Didn't mean to dive -- Canon Rebel

Hi all,

I'm way out of the country in rural Portugal, and had a fall off a rock
ledge into a river with my audio gear and Canon Digital Rebel.

After disassembly and drying, everything is working except the camera
and a couple broken ribs. The ribs are healing, the audio gear is all
cleaned and back to operation, but I'm at a loss to get any further with
the camera.

I've disassembled the first level of the camera and the outer lens
assembly, cleaned the connectors, and let it all dry completely before
putting it back together. I've got nothing. The last thing I remember
when coming out of the water is the flash popping open (the camera was
off) and the mirror mechanism moving.

Since it wasn't stolen or wrecked in a car crash or something similar,
my homeowner's policy won't cover it. And I'm far from anywhere with an
affordable replacement or any kind of repair service. I have seven days
left here to work.

Any suggestions are welcome, with copies (pretty please, as I'm on a
very slow dialup) to bathory[at]maltedmedia[dot]com

Many many thanks,
Dennis

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Apr 21, 12:23 pm, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote:


Since it wasn't stolen or wrecked in a car crash or something similar,
my homeowner's policy won't cover it.

Sorry to hear about your stolen camera.

"Annika1980" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 21, 12:23 pm, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote:


Since it wasn't stolen or wrecked in a car crash or something similar,
my homeowner's policy won't cover it.

Sorry to hear about your stolen camera.


Good thing you posted under an internet handle and not your real name.

In article ,
Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote:

I've disassembled the first level of the camera and the outer lens
assembly, cleaned the connectors, and let it all dry completely before
putting it back together. I've got nothing. The last thing I remember
when coming out of the water is the flash popping open (the camera was
off) and the mirror mechanism moving.

Dennis-

It is possible there is still some moisture in the works. You might try
baking the camera body in an oven at just over 100 degrees F (40 degrees
C?) for an hour or so. I fear anything hotter might cause damage.

Are you sure your battery hasn't run down?

Fred

Fred McKenzie wrote:
It is possible there is still some moisture in the works. You might try
baking the camera body in an oven at just over 100 degrees F (40 degrees
C?) for an hour or so. I fear anything hotter might cause damage.

Are you sure your battery hasn't run down?

Fred, many thanks for the ideas.

The batteries are both charged; the charger and one of the batteries
weren't with me, and suffered no damage.

The camera has now been out of the water and open for four days, and the
air here is very dry and breezy. At this point, even the moisture in the
inner part of the lens is evaporated, and with the water so clear, there
was no grit to speak of (full cleaning when I get home, though).

I'm wondering if an onboard fuse (one of those surface-mount ones)
opened up, and if someone might know if that's possible, and if so,
where it is? I don't want to go any deeper into those sub-millimeter
connectors (which are all cleaned and in good shape) unless I really
have to.

I thought it might be the display, but I have one microdrive which would
be heard spinning up if the power were working. But it's not spinning
up, so no power is getting through. The microswitches are fine (the
battery compartment, the battery door, the CF door).

Dennis

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Sat, 21 Apr 2007 19:12:18 +0100, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote:

The camera has now been out of the water and open for four days, and the
air here is very dry and breezy. At this point, even the moisture in the
inner part of the lens is evaporated, and with the water so clear, there
was no grit to speak of (full cleaning when I get home, though).

I'm wondering if an onboard fuse (one of those surface-mount ones)
opened up, and if someone might know if that's possible, and if so,
where it is? I don't want to go any deeper into those sub-millimeter
connectors (which are all cleaned and in good shape) unless I really
have to.

I thought it might be the display, but I have one microdrive which would
be heard spinning up if the power were working. But it's not spinning
up, so no power is getting through. The microswitches are fine (the
battery compartment, the battery door, the CF door).

Are you sure that they're all microswitches? Sometimes
capacitance switches (common in keyboards, PDAs, etc.) are used
instead and they're more open and easily contaminated. As a last
resort if there's no alternative beyond scrapping the Rebel you
might want to try spraying around some of the switches, especially
the power switch using a spray can of "contact cleaner and
lubricant". I've never used it on any electronic device that was
immersed, but it seems to penetrate well as it almost always helps
with devices that shouldn't be opened or aren't worth the effort.
It's available from most electronic distributors, Radio Shack, etc.

"Annika1980" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 21, 12:23 pm, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote:


Since it wasn't stolen or wrecked in a car crash or something similar,
my homeowner's policy won't cover it.

Sorry to hear about your stolen camera.

I thought he prevented the theft but the mugger knocked him off a ledge into
a river.

Lee K wrote:
I thought he prevented the theft but the mugger knocked him off a ledge into
a river.

Oh, it was dramatic, but not that way.

A group of us were helping to develop a trail along a river, and I was
wearing bifocals -- which I never wear for hiking, but forgot to swap
out after driving. I misjudged a leg-reach down with my left leg, and my
right one was hung up and propelled me straight back into the river,
where I hit some submerged rocks but kept the gear from hitting
anything.

I had the camera, lenses, Microtrack 2496 with two external power
supplies, various batteries, flash cards, and peripherals. Quite a
sight. Nobody photographed it, though. The Canon is the only SLR at the
moment, and the other cameras are mostly for quick documentation.

Dennis

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Apr 21, 2:30 pm, ASAAR wrote:
On Sat, 21 Apr 2007 19:12:18 +0100, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote:
The camera has now been out of the water and open for four days, and the
air here is very dry and breezy. At this point, even the moisture in the
inner part of the lens is evaporated, and with the water so clear, there
was no grit to speak of (full cleaning when I get home, though).

I'm wondering if an onboard fuse (one of those surface-mount ones)
opened up, and if someone might know if that's possible, and if so,
where it is? I don't want to go any deeper into those sub-millimeter
connectors (which are all cleaned and in good shape) unless I really
have to.

I thought it might be the display, but I have one microdrive which would
be heard spinning up if the power were working. But it's not spinning
up, so no power is getting through. The microswitches are fine (the
battery compartment, the battery door, the CF door).

Are you sure that they're all microswitches? Sometimes
capacitance switches (common in keyboards, PDAs, etc.) are used
instead and they're more open and easily contaminated. As a last
resort if there's no alternative beyond scrapping the Rebel you
might want to try spraying around some of the switches, especially
the power switch using a spray can of "contact cleaner and
lubricant". I've never used it on any electronic device that was
immersed, but it seems to penetrate well as it almost always helps
with devices that shouldn't be opened or aren't worth the effort.
It's available from most electronic distributors, Radio Shack, etc.


electrical contact cleaner is a good bet, but be careful around some
plastics.

Start with the battery contects and the on/off switch.

Blow drier on low migh get rid of some water -- or compressed air.

Now you know why they make those waterproof, single use cameras.

Also try putting it out in the sun and see what evaporates (or as
mentioned, try an oven).

Other than that, leave it on the table in the cafe and hope someone
steals it.

..

Since it wasn't stolen or wrecked in a car crash or something similar,
my homeowner's policy won't cover it. And I'm far from anywhere with an
affordable replacement or any kind of repair service. I have seven days
left here to work.


Can't help with mending the camera but it may pay you to re-read your
domestic insurance policy. Mine covers me for accidental damage, it even
covers me for being dull. I once left a rucksack full of mountain bike gear
on the back of the car and drove off - the insurance company paid up.

John