#2 Broken Digital Camera Problem? Lens Repair!
November 26th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Digital camera lens repair is as common as LCD repair, but it’s #2 on my list because it’s harder to repair a digital camera lens and there are so many different types of lens problems whereas a broken LCD is a broken LCD no matter how you look at it.
Basic Lens Care Tips:
- Do not leave the batteries in your camera in the camera bag. The power button can be pressed accidentally causing the lens to extend and get jammed because it cannot open properly inside the bag.
- Try not to drop the camera with the lens extended.
- Don’t ever pull or twist on a lens that is not working 100% properly, you will just break it.
I would have to write a book to fully explain lens problems fully (hmm.. maybe a good idea!) so I will try and keep it simple and informative.
The lens is made up of many different parts… Let’s start with the several pieces of glass referred to as the lens elements. The outer lens element is prone to being scratched and scuffed, and usually has a special coating on it that you DO NOT want to clean off with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), or Windex or something similar. Nothing to worry about if it’s not there, it’s not a big deal. Just keep the lens clean (why are there fingerprints on your lens anyway??) and scratch free.
The inner-most lens element is responsible for the fine focus and resides directly in front of the CCD. When you press the shutter button half way down to focus, this part moves forwards and backwards till it’s in the correct position and your image is in focus. You won’t be messing with this part of the lens… unless you feel like removing the lens from the camera and then tearing down the lens to get at it’s ‘guts’. It can be pretty fun the first time it happens, but… I wish you luck getting it back together properly. The tearing apart stuff is fun, the putting it back together is a drag!
The lens has two small motors with their own gears that connect to the two main parts of the lens. The larger motor drives the lens barrel in and out when zooming. The smaller motor drives the fine focus element mentioned above and controls the focus. If you get ONE GRAIN of sand in these gears, they will jam and the lens will “error out” as we like to say. Open it up and clean it out if you like, but it’s not easy. Typically the main motor of the lens has 5-6 different gears that must be set and aligned properly to function. But hey, your lens is already jammed, why not see how it works, right?
Then there is the CCD, “charge-coupled device” which translates the light that enters the lens into a digital signal that the camera can record.
There was a very large CCD recall for digital camera lens repair over the past few years that covers many manufacturers like Canon, Fuji and Nikon and not just Sony, but Sony provided the CCDs to many other manufacturers for their cameras so they do have a large amount of defective cameras on the list themselves. The defective CCD’s cause the camera to take solid black photos, or purple/pink “dripping paint” photos, or they have repeating white horizontal or verticle lines on the images. If your camera does this, call the manufacturer and tell them you want a repair under the CCD recall no matter how old your camera is! IF it’s on the list, you might get your camera repaired for free.
Got spots on your images that get bigger and smaller as you zoom in and out? Most likely there is a spec of dust on your CCD. You will need to remove the lens and then remove the CCD from the back of the lens and clean it off. Don’t lose the gasket that goes around the CCD, don’t get any other dirt inside the lens and don’t leave any fingerprints! Tall order I know, sorry, I’m demanding. =)
Let’s see… what else? Your lens is part way out, stuck at an angle because the camera was dropped while turned on. Now please read that carefully; the lens must be stuck part way out or all the way out, and one section of the lens MUST be stuck at an angle. For this repair tip to apply the lens must not be moving at all, and be aware you may follow these instructions at your own risk. The following repair trick works, but I am not responsible for your actions or anything you do to your camera.
Ok, it’s stuck at an angle and you want to try and repair your camera lens yourself. No problem.
Hold the camera with the angled part of the lens resting against the edge of a table, and the rest of the camera hanging over the side. Do not place the camera facing down with the “Canon Zoom Lens…” chrome ring section flat on the table. The rounded edge of the lens must be what makes contact here. Now… here is the tricky part… press the angled part of the lens back into alignment by pushing down on the lens on the edge of the table. Put your fingers on the LENS below the angled part to support it and press firmly but still gently (how do I do that? I don’t know.. you just do it) and the lens will either POP!! back into place and work perfectly or it won’t budge and no harm will be done, -OR- one of the “guide pins” that run inside a small track in the lens barrel will break off and you have just destroyed the lens.
I told you it was at your own risk!! Camera repair is fun… right?
Alright, enough information for today about lenses? I think we have covered most of the basic problems, and possible solutions. You may buy a lens to repair your camera in several ways; the most expensive would be to call the manufacturer as they typically will charge 0 or more for the lens assembly.
Do a Google search for “digital camera repair” and you will see at #1 the only site that has affordable digital camera repair and DIY parts… Darntoothysam.com!
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Using A Flash for Taking Photos
November 25th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Modern flash units use an electronic flash tube that is synchronized to the camera’s shutter - relieving the photographer from the burden of timing the shutter and the flash.
To know about flash units and shooting photos using them here are some facts that are important:
Internal flash units: Internal flash units are built into the camera. Internal flash units are usually small (limited by the camera size). In most cameras the internal flash can set to an automatic “point and shoot” mode in which the camera fires the flash whenever it senses that it is needed. Some low-end cameras can only use built-in flash units. Most cameras however support external flash units attached to the camera body.
External flash units: External flash units come in many sizes and have different features. The external units are electrically connected to the camera allowing the camera to control the flash timing. This allows smart external flash units to optimize their settings for shooting the best photo.External flash units are either mechanically attached to the camera’s body through a dedicated slide-in slot or are mechanically detached from the camera and only connected via an electrical synchronization cable.
Firing the flash:The decision to fire the flash is either automatic or manual. The camera can fire the flash when there is not enough light available. In some scenarios the camera will not automatically fire the flash although doing so would have resulted in a much better photo. If taken with a fill-in flash and the object in range the result will be a clear photo of the object against a sunset.
Flash can also cause problems: Any flash unit has a certain amount of light that it can generate. When trying to take a photo with the object too far - more than the flash unit range - the object will appear dark .Shooting a photo using the flash can also cause problems. Flash is limited: It is important to know the limitations of the flash unit.
If you need to take a photo with your objects not within your flash unit range it is better to turn off the flash completely and use a tripod and long exposure. Using the flash in such scenarios can fool the camera into setting lower exposure which results in a photo darker than a photo taken without using the flash at all.
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How to Care For Your Digital Camera
November 25th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
The continuing development of digital camera technology offers near limitless choices for the professional and amateur alike when looking to achieve the best photographs possible. The variety of cameras available is huge, ranging from tiny compact point and shoot cameras to very large professional digital SLRs. Each type and class has its own strengths and limitations therefore making the task of shopping for cameras complicated. Camera preference will come down to the features and specifications that the individual desires, there is no one camera that will please everyone.
With any digital camera, there will be an assortment of features and utility levels which will make a good camera well above a thousand dollars. The current top digital camera brands are Canon, Sony and Nikon.
Probably the most essential parts of a digital camera are the lens, viewfinder and the LCD screen. These parts should be regularly cleaned and maintained. These sensitive components such as a camera LCD screen should never be bumped or have a battery put against it inside the camera case; you don’t want to have to pay for a camera LCD screen repair It is also important to invest in good quality lens cleaning equipment such as a good lens brush, a lens blower and lens cloth. A blower will help remove the dirt while a lens cleaning solution removes sticky particles on the lens. One simple way to protect your camera lens is to always put the lens cover back on when you are done taking pictures.
Another important aspect of taking care of your digital camera is storage. It is recommended that the camera be stored in a cool and dry space. Remember to always guard the camera against extreme heat and cold. Always remove the batteries from your camera when it will no be used for any length of time. And just as a precaution, magnets of any kind should be kept away from the camera body and definately the memory card.
Besides just the camera itself, you should also remember to take care of your accessories such as memory cards. These are small accessories, so you should take care to not lose or damage them. Never remove the memory card while transfering images to your computer. Memory cards should be stored in the camera or in a card case to avoid damage to them and avoid losing them.
Taking good care of your camera is important so that it will be with you for a long time. You should look for overall brand reliability before making your purchase, and Canon has a great rating; but this does not mean that the camera won’t suffer from normal wear and tear just from normal use. As much as possible, to avoid having to find a Canon camera repair shop you need to protect it from impact damage, water exposure, sand and dust and extreme tempertures.
If you notice any damage or malfunction to any part then it is important to find someone who can affordably provide you with reliable camera repair services. Keep in mind that a good digital camera is not cheap, and it pays off in the long run to take good care of it.
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Give Your Pictures A Unusual Appearance With Smart Click
November 24th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
The Photography has become very simple and ideal with the help of digital expertise compared to the conventional means of Photography.
The digital cameras offer great expediency to make the pictures distinctive through the smart click. The standard photographic process used to take a long in loading the camera roll into the dark area, shooting each frame cautiously with the great focus and light and once the shooting is over the roll had to be sent for the building up and printing. The result of any photo duration could only be known after the couple of days. Besides, there was no option to repair any error and one had to accept with the shot taken on that moment. Apart from the shooting, the printing and processing used to rate a lot and the same process would be recurrent with every loading of a new roll. With the launch of cameras equipped with the digital skill, these hassles are largely being remove without wasting any time. It is now likely to view each shot on the spot on the wide screen of digital camera for any type of rectification. If the shot is not taken properly, just experience free to remove it and opt for the fresh one with the ideal framing. Once the space on the memory card is full, it could be very straightforward to offload the entire images on digital video discs or on the hard disc of the computer for the editing or reshuffling the frames.
It presents the great options to change any fore ground or back ground color of the shot, you can edit any unwanted enclosure in the frame to make the shot perfect. The biggest advantage of digital images is they can be preserved for a very long time without the fear of being affected by any natural calamities and presents the same beautiful and exact result every time. You can also improve the memory storage by adding an additional chip or memory card for the incessant shooting of any event.
Camera hut is being the marketplace leader in offering the preeminent and widest variety of all kinds of digital cameras and digital SLR cameras at the lowest prices. They store the huge volume of all sorts cameras starting from traditional automatic to the latest digital version of cameras, manufactured by the finest and most renowned brands in the world like Nikon, Chinon, Canon, Casio, Sony, Olympus and many others to add on. Very recently they have introduced one of the paramount array of digital SLR cameras like Canon digital SLR and Canon EOS.
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NIKON DIGITAL CAMERA: DIGITAL SLR CAMERAS
November 24th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Nikon is a camera brand, best known for producing SLR camera. As with the boom of digital cameras all over the world, Nikon joined the bandwagon by producing what they make best, thus the new era of the Nikon digital camera was born - digital SLR.
One of the best in DSLR, the Nikon digital camera called Nikon D70 is 6-mega pixel Nikon digital camera. this Nikon digital camera is supported with a Flash card.
The Nikon Coolpix 8800 is another SLR from Nikon. An 8-mega pixel Nikon digital camera, the Coolpix 8800 has a compact body. This Nikon digital camera features an image stabilizer system to reduce camera shakes particularly on long shots since this gadget can zoom up to 10x (optical zoom) and can focus to up to 3cm in macro mode with its 35-350mm lens.
The image output quality is the middle name of this Nikon digital camera, with great detail rendition, color fidelity and saturation. a rather exceptional feature of the 8800 is the continuous shooting modes, where users can choose 1.2 or 2.3 frames per second. A 6.1 mega pixel Nikon digital camera, this gadget has 7 varied modes to shoot from using its AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm lens.
To see the images that you took, this Nikon digital camera is furnished with a 2.0 inch LCD screen. These modes are Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Portrait and Child. How fast can this camera shoot? This Nikon digital camera is not too bad, especially for novice photographers. One of the first point and shoot Nikon digital cameras is the Nikon Coolpix 4800.
A four mega pixel Nikon digital camera, the old school designed 4800 is equipped with a 1.8 inch LCD screen for viewing your pictures. The 4800 is an 8.3x zoom Nikon digital camera with 6-50mm Nikkor Ed lens that zooms quickly and has continuous auto focusing (a feature where your lens is always trying to keep your pictures sharp).
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Sony H Series Digital Cameras: High Zoom and Great Quality
November 23rd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
One of the best ways to capture your memories forever is through photographs and there is no better way to do it than with a Sony digital camera. Sony is one of the pioneers of excellent digital camera technology. Sony has provided consumers with an excellent line of digital cameras that is equipped with the best optical and imaging technology that can capture your most prized memories with more detail, color and precision imaginable.
All Sony digital cameras are designed with ease of use and quality Photography in mind. This line of Sony digital cameras allow high digital processing that reduces picture noise and delivers smoother and more detailed images. One very popular series of Sony digital cameras are the 'H' series line.
The DSC- H1
The Cybershot DSC H1 offers a 12x zoom which is wonderful for close-up shots. It is generally considered as a well-thought-out design with a broad feature set and fast performance that can work well in almost all shooting situations. The DSC-H1 is a slightly larger body camera and this gives it a good sturdy feeling in the hand.
The DSC-H2
The DSC H2 comes with a 6 megapixel imager and a 2″ LCD. One very popular feature of the camera is Sony’s ‘Super Steady Shot’ image stabilization which greatly reduces blurry images. It also offers a high-light sensitivity setting of up to ISO 1000 which is very ideal for capturing moving objects and people with less blur and graininess. The shutter lag at both wide angle and telephoto zoom settings is very good in addition to the prefocus time (half-pressing and holding down the Sony DSC-H2 shutter button before exposure) which is very fast.
The DSC-H3
This Sony H3 model is a super compact 8 megapixel camera that has a powerful 10x optical zoom lens that is perfect for close-up shots. The 'Sports' shooting mode of the camera combines a high shutter speed along with continuous auto-focusing which allows you to capture every moment of that special sporting event or kids playing in the yard. This aspect helps reduce shutter lag by quickly focusing on fast moving objects.
The DSC-H5
The DSC-H5 has a 7.2 MP image size and a 3″ LCD and it comes equipped with a huge 12X optical zoom. It is capable of capturing distant shots and easy to use like a point-and-shoot camera. Additionally, the Sony anti-blur system provides the noise reduction technology that helps minimize picture noise which makes it easier to shoot at a faster shutter speed. This is very advantageous especially if you are taking a shot in low-light conditions.
Sony is definitely one of the widely known brands that produce high quality digital cameras with exceptional features and designs. While not all cameras belonging in this brand can serve your purpose, you can still be certain that a Sony digital camera can undoubtedly be a name that you can trust.
If you do decide to purchase a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H series camera, make sure you do some research on Google first regarding the Sony DSC-H2 shutter button repair first! The models after the DSC-H10 and up do not have this Sony shutter button repair problem.
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