Advice - Damaged Someones Camera They Want Money!

S

ST_

Well-known member
Hey,

3 partners making a film signed contract with film college to use their jvchd100 camera free of charge on our shoot, contract said we would pay for any damages. (I wasnt camera op / DOP, im producer, i dont know when these damages happend, wasnt told :( )

I recently went to sign the camera in - and was told that it is damaged,

- the firewire port is misloged
- There are water spray marks / smudges on the LCD screen
- There are water spray marks / smudges on the eyepiece / viewfinder screen
- the wide angle lens has a finger print and this mark which appears to look like a scratch...
- the foam in the pelican case is worn.

I know that we have to pay, i just dont want to pay what i shouldnt have to pay,

One concern is that we were given the camera without its plastic covering which covers up the firewire port - had this have been on the camera - the firewire port would not have been exposed to damage, should i ask for them to pay 50% of this repair and us the other 50%? - what do you suggest?

Water spray marks on LCD/eyepiece - they want to send it of to be cleaned at a service centre... is this over the top? i know we did get water sprayed on the camera - perhaps we put say 60% of the marks on it? should we offer to pay for 60% of the cleaning only, or can this be cleaned as a DIY exercise with alcohol wipes?

Finger print and scracth on wide angle lens - Ahhh i think we are gonna have to pay hard for this one... any suggestions to repairing it? we had it rented 4 days during a 2 week period - they cant pin point the shoot we scratched it on (if we did scratch it..) they didnt the camera and case throughly everytime, only on the recent time i put it in,

Foam in pelican case is worn - i think this is unrealistic - as i own a pelican case and it wears - i looked at their case - there are 2 slot spots where it has worn - i think this happens naturally to all foam at 2 slot gaps... any opinions?

Also does anyone have an idea of what it would cost ? I am going to ring up service centers for their quotes...

Thanks for taking time for me! :)

ST_
 
Ah, the joys of being a producer. Did you, by any chance, do an inspection of the camera at check out with the school's representative?
 
Blaine said:
Ah, the joys of being a producer. Did you, by any chance, do an inspection of the camera at check out with the school's representative?
Click to expand...
Bingo. Before checking anything out you inspect it thoroughly, if something is missing, they will charge you for it later. You check all your lenses, look for scratches, etc. You can try the firewire port angle, but you might end up losing the privilage to shoot with their equipment in the future. When I get stuff from school I make sure notes are taken for scratches and marks on the equipment.

How did you get liquid on the lcd screen? Not sure how you guys handled the equipment, but it sounds like their justified in having you foot the bill for maintenance.

Take great care of your own equipment, take extra care of everyone else's.
 
nope i didnt inspect the equipment :( i didnt pick it up - should have got person who picked it up to inspect it.

liquid on LCD screen - rain spray
 
I think you are just going to have to call this a learning experience. The moment I loan anything out or borrow anything and I alawys take pictures of the items
 
Not that I recommend panicing. But.

In all fairness. Some of those points seem a little petty. Worn out foam? JEez. Well it happens. Pathetic if you ask me. You're college/where ever you got it from, is just trying to make money in my opinion. I'd just say

"Okay I'll fix it, give it here."

Then go home, ring up saying you quit college or whatever and just keep the camera...Btw...DON'T do that...

But yeah, seems a little petty.
 
Ki-Ki yeah the foam is really petty - i think its a grudge thing because of the lens scratch.. hehe i hope they at least give me the old lens if i have to buy them a new one!

SilverWolf pictures are a good idea, i will do that in the future! Yep learning experience it is!

But the footage turned out positive so im going to co-operate so i can finish it!

ST_
 
did you sign something claiming that you would clean the camera before returning it? did the camera suffer from water damage?

it sounds to me like the person in charge of equipment has something up his arse.

school equipment is always being abused, and if there is no way they can prove that you were responsible for these damages, i wouldn't pay a penny. it should be insured anyways. and if it's not, the video department at that school is being irresponsible.

the fact of the matter is that worn foam is in fact extremely petty, and you can only assume that every other claim that is being made is also petty.

if, after an honest conversation with your dp, he/she suddenly remembers scratching the lens, you should pay for new glass. but if the camera wasn't inspected before the shoot, i would consider paying for that scratch an act of good will.
 
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