HELP! My Camera Just Failed on Me

[jut703]

Hey guys, I happen to own an Olympus mju 725SW camera, (7.1 Megapixels, 10m waterproof, 3m shockproof).

Last night I was with some friends in a pool party. As we usually do, we indulged in taking pictures underwater. It was actually less than what I usually take, just around 10 pics.

Then the morning came, and when I opened it, the LCD was just plain white. And then it suddenly starts turning on by itself, and even if I turned it off, it would turn on and beep loudly. These symptoms suggest that it got wet. But the big question is, WHY? I mean, it's waterproof.

I've had the camera for about 2 and half years now, and not once have I used it beyond what's prescribed in the manual. Heck, it barely goes deeper than 2 feet under water.

Now, it bugs me, what repairs will have to be done with the camera? Will I have to get the LCD replaced? Will the other internals be affected?

Oh yeah, even with the LCD messed up, I was still able to take pictures and save it in the memory card. When I transferred it to my laptop the pictures were somewhat blurry. Close inspection showed what appears to be some water trapped in my lens enclosure.

This camera failure came at such a bad time, whereas I could've been been buying gifts for people I now have to spend thousands on repairs.

Thanks for any input guys. :D

[speed unlimited]

Bring it to Carriedo Sta Cruz Manila lots of repair center ang let it check first on the said problem. This were i bring my camera for cleaning the lense.

[jut703]

Bring it to Carriedo Sta Cruz Manila lots of repair center ang let it check first on the said problem. This were i bring my camera for cleaning the lense.

Is this the one in Raon? Would they happen to have replacement parts if ever?

My cam is out of warranty already so even if I bring it to the Olympus service center in Gilmore I'd still pay. Like I said a while ago I don't have extra funds to get it fixed so if ever I'll be spending, I'd want the cheapest expense that won't fail me in the long run.

[testament11]

Is this the one in Raon? Would they happen to have replacement parts if ever?

My cam is out of warranty already so even if I bring it to the Olympus service center in Gilmore I'd still pay. Like I said a while ago I don't have extra funds to get it fixed so if ever I'll be spending, I'd want the cheapest expense that won't fail me in the long run.

sa hidalgo ka pumunta bro... pero pag wala talaga, you have no choice kundi dalhin sa service center.

[oj88]

2-1/2 years old? It's possible that rubber parts that seals the orifices have become hard and lost their malleability over time and allowed water to seep in. Or if that's not it, dirt or sand could have gotten in between the battery door rubber gasket.

[Horsepower]

And because of that, you probably have to buy a New panasonic TS1, Canon D10 or olympus 8000 camera.

Anyway, try blasting it with a hairdryer, or ilibing mo sa bigas (you'll have to trash it after).

[jut703]

Thanks sa reply ng lahat. I tried drying it by the power of the sun, and then the power of my local hair dryer and yet ayaw parin gumana nung LCD when I opened it. By the way I opened it 2 days after I first found out it wasn't working.

Then I called Servimax, the official service center of Olympus in the Philippines. They charge 2,000 for service charge and diagnosis, plus parts that need to be replaced. I was quite sure that it was an LCD problem so I asked them how much a replacement LCD would cost and they told me around 4-5k. So I would at least spend around 7k for repairs, assuming only the LCD was the problem.
However I also faced the risk of them jacking up the price. Sabihan ba naman ako ng, "Sir kahit LCD lang sira niyan baka hindi niyo nakikita yung ibang sira so baka marami pang palitan". Halatang nagpeprepare managa eh.

After my dissapointing phone call with Servimax, i decided to open up the camera myself to ensure that only the LCD was broken. I decided to look for any rusting parts or moist areas that would indicate that water is trapped inside. I unscrewed the camera and found that the sticky gel material coating all possible entrances of water were intact. There were no rusting parts, and the internal battery still seemed to work as I accidentally grounded myself touching it.

However, 12 days after it stopped working, it's still not working.

Do you guys think I could find replacement parts in Hidalgo? I know they cater mostly to SLRs but hey, maybe they smuggle in point and shoot waterproof camera parts as well.