There are alternatives, there are ALWAYS alternatives to every problem. Honest! Yes, it may cost 0 to fix your camera, and yes you can buy that camera in the bubble pack on the shelf at Wall Mart for less than 0, but what kind of quality do you honestly expect from a 0 camera? You shouldn’t expect high quality that’s for sure, because you won’t be getting it.

#1 – Cracked, broken, smashed LCD screen.

I found it difficult to decide between broken lens repair and cracked LCD screen repair for #1, but I choose the LCD because it can be broken so easily that you can do it without even touching the camera!

The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is the view screen on the back of the camera that lets you see menus, playback pictures etc. An LCD screen is a very thin and fragile part of the camera and on many of them it is completely unprotected! Look at the back of your camera, is the screen recessed slightly or is the back of the camera flat and smooth? If it’s flat you have a protective ‘window’ or ‘glass’ over the LCD to help prevent damage and breakage. It there is no protective window over the LCD screen then you should invest in a good LCD screen protector made from acrylic plastic and not the silly, useless ‘Saran Wrap’ protectors you always see as they are a waste of money.

- Don’t expose your camera to high heat or extreme cold in your car. Excessive high tempertures could cause the LCD to expand such that it cracks, and conversely extremely low temperture could cause it to freeze!

- Don’t put anything up against the LCD in your camera bag, it will bang against the LCD and crack it (yes, even if it has a window over it, it will break!)

- Don’t put your camera in your back pocket and then sit down!

- Don’t store your camera in your pants pocket, it can easily break from the pressure.

- … Just don’t put your camera in your pants pocket please. =)

Ok, so it’s broken, what do you do now?

- Manufacturers usually cite impact damage as the cause of the breakage and will not repair the camera under warranty. You can try, and I wish you luck, but they probably won’t fix it.

- Look for a defective camera on eBay and make one good camera from the two if you are handy.

- Look for an actual camera repair business and not somebody that will send it to the manufacturer and tell you it’s $200 and 4-6 weeks to repair. (If they tell you this, they are NOT repairing your camera for you, they are sending it to the manufacturer, guaranteed)

Many LCD screens are very easy to install and you can do it yourself and all you need is a small screwdriver. There are LCD repairs that are quite difficult; even seasoned pro’s don’t want to do them! While I can’t pick one brand …. is the best and Brand … is the worst, it’s really not like that. Certain SERIES of cameras have 1 or 2 models that are difficult to work on, yet the rest of them are fairly straight forward. You need to decide for yourself if you want to open your camera and try the repair yourself or not.

How is the LCD screen replaced?

With most Canon digital camera LCD screens for example (using them as the example because they have the largest market share) all you do is disconnect the ribbon cable for the LCD and the backlight (the light that shines through the LCD and allows you to see what is on the screen) and then install the new LCD. Some LCDs do come with the backlight that shines through it attached and others do not. Sometimes the LCD backlight will need soldering to the PCB of the camera or to the LCD ribbon cable, but most often it will not.

- Be careful to not touch the flash capacitor contacts! You WILL zap yourself if you do, and it will HURT a bit. You will probably throw your camera across the room when it happens. (Yes I have done it, I have been repairing digi cams for about 5yrs so….) We have ‘flash capacitor dischargers’ and use them every time we open a camera.

I hope this sheds some light on the subject of camera repair. There’s no need to toss out your camera just because the LCD screen is broken, in fact you might be able to fix it yourself!

Tags: san antonio photographers, unique senior portraits, urban senior pictures, senior portraits

Maybe your removeable battery door was taken off to add on a grip with extra battery power… and where exactly did you put it down?

I know; the tiny little piece of plastic on your CF (Compact Flash memory card) door broke off and your camera won’t turn on!

Oh man… how many cameras out there will not turn on because your memory card door is open, or the battery door is open, even though there really seems to be no reason for it? It’s frustrating… these flimsy little battery doors made from a tiny glob of plastic are ultra thin and snap like a dry twig, ( Canon SD750 broken battery door.. don’t get me started!) making your camera useless. What were they thinking when they designed this?? Did ANYBODY test this thing? Why didn’t anyone ever stop and ask why it was that way?

I could work for ANY major digital camera company and tell them exactly what is wrong with the design of any new camera they release and save them hundreds of thousands of dollars in warranty repairs and upset customers! Think they would hire me? No way; I don’t have an Engineering Degree or a PHd is Physics so what do I know, right?

But just look at the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2 shutter button , I would never have let them put the camera on the market if they had only asked!!

Well I know plenty having fixed THOUSANDS of cameras over the past 5+ years, I know what is wrong with your camera if it is a certain model before you even tell me.

Sony H2 or H5? Damaged or missing shutter release button. Canon SD850? Jammed lens Canon SD750? Broken battery door… I’m not going to list dozens of cameras here, that’s not what this is about.

What can you do if your camera has a small broken part or a door is missing? You paid hundreds for it and once again the guy at the store tells you “Throw it in the trash, this one is better, it goes to 11.” (A little movie humor there, hey it’s 1:30am I’m entitled) Tell that guy at the store a resounding “NO!” and walk out. Go home, get on the computer and get surfing.

Back we go to eBay… just search for your camera model number along with the word ‘door’ or ‘parts’ and you will be amazed at what you find!

As a side note here, I was the first and only digital camera parts store in the world on eBay. I bought cameras by the 100’s and repaired what I could and then parted out the rest. I sold all those annoying little parts that you cannot buy anywhere for dirt cheap! for a battery door and all you do to install it is twist it into place… and that “geek” at the store told you it would be $175 to send it in to Canon or Sony and have them do it for you…

So you don’t find your door or part there, keep looking, don’t give up yet. Even if you don’t want to try repairing it yourself it’s no problem, there are still places that can do it for you. Hopefully you will find one with decent prices; don’t pay anyone $50 to install a battery door for you… please.

(Google: “affordable digital camera repair” and you will find some help with your camera!)

Broken battery doors and memory card doors are very common. I think we would see a lot more customers asking for them if only they knew they could actually repair it and get their camera back working for less than $25-30! It really is that cheap, with many doors for only -20.

I hope this helps you find your digital camera repair solution and running again for very little money!

Tags: senior portraits, urban senior pictures, unique senior portraits, san antonio photographers

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.
– Do not attempt to pull or twist the lens barrel if it’s stuck, it’s not going to fix it.

I would have to write a book to fully explain lens problems fully (hmm.. what a great idea!) so I will do what I can to make this easy to follow and as helpful as possible.

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. It’s not the end of the world, and don’t worry about it if it’s missing. Try to always have a clean lens (how do finger prints get on the glass 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’s kinda fun the first time, but uh… I wish you luck getting it back together properly. The tearing apart stuff is awesome, 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. The larger of the two lens motors usually has 4-5 different gears that if misaligned will cause the lens to jam. If the lens is already jammed up, you might as well try and see if 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 Sony 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? Usually there’s a spot of dirt on the CCD unit. 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.

Alright then, the lens is jammed at an angle and you think it’s worthwhile to attempt to fix it 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…” metallic front section down flat on the counter. The round part of the lens barrel is what we want on the flat surface of the table. 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 where it belongs and the lens will work again or it won’t move and no harm will be done, or worst case scenario one of the guide pins that move inside a small slot inside the lens will break and the lens will be ruined.

I told you it was at your own risk!! Camera repair is fun… right?

Ok, how are we feeling 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!

Tags: urban senior pictures, san antonio photographers, unique senior portraits, senior portraits

Every Sony digicam has an exclusive Sony technology that is able to boost your photo capturing experience. This line of Sony digital cameras allow high digital processing that reduces picture noise and delivers smoother and more detailed images. The Sony Cyber-shot ‘H’ series cameras are a very popular 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. This model incorporates Sony’s SupersteadyShot optical image stabilization that is very helpful in reducing image blur caused by hand movement. 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. It is also ideal for capturing movement as you will be able to take a snapshot of every touchdown as it also includes Sony’s advanced sports shooting mode which combines high shutter speed shooting and continuous auto-focusing. 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 has always been known to offer a quality product and their digital cameras are no exception. 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.

Tags: unique senior portraits, urban senior pictures, san antonio photographers, senior portraits

While there is no single best digital camera (since choices vary according to each person’s unique needs and preferences), your best bet is of course to study the options available and rely on one of the top brands in the market today.

Canon Digital Cameras

What is the brand with the largest market share today? Canon! Canon has always been known to be a top manufacturer of a wide array of superior digital cameras. Its camera series lines, which include PowerShot (point and shoot) and EOS (DSLR), have consistently received numerous positive ratings from users and critiques.

Of course, not everything that Canon produces is flawless as there have been issues along the way; nevertheless this company enjoys a good reputation and an outstanding track record when it comes to high quality digital cameras.

These days price is a concern to us all, and Canon has many affordable digital cameras available. The Canon PowerShot A470 is one of the best-selling products from the PowerShot line. This compact point and shoot camera comes with a 7.1 MP image size, 3.4x optical zoom, and a 2.5-inch LCD monitor for your viewing pleasure. Quality and user-friendliness are combined in this piece of affordable camera.

Canon also recognizes the fact that digital cameras have also become a fashion accessory today and people are looking for beauty and style aside from excellent performance. The Canon A1000 IS was designed not only to look nice, but also to be easy to use as well. Even with its modern style, its features do not take a backseat. It comes with a 10MP image size (honestly all you need), 4x optical zoom and impressive image stabilization.

For adventure seekers, Canon created an action-packed camera called the Canon PowerShot D10, which is waterproof up to 10 meters, freezeproof from -10 degrees Celsius, and shockproof up to 1.22 meters. This superlative camera comes with a 12 megapixel sensor, 3x zoom lens, 2.5″ LCD screen and the very important image stabilization.

Proper Care and Maintenance

Just like with any other brand of digital camera, it is imperative that you take utmost care of your Canon digital camera repair. Even if Canon is known for its quality, it is still not invincible to wear and tear. As much as possible, protect your camera from dust and debris. Try to ensure you never drop your camera or bang/bump it severely.

If you suspect any malfunction in your digicam, bring it immediately to a service center that has experience with Canon camera repair. If you prefer to do it yourself, look for a vendor selling genuine OEM Canon digital camera parts.

Producing high-quality photographs is not at all difficult with the excellent line of Canon PowerShot series. To ensure that you end up with the best choice that will meet your photography needs and requirements, review and compare different products before buying.

Tags: san antonio photographers, senior portraits, urban senior pictures, unique senior portraits

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. Included in this line is the H series.

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 H1 is slightly heavier and larger which adds to the digital camera’s solid and substantial feel.

The DSC-H2

The DSC H2 comes with a 6 megapixel imager and a 2″ LCD. This model incorporates Sony’s SupersteadyShot optical image stabilization that is very helpful in reducing image blur caused by hand movement. 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. It is also ideal for capturing movement as you will be able to take a snapshot of every touchdown as it also includes Sony’s advanced sports shooting mode which combines high shutter speed shooting and continuous auto-focusing. 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 has a 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. Not every Sony camera will suit your needs but there is bound to be at least one camera that will, and Sony is a name 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 shutter button repair for the DSC-H2 and DSC-H5 camera first!

Tags: san antonio photographers, unique senior portraits, senior portraits, urban senior pictures

There are alternatives, there are ALWAYS alternatives to every problem. Honest! Yes, it may cost 0 to fix your camera, and yes you can buy that camera in the bubble pack on the shelf at Wall Mart for less than 0, but what kind of quality do you honestly expect from a 0 camera? You shouldn’t expect high quality that’s for sure, because you won’t be getting it.

#1 - Cracked, broken, smashed LCD screen.

It was hard for me to choose between a jammed lens and a {broken LCD screen but I stuck with LCD for #1 because it’s so easy to break your LCD that you don’t even have to touch the camera to do it~I found it difficult to decide between broken lenses and broken LCD screens for #1, but I choose the LCD because it can be broken so easily that you can do it without even touching the camera}!

The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is the view screen on the back of the camera that lets you see menus, playback pictures etc. The LCD is very thin, very fragile, and on many many cameras completely UNPROTECTED! Look at the back of your camera, is the screen recessed slightly or is the back of the camera flat and smooth? If it’s flat you have a protective ‘window’ or ‘glass’ over the LCD to help prevent damage and breakage. If it’s not flat, you have nothing protecting your LCD and should put a good quality LCD screen protector on the camera and NOT those thin, flimsy ’saran wrap’ plastic film screen protectors, they are worthless.

- Don’t leave your camera in your car in summer or winter. Extreme heat can cause expansion of the liquid in the LCD and cause it to ‘crack’, and on the other side of things extreme cold can cause it to freeze!

- Don't ever put anything pressing against your LCD screen in your camera bag, as it can crack the LCD screen (yes even if there is a window over it there is a chance it will break!)

- Don’t put your camera in your back pocket and then sit down!

- Don’t put your camera in your front pocket and then roll over on it.

- … Just don’t put your camera in your pants pocket please. =)

Ok, so it’s broken, what do you do now?

- The manufacturer will just site impact damage and will refuse the repair even if the camera wasn’t dropped etc. You can try, and I wish you luck, but they probably won’t fix it.

- Search for defective cameras on eBay and use one to repair yours and make one good camera out of them.

- Look for an actual camera repair business and not somebody that will send it to the manufacturer and tell you it’s $200 and 4-6 weeks to repair. (If they tell you this, they are NOT repairing your camera for you, they are sending it to the manufacturer, guaranteed)

Many LCD screens are very easy to install and you can do it yourself and all you need is a small screwdriver. Other LCD’s are very difficult to install, and even professionals don’t like to do them! While I can’t pick one brand …. is the best and Brand … is the worst, it’s really not like that. There are certain series of cameras that have one or two models that are more difficult to repair but the others are more straight forward. You will have to figure out if you want to try opening your camera and repairing it by yourself or not.

How is the LCD screen replaced?

With most Canon digital camera LCD screens for example (using them as the example because they have the largest market share) all you do is disconnect the ribbon cable for the LCD and the backlight (the light that shines through the LCD and allows you to see what is on the screen) and then install the new LCD. Some come with the backlight attached, some do not. Sometimes the LCD backlight will need soldering to the PCB of the camera or to the LCD ribbon cable, but most often it will not.

- Be careful to not touch the flash capacitor contacts! You WILL zap yourself if you do, and it will HURT a bit. You may end up tossing the camera half-way across the room when it happens to you. (Yeah, I’ve done it, I’ve been repairing cameras for 5 years now so….) We have 'flash capacitor dischargers' and use them every time we open a camera.

I hope this sheds some light on the subject of camera repair. You do not have to throw your camera away because the LCD is broken, and you can even fix it yourself!

Tags: senior portraits, urban senior pictures, unique senior portraits, san antonio photographers