Help Please! Dropped GX9 & Now Won't Turn On!

[ArchiMark]

Hi,

Managed to let GX9 that was in the cabinet over my desk at work fall out and drop about 28" onto the plastic laminate (formica) desk surface. Not good for my heart.....

The good news is that there is no external damage anywhere on the camera. Everything looks good, no cracks, dings, scratches, etc.....looked inside battery/card compartment and all is good, battery and card can go in and out as normal, no damage to battery compartment door, it stayed closed.

The pany 12-32 pancake lens seems OK and opens and closes normally.

The bad news is that camera does not power on after I turn switch to 'On' and extend out lens. If I press the menu button nothing happens......

Any ideas on how to try and get camera working again?

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Mark

Anxious GX9 Owner

 

[Leebristol33]

Have you tried removing the battery and reinserting?

 

[ArchiMark]

Have you tried removing the battery and reinserting?

Thanks for your help!

Yes, have tried this several times....

Also, read somewhere online to try leaving battery out of camera for 10 - 15 minutes and then put battery in again.

Tried that but no go.......

 

[Kharan]

Hi,

Managed to let GX9 that was in the cabinet over my desk at work fall out and drop about 28" onto the plastic laminate (formica) desk surface. Not good for my heart.....

The good news is that there is no external damage anywhere on the camera. Everything looks good, no cracks, dings, scratches, etc.....looked inside battery/card compartment and all is good, battery and card can go in and out as normal, no damage to battery compartment door, it stayed closed.

The pany 12-32 pancake lens seems OK and opens and closes normally.

The bad news is that camera does not power on after I turn switch to 'On' and extend out lens. If I press the menu button nothing happens......

Any ideas on how to try and get camera working again?

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Mark

Anxious GX9 Owner

Hm, I opened a GX9 up a month or so ago to fix an issue with the top plate. If you're lucky, the cables that connect the mainboard with the battery compartment broke off after the fall, which would be a fairly easy fix. Less fortunate would be that the camera refuses to power on because the sensor or main processor are shot, or maybe the mainboard is broken.

You could try to enter the special service mode used by technicians when repairing Panny cameras. I could look up the specifics later, once I have access to my service manual, but I think the procedure is fairly common to most Panasonic bodies and the instructions can be found online. This can help discard possible causes.

 

[ArchiMark]

Hi,

Managed to let GX9 that was in the cabinet over my desk at work fall out and drop about 28" onto the plastic laminate (formica) desk surface. Not good for my heart.....

The good news is that there is no external damage anywhere on the camera. Everything looks good, no cracks, dings, scratches, etc.....looked inside battery/card compartment and all is good, battery and card can go in and out as normal, no damage to battery compartment door, it stayed closed.

The pany 12-32 pancake lens seems OK and opens and closes normally.

The bad news is that camera does not power on after I turn switch to 'On' and extend out lens. If I press the menu button nothing happens......

Any ideas on how to try and get camera working again?

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Mark

Anxious GX9 Owner

Hm, I opened a GX9 up a month or so ago to fix an issue with the top plate. If you're lucky, the cables that connect the mainboard with the battery compartment broke off after the fall, which would be a fairly easy fix. Less fortunate would be that the camera refuses to power on because the sensor or main processor are shot, or maybe the mainboard is broken.

You could try to enter the special service mode used by technicians when repairing Panny cameras. I could look up the specifics later, once I have access to my service manual, but I think the procedure is fairly common to most Panasonic bodies and the instructions can be found online. This can help discard possible causes.

Thank you for your help!

How difficult is it to open up the GX9 to check it?

I have opened up a LF1 a few years ago, was fairly easy, but have to be careful, since it's very small.

If you can let me know how to get into service mode that would be great or provide a link....

In meantime, I will try to search for this.

Thanks!

[EDIT - UPDATE]

Found instructions to get into service mode, but nothing happens....display does not come on..... :-(

 

[PLShooter]

Have you tried removing the battery and reinserting?

Thanks for your help!

Yes, have tried this several times....

Also, read somewhere online to try leaving battery out of camera for 10 - 15 minutes and then put battery in again.

Tried that but no go.......

Is the battery OK? Have you another to try?

Are the battery contacts in the camera broken?

--
Shoot them as you see them!

 

[ArchiMark]

Have you tried removing the battery and reinserting?

Thanks for your help!

Yes, have tried this several times....

Also, read somewhere online to try leaving battery out of camera for 10 - 15 minutes and then put battery in again.

Tried that but no go.......

Is the battery OK? Have you another to try?

Think so.....I pulled it out and put in charger for a bit, until indicator light on charger turned green....but did use it within the last month and it seemed OK....don't have another battery...

Are the battery contacts in the camera broken?

No, as I wrote, there is no external damage to camera nor in battery compartment...door didn't open when camera fell.....

Thanks.

 

[alcelc]

Those are for software crashing only.

Likely you have a hardware problem. If it is under warranty ask for Service Center's help. If not, replace it.

 

[ArchiMark]

Those are for software crashing only.

Likely you have a hardware problem. If it is under warranty ask for Service Center's help. If not, replace it.

Thanks for your input....

I bought this camera used recently....and while seller includes a 6 month warranty, it does not cover dropping camera or other accidental damage....

So, unless I can open up camera and identify what got damaged and then try to get replacement part and install.....it looks like I have a very expensive paperweight now....albeit a handsome one.....

:-|

Meanwhile, I did look around and found another battery.....charging it now and will then try it.....who knows, maybe I'll get lucky........

Everyone, please say a GX9 prayer......

Thanks.

 

[Bassam Guy]

Have you tried removing the battery and reinserting?

Thanks for your help!

Yes, have tried this several times....

Also, read somewhere online to try leaving battery out of camera for 10 - 15 minutes and then put battery in again.

Tried that but no go.......

Is the battery OK? Have you another to try?

Think so.....I pulled it out and put in charger for a bit, until indicator light on charger turned green....but did use it within the last month and it seemed OK....don't have another battery...

Are the battery contacts in the camera broken?

No, as I wrote, there is no external damage to camera nor in battery compartment...door didn't open when camera fell.....

Thanks.

The battery door is not the contacts. Perhaps the contacts bent down so that they no longer touch the battery. That happened to me once and I used a small flathead screwdriver to bend them up a bit (on a different camera model).

 

[daddyo]

If not, I would definitely try that, just remove the lens and turn on the camera with the body cap on. If it does not respond you will just have to get it repaired, or replace it.

 

[Tom Caldwell]

Remove the lens, shake the camera body gently.


If the sensor jiggles visibly then it has not been jammed by the drop, but it might be that the shutter is jammed. In any case it is failing the self test on startup.

I don't think that there is an easy solution. If anyone has an easy solution then I have a dropped and scratch free GX85 whose sensor has stopped jiggling. I am all ears ...

Possibly one of the significant negative issues of having IBIS - that the suspended sensor is not happy with the shock from a drop.

Not sure if it is the displaced sensor that jams the shutter, but in either case the camera is looking for a back to base, complete disassembly, and replacement on the shutter module (which is a sealed unit).

 

[Kharan]

Hm, I opened a GX9 up a month or so ago to fix an issue with the top plate. If you're lucky, the cables that connect the mainboard with the battery compartment broke off after the fall, which would be a fairly easy fix. Less fortunate would be that the camera refuses to power on because the sensor or main processor are shot, or maybe the mainboard is broken.

You could try to enter the special service mode used by technicians when repairing Panny cameras. I could look up the specifics later, once I have access to my service manual, but I think the procedure is fairly common to most Panasonic bodies and the instructions can be found online. This can help discard possible causes.

Thank you for your help!

How difficult is it to open up the GX9 to check it?

Not that daunting, but you do need to remove (and later replace) some leatherette panels, and if you're like me, they'll never look quite like out of the factory once you're done.

I have opened up a LF1 a few years ago, was fairly easy, but have to be careful, since it's very small.

If you can let me know how to get into service mode that would be great or provide a link....

Send me a PM and I'll share the service manual with you.

In meantime, I will try to search for this.

Thanks!

[EDIT - UPDATE]

Found instructions to get into service mode, but nothing happens....display does not come on..... :-(

That's not good, the hardware must be damaged :-( You'd now need to troubleshoot what has gone wrong, which isn't easy, but can be done.

 

[ArchiMark]

Have you tried removing the battery and reinserting?

Thanks for your help!

Yes, have tried this several times....

Also, read somewhere online to try leaving battery out of camera for 10 - 15 minutes and then put battery in again.

Tried that but no go.......

Is the battery OK? Have you another to try?

Think so.....I pulled it out and put in charger for a bit, until indicator light on charger turned green....but did use it within the last month and it seemed OK....don't have another battery...

Are the battery contacts in the camera broken?

No, as I wrote, there is no external damage to camera nor in battery compartment...door didn't open when camera fell.....

Thanks.

The battery door is not the contacts. Perhaps the contacts bent down so that they no longer touch the battery. That happened to me once and I used a small flathead screwdriver to bend them up a bit (on a different camera model).

Thanks, I checked contacts and they are OK....

 

[ArchiMark]

Hm, I opened a GX9 up a month or so ago to fix an issue with the top plate. If you're lucky, the cables that connect the mainboard with the battery compartment broke off after the fall, which would be a fairly easy fix. Less fortunate would be that the camera refuses to power on because the sensor or main processor are shot, or maybe the mainboard is broken.

You could try to enter the special service mode used by technicians when repairing Panny cameras. I could look up the specifics later, once I have access to my service manual, but I think the procedure is fairly common to most Panasonic bodies and the instructions can be found online. This can help discard possible causes.

Thank you for your help!

How difficult is it to open up the GX9 to check it?

Not that daunting, but you do need to remove (and later replace) some leatherette panels, and if you're like me, they'll never look quite like out of the factory once you're done.

Understand, thanks....

I have opened up a LF1 a few years ago, was fairly easy, but have to be careful, since it's very small.

If you can let me know how to get into service mode that would be great or provide a link....

Send me a PM and I'll share the service manual with you.

Thanks, will do!

In meantime, I will try to search for this.

Thanks!

[EDIT - UPDATE]

Found instructions to get into service mode, but nothing happens....display does not come on..... :-(

That's not good, the hardware must be damaged :-( You'd now need to troubleshoot what has gone wrong, which isn't easy, but can be done.

Yeah, I think something must have either gotten loose, broke connection, etc.

 

[ArchiMark]

If not, I would definitely try that, just remove the lens and turn on the camera with the body cap on. If it does not respond you will just have to get it repaired, or replace it.

Thanks....

Yes, I tried that and nothing happens when I turn on GX9.....

Tried pressing menu button, nothing....not good....

 

[ArchiMark]

Remove the lens, shake the camera body gently.

If the sensor jiggles visibly then it has not been jammed by the drop, but it might be that the shutter is jammed. In any case it is failing the self test on startup.

Thanks for your help.

Not sure if sensor is moving but there's a black 'frame' in front of the sensor (with cutout that matches size of sensor) and it moves.....

I don't think that there is an easy solution. If anyone has an easy solution then I have a dropped and scratch free GX85 whose sensor has stopped jiggling. I am all ears ...

Possibly one of the significant negative issues of having IBIS - that the suspended sensor is not happy with the shock from a drop.

Not sure if it is the displaced sensor that jams the shutter, but in either case the camera is looking for a back to base, complete disassembly, and replacement on the shutter module (which is a sealed unit).

Do you or anyone else have a rough idea what I might be looking at cost-wise if I wanted to get camera repaired?

Thanks

 

[ArchiMark]

Have you tried removing the battery and reinserting?

Thanks for your help!

Yes, have tried this several times....

Also, read somewhere online to try leaving battery out of camera for 10 - 15 minutes and then put battery in again.

Tried that but no go.......

Is the battery OK? Have you another to try?

Think so.....I pulled it out and put in charger for a bit, until indicator light on charger turned green....but did use it within the last month and it seemed OK....don't have another battery...

Are the battery contacts in the camera broken?

No, as I wrote, there is no external damage to camera nor in battery compartment...door didn't open when camera fell.....

Thanks.

Well, I looked around and found I did have another battery....charged it, inserted it, and camera still doesn't turn on.....

 

[richj20]

Do you or anyone else have a rough idea what I might be looking at cost-wise if I wanted to get camera repaired?

Thanks

I'm sorry to hear that. I also have a GX9.

Contact a camera repair and explain what happened. They may want to see the camera before giving a quote.

I've used royalcameras.com once. One of my Sony cameras got something sticky on the sensor and I could not remove it. The cost was $100.

- Richard

 

[benwood]

I had my camera strap get caught on a door knob once and that caused the GX9 to jerk out of my hand and onto the floor. No startup. Did the battery regimen etc.

It was still under warranty, and I got it fixed for free.

Then a few years later... a couple weeks ago... after photographing Niagara Falls, it slipped out of the car when a door was opened, and voila, it broke again.

Initially I could see a curtain in front of the sensor, which I'd never seen before. Later, the curtain had pulled back somehow, but nada.

Makes me think twice about replacing it, seeing how it's broken twice now.

I was in Niagara, Ontario, no good camera shops anywhere around. Ended up going to a Best Buy in Buffalo, but no Olympus models that they showed online. Got a Sony RX100M7. I love it. Probably going to be my fly away trip camera from now on, it's fastly smaller kit.

I still have my G9 for car trips etc. and to use with my terrific lenses.

The m4/3 images I ended up with do look better, but the Sony did a fine job and I'm glad I shelled out the money instead of relying on my mid tier phone.

If I could get my GX9 fixed for a couple hundred, I'll probably do it. Haven't had time to look into it yet.