50d dropped in water

It's not a camera but I had a cell-phone go through the washing machine while it was turned on. I took it out and dried it, without joy. Then it sat on top of the tv for a year or so with the back off. I was visiting my mum and on a whim, I turned it on. Hey presto... it came back to life.

So maybe all is not lost. I'd put some silica gel into all the compartments you can get access to (incuding under the mirror, put it in a plastic bag and leave it somewhere warm for a while. The worst that can happen is that nothing happens.

I, too, killed a camera - 40D. I used saltwater and found it very effective. Death was almost instant, so it really didn't suffer long. Corrosion was evident within hours. My mourning period is almost over as my new 7D arrives this Tuesday

Update---------Someone told me about a camera shop nearby, so I called and they said they would take a look at it and possibly repair it. I dropped it off, 3 days later they told me it could be fixed for under $250 ($140 labor & $95 parts). Got it back Tuesday, and it works as good as new. Glad I called them and didn't just take Canon's word that it was unrepairable.

dreamcatcher1450 wrote in post #14967409
Update---------Someone told me about a camera shop nearby, so I called and they said they would take a look at it and possibly repair it. I dropped it off, 3 days later they told me it could be fixed for under $250 ($140 labor & $95 parts). Got it back Tuesday, and it works as good as new. Glad I called them and didn't just take Canon's word that it was unrepairable.

Congratulations, dreamcatcher! That is great news! Did they say what parts were replaced?

Enjoy your 'new' camera!

They replaced 2 circuit boards and cleaned everything.

dreamcatcher1450 wrote in post #14967481
They replaced 2 circuit boards and cleaned everything.

Thanks for the feedback!

And rightfully so as people would be complaining to no end. If you fix something just to get it working, and tell the customer that it's iffy but works, they will totally forget the "iffy" part. They will demand their money back when it fails, totally forgetting that they were told that it might not work. It's just better to say nope, not going to fix it, even if it is possible to get it to work initially.

Also, with electronics, they always corrode. It might work a day or a week, but the odds of it working months or years later is slim.

The shop gave me a 90 day warranty on the camera. If it last 90 days, it'll last a few years. I'm a retired naval engineer, and I've never seen corrosion start that long after something was submerged. I'm extremely happy with the shop's work.

KCS wrote in post #14719322
I, too, killed a camera - 40D. I used saltwater and found it very effective. Death was almost instant, so it really didn't suffer long. Corrosion was evident within hours. My mourning period is almost over as my new 7D arrives this Tuesday

The wave that killed my 40 D was magnificent.
Too bad that the corrosion hit it in my daughter's wedding!
No flash, none whatsoever. Thank g** for the Midnight Sun!

Gregg.Siam wrote in post #14967536
And rightfully so as people would be complaining to no end. If you fix something just to get it working, and tell the customer that it's iffy but works, they will totally forget the "iffy" part. They will demand their money back when it fails, totally forgetting that they were told that it might not work. It's just better to say nope, not going to fix it, even if it is possible to get it to work initially.

Also, with electronics, they always corrode. It might work a day or a week, but the odds of it working months or years later is slim.

Actually, they will remember the "iffy" part long enough to list it on eBay, and THEN they will forget the iffy part.

dreamcatcher1450 wrote in post #14967409
Update---------Someone told me about a camera shop nearby, so I called and they said they would take a look at it and possibly repair it. I dropped it off, 3 days later they told me it could be fixed for under $250 ($140 labor & $95 parts). Got it back Tuesday, and it works as good as new. Glad I called them and didn't just take Canon's word that it was unrepairable.

When Canon says it is unrepairable, they are simply stating they won't repair it. Canon won't touch a camera that has been underwater.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #14968371
When Canon says it is unrepairable, they are simply stating they won't repair it. Canon won't touch a camera that has been underwater.

My problem with Canon is that they told me to send it in and they would take a look at it. And yes, I told them it had been dropped into the stream, and been completely submerged. When I got it back they said it was unrepairable to to major corrosion. The shop that did the repairs said there was some minor corrosion on 2 boards, which they replaced. If Canon won't touch a camera that has been underwater, they had me waste time and money sending it to them.

I was out shooting a year ago May in a field with tall grass. After a couple of hours I noticed my phone was not in my pocket. I spent a 1/2 hour backtracking, but realized it was futile.

I got a call a couple of weeks ago. A friend of mine from upstate called me and said his daughter found a phone in a field with her father's number in it...He got the phone and realized it was mine. It still works - go figure.

I think that Canon has a policy where by any repair work has to reach a high level of quality, and reliability, approaching new specs, other wise they would be innundated with complaints when the repair didn't work out after a few months. Kinda like taking your car to the dealership, as opposed to the corner mom & pop repair shop.

Regards,

Rick

alazgr8 wrote in post #14968898
I think that Canon has a policy where by any repair work has to reach a high level of quality, and reliability, approaching new specs, other wise they would be innundated with complaints when the repair didn't work out after a few months. Kinda like taking your car to the dealership, as opposed to the corner mom & pop repair shop.

Regards,

Rick

While what you say is probably true wrt Canon, my experience with car dealerships v independent mechanics as been nearly 100% the opposite of your analogy.