HELP A DESPERATE VACATIONER PLEASE!

I'm in Bahia State in Brazil on vacation and my 400D is out of commission. Broken pin in the CF card slot. I have only one camera body, of course. Anyone out there know where to buy a new one in Salvador, Brazil? I'm 70 miles away but will do, and probably pay, whatever it takes to get a replacement or 350D!! I just can't bear to pack away all my L glass, filters and Gitzo tripod only to pay as much for a decent point and shoot that won't do a tenth of what I can do with my beloved buddy, the 400D!

Just a suggestion. Order it from a main stream US/UK/Japan dealer and have it overnighted to a major hotel in your area.

jm2c

I don't know if I would trust postal system in Brazil to that extent. There are places around Salvador, you just need to ask around. I also believe the black market is alive and well in Salvador. If i remember correctly, a kid i knew got a 50 f/1.8 for about $25 this past february when i was there.

You aren't trusting the postal you are trusting FEDEX (just get in insured for overnight)

What ever you do you have to do it tommorw (thursday) as friday is a large holiday here in Brasil. I will try to get ahold of my photographer here in Recife to see if he can help you

Just got off the phone with him and he told me that here in Recife there is one store that sells the 400D I am heading that way tomorrow to buy some supplies and will be very close to where this store is. If I can help let me know.

Sending from the US will talke about a week or more because of the holidays and customs. Also expect to have to pay about 100% for tarrifs

The store that sells them here in Recife is called NAGEM. Its a computer store but I was told they sell the canon 400D in the store in Recife. They also have 2 locations in Salvador. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with

LOJA SALVADOR - Pituba
Rua Minas Gerais, nº 576 - Pituba
Salvador - BA
Fone: (71) 4004.2021
Horário de Funcionamento:
Segunda a sexta-feira: 09h às 18h
Sábados: 08h30min às 13h

LOJA SALVADOR SHOPPING - Caminhos das Arvores
Av. Tancredo Neves, 2915, Loja 102 – 1ºPiso - Caminhos das Arvores
Salvador - BA
Fone: (71) 4004.2021
Horário de Funcionamento:
Segunda a sábado: 09h às 22h
Domingos: 12h às 21h

Well, I just have to say it, and this looks like a good place. This forum has to be the most helpful, friendliest, least acrimonious, best run community I've yet seen on the internet. I'm constantly amazed by the lengths people will go to help others who are essentially strangers. Well done, everyone!

Randy,

Is the pin broken completely off or is it bent over? A pin on my old 300D got bent flat about 1.5 years ago or so. Before spending a bunch of money (relative to the worth of the camera) to get it fixed, I tried straightening the pin myself. I got it almost perfectly straight but while making some final adjustments, the pin broke off completely. But, the camera has worked perfectly ever since. As it turns out, not all pins are used (or at least are not vital) in all applications. If the pin is bent much at all, Canon will replace that whole module anyway. Once bent, a pin is too weak to be reliable. You may not have anything to lose by just breaking it off completely.

Thanks to everyone for coming to my aid, and especially to SAS8888 for finding a place in Salvador that no one else could find -- and two at that!. The suggestion about not all pins being needed is also a good one but didn't work in my instance. Here's what I tried: Having broken off the pin and then losing it, I discovered it was essential. I then took apart my CF card reader, broke a pin off of that then put the pin in the hole in the CF card which corresponded to the missing pin in the camera. Voila!!! I'm back in business and have several extra pins for my other CF cards. I'll just have to wait until I get another card reader to download them, but with about 10 gigs of cards I think I'll make it. Once again, I gotta say POTN people are the best. I still can't believe how many people waded in to help out with very good suggestions. Hope I can pay it forward some day.

Glad you got it working again. If you need any help I will be passing through Salvador on Sunday

Randy1213 wrote in post #4103370
Here's what I tried: Having broken off the pin and then losing it, I discovered it was essential. I then took apart my CF card reader, broke a pin off of that then put the pin in the hole in the CF card which corresponded to the missing pin in the camera. Voila!!! I'm back in business

*Bows* to the Camera Macgyver. I think I woulda just sat down and cried.

haha Nice work man! dont think I would have thought of that!

Very ingenious and for the rest, a fine example of what a great community this is