sand in camera! HELP!

smileylunar

Hi - did the most silliest of things today- but at the time it seemed like a good idea! I took shots of whispering sand along a beach,and now I have sand in my KODAK C 663 DIGITAL CAMERA...... sometimes the lens shutter doesn't open or close fully, does anyone know anywhere in the manchester/stockport/ area that would be able to service and clean my camera? Would it be cost effective. or am I better off buying a new camera?

will I never learn- last year I burnt the mother board of my finepix by taking shots of the sun breaking through some clouds(!).... in search of the "perfect" photo!

any advice warmly received- and criticisms also accepted!!!!
thankyou
:rolleyes:

Rooked_2

Most likely your in a bit of bother - you could claim on insurance - but excess will be more than the camera.

Sorry im not really much help!

Stephen_Leak

smileylunar wrote: »

Hi - did the most silliest of things today- but at the time it seemed like a good idea! I took shots of whispering sand along a beach,and now I have sand in my KODAK C 663 DIGITAL CAMERA...... sometimes the lens shutter doesn't open or close fully, does anyone know anywhere in the manchester/stockport/ area that would be able to service and clean my camera? Would it be cost effective. or am I better off buying a new camera?

will I never learn- last year I burnt the mother board of my finepix by taking shots of the sun breaking through some clouds(!).... in search of the "perfect" photo!

any advice warmly received- and criticisms also accepted!!!!
thankyou
:rolleyes:

Buy a can of compressed air cleaning spray at somewhere like Maplins. Then, holding the camera upside down (so any sand can fall out rather than go further into the camera) try blowing the lens covers clean. Short blasts to just dislodge any grains are best, as long ones could blow them where you don't want them to go.

Its a "no lose" situation, and one I've used successfully on a couple of occasions when I was at Dixons. You don't mention any nasty grinding noises when the lens extends, which suggests that the contamination isn't too bad.

raptorman

Unfortunately sand is one of those things that when it gets into the likes of a camera that has lots of moving parts and motors and so on it tends to do a great deal of damage, grinding away every time you switch on/take a picture. You could try compressed air as mentioned above but I think the camera will eventually fail, and probably at the most inoportune(did I spell that right?) moment.

To get the camera stripped and cleaned will probably cost more than buying a new one IMHO.

It may be worth getting a waterproof housing if you decide to get a new camera, that way it won't happen again.