Repair Bill

I had an unfortunate incident while photographing the highlands of Scotland. I fell on some rocks and my D700 camera was knocked out of my hand, hit a rock itself and fell into some very shallow brackish water. Enough water got in despite only the top being dunked and only for a few seconds to cause it to die. The Fixation repair estimate is just over 800 pound. This means the repair is about half the cost of a new one.

I am uncertain whether this is a wise investment given it is a two year old camera with about 20,000 actuations. I am looking for some advice as to what a major repair like this might mean for the camera.

PS please spare me the lectures on how to carry/secure a camera while moving about

sir it would mean you have again a brand new camera recalibrated in all its aspect
pls go ahead with the repairs, you still have a lot to get out of the camera

best of luck

Tough break and a tough decision to make.

Any chance you are covered on insurance?

Repair is still cheaper than buying a new one though and a new model will not be out for a long while.

... in the US most homeowners insurances will cover you once you get over the deductible. Mine is high at $500, but it would help. Maybe they would even get you a new one and then you can put the old one on ebay for a repair person to buy. You'd recoup some of your cost anyway.
Wolfgang
--
Old timer

We are new to the UK. I will have to check our insurance policy to see if that will come into play. What kind of insurance covers items damaged in an accident like this?

Your home insurance my cover it depending on you policy and there may be a limit on it while out of the home.

Worth a look though.

-Hi Saffron,

1.) Your in a bit of a dilemma.
The camera can be repaired for half of its value, you must get it repaired.

2.) Insurance may cover part of it.

I have a rider on my homeowners for all of my camera gear I had an accident on Maui two years ago and everything was covered. (However, this accident, plus a break in to my car where a briefcase was stolen caused my premium to go up 100%!)

3.) Water damage may be a problem in the future. Cameras are electronic devices that do not like water. The camera may work O-K today and be dead in 6 months. :-(

I would go to your insurance agent and see what can be worked out. I would not keep that camera.

-
Regards,

Jeff Morris / Homecinemaman

Adams, Gutmann, Steichen, Snoopy, Stigletz, Weston. they lead by example.

I hunt, I peck, I squint, all on a Dell M1330 13" laptop. So don't laugh, I'm happy there aren't more typo's!

I had this experience once with a watered camera which, after, 2 repair attempts, still ended up failing at the most inappropriate moment. When you have this kind of damage you never know. I would be tempted to consider something new and clearly label this one a parts unit to whoever may take it on in the future.

Yes insurance premiums can go up and also you are now on their ilist of policies which had claims against it and that may make it harder to get any policy in the future or at least at the preferred tier 1 rate. It better be a worthwhiile claim or it may not be worth it.

I would email Thom Hogan to get his opinion. From what I have read of his accounts, he has put cameras in harms way more than once.

I would also get repairs done by a company that could detail the likely-hood of issues occuring down the road as some suggest in this thread, detailing exactly what components will be replaced, and perhaps even offer a guarantee.

I would also consider that opinions given in any forum may not all be expert opinions.

I must admit that I feel the need to lecture... but will stipulate you had a freak accident that compromised your usual good handling methods.
--
A Kodak Brownie can produce a great image in the right hands.

thafuzz said:

Yes insurance premiums can go up and also you are now on their ilist of policies which had claims against it and that may make it harder to get any policy in the future or at least at the preferred tier 1 rate. It better be a worthwhiile claim or it may not be worth it.

Click to expand...

Yes, very true, insurance is not your friend. I would never consider making a claim about a $3k camera because that is nothing compared to the kind of premium increase you get. The previous poster stated a 100% increase, there you go. With that kind of increase it takes them 2 years to recoup their loss on your camera. And you are left holding the bag because for a decade your premium will be sky high, all that for a camera. Very bad calculation.

For this reason I got the highest deductible on my house insurance I could, which is $2500, and I'm not planning on making any claims unless the house is a total loss or some kind of major disaster. Don't let these b4stards fool you. "self-insurance" for small items such as cameras are your best bet.

For the OP, I would say don't even repair the camera, sell it for parts or just keep it as paper weight.

How about selling the camera as is... For parts... and using the funds to buy a new one as even better deal. +you get the new warranty
--
Rick Halle wrote:

" Keep in mind that tall buildings sway back and forth so they require faster shutter speeds."

Just read the coverage details on the new policy and it doesn't include accidental damage so the insurance option is out. Left with pay for the repairs and worry about future reliability or buy a new one.

Not sure its a good thing I just bought the 24-120 F4. Further camera expenditures aren't going to go over well with the long haired colonel.

Saffron_Blaze said:

Just read the coverage details on the new policy and it doesn't include accidental damage so the insurance option is out. Left with pay for the repairs and worry about future reliability or buy a new one.

Click to expand...

Saffron Blaze

Did you get a quote from Nikon's repair centre. It might be more reasonable, and anyway may not cost so much when it is fully determined what components needs to be replaced.
S

One question. Does the camera still take pictures?

Granted the 800 pounds might cover a NEW BODY, and you may no actually NEED a new body, of they will perhaps repair it just enough to take great pictures I think one could live with some scratches and dings.

The estimate might be to bring the camera back to 100%.

I wouldn't pay the 800 pounds for a repair, I would just invest in a new model in a few months.

My friend . . . pardon the pun . . . but I think you are between a rock and a hard place!

I don't see any attractive or viable options here.

As others have noted . . . you could spend the 800 pounds and have the camera repaired . . . and then have it die on you again in a few months . . . a few years ago I had a cell phone that died after it got a little damp while using in the rain . . . cost me 60 bucks to get the $200 phone repaired . . . then it died again a few months later . . . and I threw it away . . . once you get moisture in an electronic device . . . they corrode . . . and are finished . . . so I would be extremely reluctant to spend that much money on a 2 year old camera in the hopes and no guarantee . . . that it doesn't die in the future.

An insurance claim has been ruled out and it doesn't sound like you know who will be very impressed if you bring home a new D700 at 1600 pounds or whatever it is.

Here's a suggestion from the dark side . . . but perhaps a viable alternate in your situation . . . what about selling the damaged D700 for parts on your local C/L or ebay . . . recover what you can . . . then go get yourself a brand new . . . D7K!!!

800 pounds is about $1300 which is more than a new D7K body costs here in Canada so prob a similar cost in your location . . . you would have a brand new camera with full warranty . . . which in Canada is 2 years by the way . . . all the latest bells and whistles and technology . . . and while it is not full frame or the camera that your fabulous D700 is or was . . . the D7K is prob 80 or 90% of what a D700 is . . . they are certainly an excellent camera . . . getting lots of great reviews . . . and many with D700s are picking up D7Ks as backups . . . and some are even tired of the D700 weight and moving to the smaller and lighter but extremely competent D7Ks.

I know . . . not what you want to do . . . but certainly a viable economic option if economics is the governing factor here.

Good luck with your decision . . . whichever direction you go . . . and I sympathize with your dilemma!

Excuse me now . . . while I go put on my flame proof suit . . .

Rock

My D700, lenses and flash are covered on my house insurance but you may find you have to specify individual items above a certain value, £1500 in the case of my insurer.

good luck.

This question is easily answered with another question and your own answer:

1. Would you be able to EARN $1000 while waiting for the repairs if you had a camera NOW?

If yes, buy a new or used D700 immediately!! If no, fix your darn camera immediately! Either way, fix the camera. If you don't want it forever you can sell it for $1200~1500 with a warning that its refurbished, someone will snatch it up willingly, just show them that Nikon did the work. Sell it now and buy a D7000 to hold you over, or sell it later and get the new D800 when it comes out.

Either way you are going to take a hit, but then, you knew that when it took a hit.

The point is -- get your camera fixed.

--

Sincerely,

GlobalGuyUSA

Brackish water is salty water (not salt-water - but salty) and that is the worst kind of water damage a camera can get.
I seriously doubt that 800 pounds will fix it for more than a couple of months.
Don't waste your money. Sell it for parts and get a replacement camera.

Des

Thanks Global, I think your advice provides the clarity I was seeking. Get it repaired then decide whether to keep it or sell it as a refurb. The prices ebay is fetching for used D700 would make paying for the repair and getting a new one much less prohibitive than originally thought. I also have an old 24-120 to sell to help defray the cost. (BTW, the D700 is to be repaired to like new condition by Nikon authorised repair centre with a 3 month warranty).

Thanks to all for their advice. It all helped me consider the many possible courses of action.

GlobalGuyUSA said:

This question is easily answered with another question and your own answer:

1. Would you be able to EARN $1000 while waiting for the repairs if you had a camera NOW?

If yes, buy a new or used D700 immediately!! If no, fix your darn camera immediately! Either way, fix the camera. If you don't want it forever you can sell it for $1200~1500 with a warning that its refurbished, someone will snatch it up willingly, just show them that Nikon did the work. Sell it now and buy a D7000 to hold you over, or sell it later and get the new D800 when it comes out.

Either way you are going to take a hit, but then, you knew that when it took a hit.

The point is -- get your camera fixed.

--

Sincerely,

GlobalGuyUSA

Click to expand...

Let me get this straight;

You will get it fixed by Nikon (even though you think this will not be viable for the long term) and then dump it on some unsuspecting Schlamazle? Would that not then make you a Schlamile? (Nikon warranty is not transferable by the way)

Would you like buying a "refurbished" camera like the one you propose to sell?
Am I missing something?

OH, you dropped it and wrecked it but are considering ditching it on someone else, and then you will go and buy a new one. If you really do that, I hope you drop the new one too.
--
A Kodak Brownie can produce a great image in the right hands.