HPX500 Viewfinder fell off of the camera

A

Alex412

New member
Ok here's a good one. I was out shooting with my HPX500 with the stock viewfinder when suddenly the viewfinder just fell of the mount on the camera. The housing that locks into the camera was still securely connected, but the (2) inch and a half screws that secure the viewfinder into the mount somehow unthreaded themselves.

When I got home I thought it would be an easy repair. Re-secure the screws and I should be good to go. Well I have found that the 2 screws seem to be too short and just barely thread onto the mount. It seems like a manufacturing issue so I contacted Panasonic. I thought they would just send replacement screws but they asked me to send the viewfinder in for repair.

Today I received an estimate for the repair: $260 to replace 2 screws and I'm told it is not covered under warranty. After complaining to Panasonic I am still waiting to hear back on the final verdict.

Has anyone else have this problem???

Thanks, Alex
 
Thats friggin ridiculous. How old was the camera?

For me its become more common to take out a screw driver once in a while and tighten all the screws I can find. This happened to me with other cameras, usually loosing the screws and parts falling off or becoming loose.
 
Screwed... awesome! Just to keep the thread going, I'll take a turn with a related-yet-unrelated story of my own.

We have a Fuji FinePix point-and-shoot that goes with us for casual family photography. I took it out a week ago and found that not a single one of the eight screws that hold the body together were still there. The battery cover and buttons are all that is holding the lump together. Now how do you remedy that?!

Good luck with the HPX! Hope our 300 doesn't suffer from the same viewfinder design.

e
 
No duct tape needed! I received a response from Panasonic and they have decided to fix the problem under warranty! I still have no clue what could have caused the problem in the first place but it's good to know Panasonic is going to stand behind their product... just don't be afaid to ask. It saved me 260 bucks!
 
I like the ducted tape idea, fixes everything. I dont need a smart phone either... I just taped my phone, camera, and touch screen laptop together... works wonders!
 
Alex, it's great to hear this is covered under warranty claim. You're right, it never hurts to ask!

Giuseppe Pugliese said:
I like the ducted tape idea, fixes everything. I dont need a smart phone either... I just taped my phone, camera, and touch screen laptop together... works wonders!
Click to expand...

Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

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