the handle flap fell off the A1 !!!

[moldcad]

Yes - it just happened, without any special reason. I felt from the very beginning it's not very sturdy. The flap has a pin at the front and a hole at the back; there's also a tiny spring that has fallen off. I haven't found any other part, and can't assemble it back together.

I'd appreciate if someone takes a closer inspection on how the flap is assembled at the rear end, where the spring comes. Is there a pin inside the coil spring? Is it a metal pin, or a plastic one? Is it fixed to the handle, or does it turn freely? Could it go furher into the handle, or could it only go outside?

The answers to the above questions are very important to me, because I don't know what I should be looking for in case it fell outside, or - in case in actually fell into the handle (and something is definitely rattling inside), and if it's a metal part - I can't power up my camera because it could short it out and cause further damage!

Thanks in advance.

 

[DammitJanet]

I figured it would only be a matter of time until something like this happened. Every time I open that thing up it makes me nervous. I wish I could help out, but I don't have access to my camera right now. Someone step up and give this guy a hand!

 

[Noel Evans]

Problem is you cant really see it very well.

 

[scannon]

Can you provide a pic or two?

S Cannon

 

[PaPa]

who cares, the flap does nothing the buttons do nothing while your in shooting mode anyways, so its not as if they will get in the way while your holding the camera shooting.

 

[Drew Ott]

What is the handle flap?

 

[Huy Vu]

It's the lid on top of the handle that conceals the rewind, play buttons

 

[Randolph]

Sorry for the lack of quality. I just wanted to post a quick photo.
I haven't figured out how to take it off yet, but found where the spring goes.

 

[moldcad]

Apart form the spring (as illustrated on Randolph's picture), there must be a pin inside there, to provide the axis for the flap's rotation (there's another one on the opposite, or "front", end of the flap; this one is an integral plastic part of the lid's molding). My problem is that I only have the flap and the spring; the missing pin I didn't find and since something is rattling inside the handle, I am almost sure it must have fallen inside. If it is a metal pin, it could short the electronics inside the handle, which is why I'm afraid to power the camera on. This way, the stupid flap renders my A1 unoperational!!!

 

[moldcad]

Just an update, as this may happen to any of you fellow A1 users: if your handle flap breaks, do yourself a favour and switch the camera off IMMEDIATELY! My dealer (absolutely marvellous people BTW) did the inspection and indeed found the locating, metal pin inside the handle (this is the only place it can go, if it gets loose). I was very fortunate to not power up the camera, as it could cause further damage *not* covered with warranty, being originated by a mechanical event.

 

[icicle22]

Just an update, as this may happen to any of you fellow A1 users: if your handle flap breaks, do yourself a favour and switch the camera off IMMEDIATELY! My dealer (absolutely marvellous people BTW) did the inspection and indeed found the locating, metal pin inside the handle (this is the only place it can go, if it gets loose). I was very fortunate to not power up the camera, as it could cause further damage *not* covered with warranty, being originated by a mechanical event.

Great advice. Too often it goes unknown that these small metal pins can fall into the electronic device and short something out. Better to be safe than sorry.