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Tourist damaged my P120, what should I do?

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wonderkid

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This is more of an ethical / moral question, not technical, but yesterday (Sunday) night I experienced a situation where I was unsure of what to do and would be grateful for feedback from DPREVIEW readers. Was on a bus in London and four friendly Italians (their nationality is not the point!) got to chatting with me. At their OK, I took some photos of them using my new Sony P120 so I could e-mail the pictures to them. I showed them the shots on the LCD and took some more photos. One of the girls fairly aggressively reached for the camera in my hand to look at the LCD again and knocked the camera to the floor very very hard. The still extended lens was wrenched sideways (it looked very bad) and the camera ceased to function, with a message on the LCD saying something like "Switch the camera OFF and back ON". As we all sat in stunned silence (I was devastated and very angry and they were embarassed) I fiddled with the lens and somehow managed to 'snap' the damaged part of the extended lens back into place. I tried all the features, zooming, took some photos etc and all worked ok - a testament to Sony's fantastic microengineering quality. Only negative is a small scratch on the side of the lens mechanism. However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the time, which is the thing that shocked me. As for the P120 itself, it is a great camera. My only gripes are that the 640 x 480 30fps video is lacking in colour and resolution and the as mentioned elsewhere on this forum, flaky focusing.
 
I'd say the tourist holds responsibility for the damage.

The real issue is whether or not you can get the money without too much difficulty.

Let's put it this, if she offered to pay for it then you would probably accept her payment.
wonderkid said:
This is more of an ethical / moral question, not technical, but
yesterday (Sunday) night I experienced a situation where I was
unsure of what to do and would be grateful for feedback from
DPREVIEW readers. Was on a bus in London and four friendly Italians
(their nationality is not the point!) got to chatting with me. At
their OK, I took some photos of them using my new Sony P120 so I
could e-mail the pictures to them. I showed them the shots on the
LCD and took some more photos. One of the girls fairly aggressively
reached for the camera in my hand to look at the LCD again and
knocked the camera to the floor very very hard. The still extended
lens was wrenched sideways (it looked very bad) and the camera
ceased to function, with a message on the LCD saying something like
"Switch the camera OFF and back ON". As we all sat in stunned
silence (I was devastated and very angry and they were embarassed)
I fiddled with the lens and somehow managed to 'snap' the damaged
part of the extended lens back into place. I tried all the
features, zooming, took some photos etc and all worked ok - a
testament to Sony's fantastic microengineering quality. Only
negative is a small scratch on the side of the lens mechanism.
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me. As for the P120 itself,
it is a great camera. My only gripes are that the 640 x 480 30fps
video is lacking in colour and resolution and the as mentioned
elsewhere on this forum, flaky focusing.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the input everyone, I will drop the lady a line if the P120 starts to act funny.

In the mean time, something to think about:

Since the Taliban destroyed those huge statues in Afghanistan not long before 9/11, and the violent mugging that deprived me of my f717 a few months ago began to back this thought up, perhaps materialism and our desire to own things is asking for problems? Cars cost a fortune to run and polute the planet. Bling bling is asking for a mugging and is showing off. And photography creates a situation where we are instantly (falsely) led to believe that that captured 'moment' was better than the current reality. "We look so young!" "Oh, they were the days!" Etc. And if the picture is of something negative, we're put into a worse state of mind. The only exception to this rule is creative photography where, like other art forms, we are producing something that satisfies the moment and projects the thoughts and/or skills of the 'artist'. So, creative photography does not put us in a position of envy or the longing for pastures greener.

During my trip to Egypt in January 2004, my f717 broke down half way (later fixed by Sony). Alas the second half of the vacation was full of the most soul satisfying and photogenic experiences of a lifetime, yet beyond a few disposable camera shots, I have no 'physical' record of the events, however, the experience did effect me 'spiritually' and I tell those I meet to go there themselves.

So, should one simply savor the moment?

Is less more?

Thoughts everyone?

Wonderkid
wonderkid said:
This is more of an ethical / moral question, not technical, but
yesterday (Sunday) night I experienced a situation where I was
unsure of what to do and would be grateful for feedback from
DPREVIEW readers. Was on a bus in London and four friendly Italians
(their nationality is not the point!) got to chatting with me. At
their OK, I took some photos of them using my new Sony P120 so I
could e-mail the pictures to them. I showed them the shots on the
LCD and took some more photos. One of the girls fairly aggressively
reached for the camera in my hand to look at the LCD again and
knocked the camera to the floor very very hard. The still extended
lens was wrenched sideways (it looked very bad) and the camera
ceased to function, with a message on the LCD saying something like
"Switch the camera OFF and back ON". As we all sat in stunned
silence (I was devastated and very angry and they were embarassed)
I fiddled with the lens and somehow managed to 'snap' the damaged
part of the extended lens back into place. I tried all the
features, zooming, took some photos etc and all worked ok - a
testament to Sony's fantastic microengineering quality. Only
negative is a small scratch on the side of the lens mechanism.
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me. As for the P120 itself,
it is a great camera. My only gripes are that the 640 x 480 30fps
video is lacking in colour and resolution and the as mentioned
elsewhere on this forum, flaky focusing.
Click to expand...
--
For my latest details...
http://www.gonumber.net/2539
 
wonderkid said:
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me.
Click to expand...
I actually think the girl is NOT liable fot future malfunctions of the camera. I think that you should have asked the girl her adress or phone number (no jokes, please :-); the e-mail is not enough to trace her back... she was very unpolite not to offer it; and in case of actual damage to the camera, you should not have moral questions in asking her to pay at least half of the bill!! But you should have sony technicians check-up your camera immediatly after the accident: if not, how can you be sure that future malfunctions depend on what happened yesterday?
That's my two cents
 
But if we don't have the physical memory of the moment do we find ourselves regretting that we didn't have the camera? What about those situations with our children? Although my children are older and I missed many photographic moments when they were babies because I was not into photography, I am now able to capture those moments that they might forget.





In terms of the material, yes we do go overboard. I am sitting here with over $1000 invested in my 828 (not including camera itself) and I am wishing I had a Nikon D70. Why can't I be satisfied with what I have? I don't know. Nature of the beast, I reckon. Unfortunately, this is obviously something that we all need to deal with; we need to find ourselves and be satisfied. I just watched a Twilight Zone episode where a man and his wife have a "genie in the bottle" incident. Of course everything ended in disaster, and they decided they were better off running their little shop and dealing with life's ups and downs. It's a lesson learned only the hard way, sometimes.

april
 
Plus you have her picture. Post it as a warning to others to watch out for this aggressive female.
Boogs said:
wonderkid said:
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me.
Click to expand...
I actually think the girl is NOT liable fot future malfunctions
of the camera. I think that you should have asked the girl her
adress or phone number (no jokes, please :-); the e-mail is not
enough to trace her back... she was very unpolite not to offer it;
and in case of actual damage to the camera, you should not have
moral questions in asking her to pay at least half of the bill!!
But you should have sony technicians check-up your camera
immediatly after the accident: if not, how can you be sure that
future malfunctions depend on what happened yesterday?
That's my two cents
Click to expand...
 
Agreed. At the time, I was hoping to get her details, but they got off the bus at the next stop. It was a very uncomfortable situation at the time.
Boogs said:
wonderkid said:
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me.
Click to expand...
I actually think the girl is NOT liable fot future malfunctions
of the camera. I think that you should have asked the girl her
adress or phone number (no jokes, please :-); the e-mail is not
enough to trace her back... she was very unpolite not to offer it;
and in case of actual damage to the camera, you should not have
moral questions in asking her to pay at least half of the bill!!
But you should have sony technicians check-up your camera
immediatly after the accident: if not, how can you be sure that
future malfunctions depend on what happened yesterday?
That's my two cents
Click to expand...
--
For my latest details...
http://www.gonumber.net/2539
 
Question: Were you wearing your handstrap?

It's those split-second moments that explain why the handstrap is so important.

I don't think I'd blame the girl. It was obviously an accident. I'd learn from it and use the handstrap when showing others.

If she dropped it while holding it, I'm not sure how'd I deal with it.

If she tossed it to the ground and began stomping on it----now that's another story!

Bob
 
It's kinda the reason I won't buy a video camera: you get caught up trying to record the moment rather than being involved in it. I used to feel that way about photography, though. One roll of film used to last me 2 years, but now my friends know me as the photo nut, with multiple cameras always ready for the shot.

Is materialism a ball and chain? I think so. Have you ever had that week when your car needs repairs, your cable modem isn't working right, your new MP3 player stopped working, and your computer may have a virus? It's those times that make me just want to simplify life. (Ofcourse I'll keep the car and the internet :P)
wonderkid said:
In the mean time, something to think about:

Since the Taliban destroyed those huge statues in Afghanistan not
long before 9/11, and the violent mugging that deprived me of my
f717 a few months ago began to back this thought up, perhaps
materialism and our desire to own things is asking for problems?
Cars cost a fortune to run and polute the planet. Bling bling is
asking for a mugging and is showing off. And photography creates a
situation where we are instantly (falsely) led to believe that that
captured 'moment' was better than the current reality. "We look so
young!" "Oh, they were the days!" Etc. And if the picture is of
something negative, we're put into a worse state of mind. The only
exception to this rule is creative photography where, like other
art forms, we are producing something that satisfies the moment and
projects the thoughts and/or skills of the 'artist'. So, creative
photography does not put us in a position of envy or the longing
for pastures greener.

During my trip to Egypt in January 2004, my f717 broke down half
way (later fixed by Sony). Alas the second half of the vacation was
full of the most soul satisfying and photogenic experiences of a
lifetime, yet beyond a few disposable camera shots, I have no
'physical' record of the events, however, the experience did effect
me 'spiritually' and I tell those I meet to go there themselves.

So, should one simply savor the moment?

Is less more?

Thoughts everyone?

Wonderkid
wonderkid said:
This is more of an ethical / moral question, not technical, but
yesterday (Sunday) night I experienced a situation where I was
unsure of what to do and would be grateful for feedback from
DPREVIEW readers. Was on a bus in London and four friendly Italians
(their nationality is not the point!) got to chatting with me. At
their OK, I took some photos of them using my new Sony P120 so I
could e-mail the pictures to them. I showed them the shots on the
LCD and took some more photos. One of the girls fairly aggressively
reached for the camera in my hand to look at the LCD again and
knocked the camera to the floor very very hard. The still extended
lens was wrenched sideways (it looked very bad) and the camera
ceased to function, with a message on the LCD saying something like
"Switch the camera OFF and back ON". As we all sat in stunned
silence (I was devastated and very angry and they were embarassed)
I fiddled with the lens and somehow managed to 'snap' the damaged
part of the extended lens back into place. I tried all the
features, zooming, took some photos etc and all worked ok - a
testament to Sony's fantastic microengineering quality. Only
negative is a small scratch on the side of the lens mechanism.
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me. As for the P120 itself,
it is a great camera. My only gripes are that the 640 x 480 30fps
video is lacking in colour and resolution and the as mentioned
elsewhere on this forum, flaky focusing.
Click to expand...
--
For my latest details...
http://www.gonumber.net/2539
Click to expand...
--
Kodak_DC280_Canon_s110_Olympus_C-2100UZ_Minolta_G500_Sony_F707
 
Hi,
wonderkid said:
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me. As for the P120 itself,
it is a great camera. My only gripes are that the 640 x 480 30fps
video is lacking in colour and resolution and the as mentioned
elsewhere on this forum, flaky focusing.
Click to expand...
If your camera starts to malfunction one day you won't get any money from her. I recommend to write a polite e-mail to this girl (attach the pix you took) and ask her if she would agree to let the camera check from Sony. Maybe she also has a personal liability insurance.

Regards,
Andi
--
http://www.pbase.com/anbuccos
pbase supporter
 
Sorry for delay! yup, I agree. We go on holiday to get away from it all. Why don't we make life a holiday? :-)
Unda Covalava said:
Is materialism a ball and chain? I think so. Have you ever had
that week when your car needs repairs, your cable modem isn't
working right, your new MP3 player stopped working, and your
computer may have a virus? It's those times that make me just want
to simplify life. (Ofcourse I'll keep the car and the internet :P)
wonderkid said:
In the mean time, something to think about:

Since the Taliban destroyed those huge statues in Afghanistan not
long before 9/11, and the violent mugging that deprived me of my
f717 a few months ago began to back this thought up, perhaps
materialism and our desire to own things is asking for problems?
Cars cost a fortune to run and polute the planet. Bling bling is
asking for a mugging and is showing off. And photography creates a
situation where we are instantly (falsely) led to believe that that
captured 'moment' was better than the current reality. "We look so
young!" "Oh, they were the days!" Etc. And if the picture is of
something negative, we're put into a worse state of mind. The only
exception to this rule is creative photography where, like other
art forms, we are producing something that satisfies the moment and
projects the thoughts and/or skills of the 'artist'. So, creative
photography does not put us in a position of envy or the longing
for pastures greener.

During my trip to Egypt in January 2004, my f717 broke down half
way (later fixed by Sony). Alas the second half of the vacation was
full of the most soul satisfying and photogenic experiences of a
lifetime, yet beyond a few disposable camera shots, I have no
'physical' record of the events, however, the experience did effect
me 'spiritually' and I tell those I meet to go there themselves.

So, should one simply savor the moment?

Is less more?

Thoughts everyone?

Wonderkid
wonderkid said:
This is more of an ethical / moral question, not technical, but
yesterday (Sunday) night I experienced a situation where I was
unsure of what to do and would be grateful for feedback from
DPREVIEW readers. Was on a bus in London and four friendly Italians
(their nationality is not the point!) got to chatting with me. At
their OK, I took some photos of them using my new Sony P120 so I
could e-mail the pictures to them. I showed them the shots on the
LCD and took some more photos. One of the girls fairly aggressively
reached for the camera in my hand to look at the LCD again and
knocked the camera to the floor very very hard. The still extended
lens was wrenched sideways (it looked very bad) and the camera
ceased to function, with a message on the LCD saying something like
"Switch the camera OFF and back ON". As we all sat in stunned
silence (I was devastated and very angry and they were embarassed)
I fiddled with the lens and somehow managed to 'snap' the damaged
part of the extended lens back into place. I tried all the
features, zooming, took some photos etc and all worked ok - a
testament to Sony's fantastic microengineering quality. Only
negative is a small scratch on the side of the lens mechanism.
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me. As for the P120 itself,
it is a great camera. My only gripes are that the 640 x 480 30fps
video is lacking in colour and resolution and the as mentioned
elsewhere on this forum, flaky focusing.
Click to expand...
--
For my latest details...
http://www.gonumber.net/2539
Click to expand...
--
Kodak_DC280_Canon_s110_Olympus_C-2100UZ_Minolta_G500_Sony_F707
Click to expand...
--
For my latest details...
http://www.gonumber.net/2539
 
I think it more a case of what you should have DONE. If she grabbed the camera in an uninvited way you should have held her responsible there and then. It's too late now, the moment has gone.

You best option at this time is to send the camera in to Sony and have them check it. If they clear it or repair it, then you still have the rest of your year's warranty to fall back on. If not, should you have to send it back they will notice that you have damaged it. If you do send it back ask for a damage analysis and price quote before they undertake any repairs - that way you have the option to back out if it's expensive.

Other things to think about - does your household insurance cover accidental damage to items? Did you buy it with a credit card which offers some kind of insurance for a time?
 
What amazes me is how many of you automatically say "she won't pay for it".

Umm.. how do you know that? Do you know her at all? I come from a place (Newfoundland) where I bet if you asked that same question about another Newfoundlander you would get ten "yes" answers to every "no". Maybe it's cultural, but this mood of distrust I see so prevalent in society today has me worried about what kind of world we are making for our children.

What ever happened to responsibility!

Jamie
 
Some credit cards include this feature which covers incidents similar to what happened to you. If the product is dammaged due to an accident, it will be covered for repair up to 90 days from date of purchase. If you purchased the camera with a credit card, you may have this benefit. It will also cover theft.
John
wonderkid said:
This is more of an ethical / moral question, not technical, but
yesterday (Sunday) night I experienced a situation where I was
unsure of what to do and would be grateful for feedback from
DPREVIEW readers. Was on a bus in London and four friendly Italians
(their nationality is not the point!) got to chatting with me. At
their OK, I took some photos of them using my new Sony P120 so I
could e-mail the pictures to them. I showed them the shots on the
LCD and took some more photos. One of the girls fairly aggressively
reached for the camera in my hand to look at the LCD again and
knocked the camera to the floor very very hard. The still extended
lens was wrenched sideways (it looked very bad) and the camera
ceased to function, with a message on the LCD saying something like
"Switch the camera OFF and back ON". As we all sat in stunned
silence (I was devastated and very angry and they were embarassed)
I fiddled with the lens and somehow managed to 'snap' the damaged
part of the extended lens back into place. I tried all the
features, zooming, took some photos etc and all worked ok - a
testament to Sony's fantastic microengineering quality. Only
negative is a small scratch on the side of the lens mechanism.
However, I have no idea if any damage has been done internally. I
have the e-mail address for the girl who hit the camera. My
question is, if the camera does malfunction in the future, should
she pay for it to be repaired? She did not offer to do so at the
time, which is the thing that shocked me. As for the P120 itself,
it is a great camera. My only gripes are that the 640 x 480 30fps
video is lacking in colour and resolution and the as mentioned
elsewhere on this forum, flaky focusing.
Click to expand...
 
The communists were caught in this trap for 70 years. They thought that money was the most important thing and everyone should get an equal amount of it. But that idea destroyed initiative and crushed their society. When I come home to North America, I start, right away, buying lottery tickets, because I immediately feel, in this society, that I need more money than I'm ever going to be able to get.
Spiritual things are important. Love is important. Materialism is a trap.
 
Then free yourself by offering him a new P120 :p

Money doesn't buy happiness, but used wisely and enjoyed it can sure help.
jrdu said:
The communists were caught in this trap for 70 years. They thought
that money was the most important thing and everyone should get an
equal amount of it. But that idea destroyed initiative and crushed
their society. When I come home to North America, I start, right
away, buying lottery tickets, because I immediately feel, in this
society, that I need more money than I'm ever going to be able to
get.
Spiritual things are important. Love is important. Materialism is
a trap.
Click to expand...
 
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