As for the camera in this case, some of the circuitry might have fried due to the water acting as a conductor for the electrical current creating short circuits and grounds. I'm sure Canon will do a good job.

[283CID]

There is a pretty good chance you can save it. I assume your harbor was salt water. If you were good and lucky, when you tried to turn it on, current didn't flow to the wrong places in the highly conductive salt water soaked environment.

Get some DISTILLED WATER. Soak, then rinse the camera, as many times as you have the water and patience for. Then let it dry....warm... not HOT.

Then.... apply a little 'super knee power'..or whatever else you might use for Divine Assistance, and try it. I have retrieved electronics from such events before. The important thing is to wash away the salt water...FAST... for both easy cleansing, and possible corrosion.

Good luck.... get right on it, Old Boy...

[Biko]

The CF card was fine.

Someone mentioned on this forum that they put a CF card accidently in the washing machine - it was in a pocket, and when found it much to their surprise it worked!

[Penguin_101_1]

I figured it would since the CF has no electrical system of its own and it has no moving parts such as a microdrive.

[ijohnson]

I found that with the G-series cameras, it is too tempting to handle them like a disposable camera. The size indicates that it is for convenience so you really don't want to keep the neckstrap on all the time, where the price indicates that you should superglue it to your hand.

So, I dropped my G2 a few times giving it some loveable cracks and scratches.

With my SLR, it is already big and cumbersome so a neckstrap is much easier to deal with.

Sorry about your camera. You must have felt sick when it happened. If it sank would you have dove in after it?

[283CID]

My wife's G-1 lives in a leather carrying case...strapped to her lovely neck. MY G-1 is NEVER un-strapped from my wrist.

But I have seen some surprizingly good results from washing the salt out of equipment. What does he have to lose? I'll be waiting to hear how it goes...

[DocFrankenstein]

Get some DISTILLED WATER. Soak, then rinse the camera, ...
I would be very concerned about a camera which was soaked and rinsed in (even distilled) water.

Shutter, the sensor and other delicate mechanical and coated parts will not survive such treatment.

I would have dropped her instead...
Boo hoo hoo

You can always make a new daughter :twisted: :roll:

[283CID]

Not necessarily so.... In my career in the Military I had seen a couple of voltmeters, one oscilloscope and a frequency counter go over the side...and be restored.

Granted, NO water in there is better, but distilled water leaves no residue of any kind, and with no abrasive action [scrubbing] along with it, lubrication on moving parts is really not effected....assuming you don't leave the gear submerged indefinitely.

Besides.....it is totally SHOT if left alone, so what's the gamble? A few hundred buck to replace it... or probably as much to re-build it.....either way?

[Autumn]

My household insurance covers me for accidental damage. This includes damage to my camera away from home.

Have a look at your insurance.

I always use the neck strap. Even so there have been the odd occasions when I have nearly dropped it - even putting it over my head. :(

Hope it wont cost too much.

In the UK it is £150 for Canon to repair a G3!! I had mine back to Canon last week but it was a warranty evaluation. That is when I was told the proper price.

[Be_there]

Thanks to all for comments and advice. I sent the camera straight back to Canon so can't try the distilled water rinse. I'll ring the insurance company tomorrow to see if my policy covers this, but I think it's more likely Canon will say £150, which I will pay to have a great camera back.

[283CID]

OK... sorry to not have been more help. Best of luck ....

By the way, as I understand these devices, the 'shutter' is not mechanical, but electronic pulse of different lengths, to 'enable' the image sensors for periods of time. Not sure about the aperture method, but I'd bet all your money it is done electronically somehow too... Which would mean that the only mechanical thing in a G series is the motor for running the lens out...

Anyway.......

[Be_there]

A colleague suggested yesterday that I might be able to claim on house insurance. A quick call today confirmed this and the company say they are more likely to replace it than authorise a repair, depending on what Canon say.

[283CID]

Good to know.... again, best of luck...

[twl845]

Insurance

:wink: Thanks for the tip. We forget about our homeowners insurance when it comes to things like this. I'll file this away.

[surfer69]

I agree with 283CID, I used the distilled water trick to rescued an SLR I dropped in the sea once, just remeber to remove the battery as soon as you can.
Better to keep the camera in a kids bucket full of distilled water until you can dry it out.. but the battery does need to be out first!
Good luck with the insurance, I've a had a couple of battles with them too!

[Be_there]

Camera came back from Canon today.

Total cost of repair would be 751.06GBP (for a camera that cost 440GBP.)
(751.06GBP = 1,370.61 USD)

Quote from Canon letter: 'your unit has been found to be beyond economic repair' (Note to self: Check whether 'understatement' appears in Canon engineers' job decription.)

No problem with insurance company - they have appointed big camera store to supply replacement. I assume I'll be offered a G5.

When you pay the premiums, doesn't insurance suck? When you need it, isn't insurance great?

[Penguin_101_1]

Camera came back from Canon today.

Total cost of repair would be 751.06GBP (for a camera that cost 440GBP.)
(751.06GBP = 1,370.61 USD)

Quote from Canon letter: 'your unit has been found to be beyond economic repair' (Note to self: Check whether 'understatement' appears in Canon engineers' job decription.)

No problem with insurance company - they have appointed big camera store to supply replacement. I assume I'll be offered a G5.

When you pay the premiums, doesn't insurance suck? When you need it, isn't insurance great?

WOW!

[4walls]

Camera came back from Canon today.

Total cost of repair would be 751.06GBP (for a camera that cost 440GBP.)
(751.06GBP = 1,370.61 USD)

Quote from Canon letter: 'your unit has been found to be beyond economic repair' (Note to self: Check whether 'understatement' appears in Canon engineers' job decription.)

No problem with insurance company - they have appointed big camera store to supply replacement. I assume I'll be offered a G5.

When you pay the premiums, doesn't insurance suck? When you need it, isn't insurance great?

Time to upgrade to the dSLR ! ! !

I am just waiting for my wife to drop my G3 so I can upgrade too. :wink:

[Penguin_101_1]

Camera came back from Canon today.

Total cost of repair would be 751.06GBP (for a camera that cost 440GBP.)
(751.06GBP = 1,370.61 USD)

Quote from Canon letter: 'your unit has been found to be beyond economic repair' (Note to self: Check whether 'understatement' appears in Canon engineers' job decription.)

No problem with insurance company - they have appointed big camera store to supply replacement. I assume I'll be offered a G5.

When you pay the premiums, doesn't insurance suck? When you need it, isn't insurance great?



Time to upgrade to the dSLR ! ! !

I am just waiting for my wife to drop my G3 so I can upgrade too. :wink:
Drop? Just throw it! :lol:

[Be_there]

...actually I'm not convinced the G5 is really an upgrade from the G3 if, as I've heard, it is noisier. And neither am I convinced the camera store will negotiate on an upgrade or that I want to jump straight to a dslr.

My advice is, insured or not, don't drop your G3 in the sea.

[Be_there]

...and for those who had a pot shot at what was wrong with it, here's what Canon say:

WATER DAMAGE - TO REPLACE OPTICAL, BATTERY BOX, MAIN PCB, DC/DC, ZOOM PCB

Isn't that just a technical way of saying 'everything'?

[283CID]

Yup... it sound like everything but your fingerprints on the case !

Anyway, I hope you will be happy with your new Picture-Taker...no matter which... and... try visiting a DESERT... not the Sea... eh ? :wink:

[Be_there]

Anyway, I hope you will be happy with your new Picture-Taker...no matter which... and... try visiting a DESERT... not the Sea... eh ? :wink:

So it's OK to get a G3/5 full of sand? I will drop it you see; I have form...

[rsnadel]

If you're not in an extreme hurry, you might consider waiting a month until the rumored G6 is released (supposedly 7MP). There's been a lot of discussion today on this website:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=9777927
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=9772287

[Be_there]

I suspect the camera store will not want to wait a month to supply a replacement, otherwise I might consider it.

[surfer69]

You can always say you're too busy to pop by for a couple of weeks.
I once claimed for a lost SLR outfit and spoke to the insurance company about upgrading to a camcorder. They didn't have a problem with it, just wouldn't send me money 'cos of the likelyhood of fraud.

[puttick]

I've dropped my Nikonos in the sea several times, and it still works perfectly. 8)

[Be_there]

Well the camera store phoned and the deal is I get a credit voucher for the current price of a G5.

So now I have a choice: G5, wait until the G6, or pay extra for a Pro 1.