Digi Camera repair

[Harry Bloomfield]

Yesterday I spotted a digi camera on freegle, being given away as it fails to focus. I'm not short of digi cameras, but curiosity got the better of me, so I offered to take it and my offer was accepted.

Its nothing special, just a basic digi camera with auto - focus and zoom. It looks like new and all works apart from it often complains of zoom not working properly and of course the focus is out. Zoom it back and forth and it seems to click and the focus comes much sharper. Its the type where the lens part telescopes out when you turn it on and rotates for zoom, with an outer shutter to protect the lens when off.

I noticed the outer shutter was often sticking, assummed it might have suffered immersion in some sticky liquid, took it off and gave it a good rinse in hot water. That fixed it completely. I'm now wondering if the zoom/ focus might have suffered the same fate.

I'm wondering whether to just give it a rinse under hot water, dry it and hope for the best, or attempt to pull the lens mechanism out.

As said, its repair is purely an academic excercise in DIY.

[whisky-dave]

Cameras and electicity don't like water, not sure what to suggest something that evaporates, or just give it a whack and hoipe something good happens. If it's a canon then perhasp soeone used the CHDK on it or maybe that's worth trying. I woudn;t spend too much time or effort on it though. Could try asking on a photo groups.

[Harry Bloomfield]

I never worry about water and electronic not mixing, it is only true whilst powered up.

I decided to give it a good soak in hot water to dissolve whatever it had in it, blow the water out, then an hour under an hair dryer.

The complaint about zoom has gone, has has the slight clunk has the lens opens out. The focuse is much better, but as near as I can tell it is still not focusing properly. It seems to lack a manual means of focussing, so I'm not sure whether it is the focussing processing system, or the mechanical part not moving.

All good fun!

[Dave W]

I should wait a week or two for any condensation inside the optics to evaporate. I don't think an hour under the hairdryer is long enough.

[Theo Markettos]

Throwing it in a bag of rice is one way to dry it out.

Though I'd be a bit worried about water stains on the lens if your water is at all hard...

Theo

[alan]

If you have a cut BM cut price store near you

they do 3.8 litre of Silica Gel cat litter for around £2.50 - this will absorb the moisture.

[newshound]

Is it *really* silica gel, or Fullers' Earth? That said, if you dry the litter in an oven (a few hours at 125 C with a bit of stirring) it would probably be quite an effective dessicant. Watch out for dust.

[alan]

That's what it says on the large packet of white crystals. I've used them packed into cloth bags in my fire safe where the paper was starting to smell damp/musty.

Slightly higher price (£3.50 for 3.8 litres) than I originally stated but a different brand from the same store.