Digital cameras 101

[sbaker]

  I have a EX Z75 casio. I went to take a picture of my cat and the LCd screen has a crack in it. It still works,the cracke is about the size of dime with same lines running out of it. Is there something that I can put on it so it will not crack any more. Would a proctive cover help? I got for christmas in 07. So it is not a year old. Casio wanter between 40.00 to 159.00 plus shippong. I checked on EBay for another LCD screen they had some for 60.00 but how of putting in the camera.

Any help would be great.

[bdery]

Hello and welcome!

LCDs are one of the fragile components of a camera. I have never had one crack myself, but it does happen. I'm not surprised that Casio will not replace it under warranty, because the LCD must have been hit or twisted somehow to crack like this.

I would not advise you to try to replace the LCD yourself if you're not SURE of what you're doing. You could make your whole camera unusable.

A protective film could help, but only to some extend. It will not do miracles. the best thing is obviously to avoid putting more strain on the LCD, either by shocks, pressure, or twists.

If Casio can repair the camera for 40$, that's good. 160$ is excessive, I think, you can probably get a new camera fo that price.

Good luck!

[ShutterbugGail]

Peek around the daProducts website. They have some products that may help stop further damage.

They make acrylic LCD protectors that offer more protection than film. They are not applied directly to the screen but onto the camera area that surrounds it. They are thick enough so they don't flex yet thin enough to not add too much weight or bulk to the camera.

http://www.daproducts.com/

[Darntoothysam]

Some cameras have LCD screens that are very easy to replace if you are handy with a screwdriver, take your time, and pay attention to detail. Please be aware that you can SHORT OUT your camera and not only have a cracked LCD but also a camera that will not turn on anymore if you are not careful.

You should watch out for the flash capacitor when doing your repair: it will give you a VERY nice zap!!  

If you are uncomfortable doing the repair yourself, NO manufacturer will repair your digital camera for less than $150-200. You may be lucky enough to find a digital camera shop that knows about repair, but most likely you will NOT. Camera shop employees mostly only seem to know about cameras and repair is a big mystery to them. Pity really, because they could help a lot of people if they were educated.

There are digital camera repair and DIY parts shops online that will do the repair for a reasonable amount; I know this, because I own one. Make sure whoever you use that they don't charge you as much as it costs to buy a new camera to do your repair, there's no reason for it.

daProducts LCD screen protectors are AWESOME. They are a thick acrylic plastic, not a USELESS thin film that will do NOTHING to help protect your LCD from anything other than a fly landing on it. (end of rant!)

Anyway, I hope this is of some use to somebody out there.

Thomas D.
Owner- Darntoothysam

[ShutterbugGail]

There are digital camera repair and DIY parts shops online that will do the repair for a reasonable amount; I know this, because I own one.

I took a look at your site. It's good to know there are services like the ones you provide.

Make sure whoever you use that they don't charge you as much as it costs to buy a new camera to do your repair, there's no reason for it.

Excellent information!

[dimitrz]

I second that Gail.

One thing I really liked about Thomas's post is that he was giving genuine advise and was not trying to sell his service.

Way to go Thomas!  we need more people like you.