GH2 Learn from my mistake

PaPa

PaPa

Major Contributor
Just returned home from a trip to Vegas. Unfortunately during the trip, both of my sandisk SD cards broke ( the lock switch cracked off both cards at the same time ) Talk about quality plastic... both cards were roughly a year and half old. Inserting both cards read as them being locked.. No good.

Anywho, trying to be smart, i removed the memory portion of the card and inserted that to see if i could trick the camera, which did not work and only ended up getting stuck inside the dock. Trying to remove it made me bend a few of the pins inside the dock, but I managed to remove the card that was stuck while damaging the SD slot. Now I need to send my camera to Panasonic, pay a $160 estimation fee, wait 4-6 weeks and then pay for parts and labor and shipping. I guess I'm going to be paying for another half of a camera, somewhere in the range of $350-$400 bucks.

So yeah, don't try to be clever, chances are you're just being expensively stupid.

Good day :P
 
ive done the same thing with a built in card reader in my old laptop where my little brother inserted a copper coin =) bent a pin trying to get it out in frustration. finally got it out months later in hindsight with alot of patience and a calmer approach.

hope it doesn't cost too much to fix.
 
Just posted this in another thread, but it's the same basic issue (Panasonic repairs) so I'll quote myself!

keylight said:
$325 Flat rate to service the camera, whatever the problem, if it's out of warranty (this according to Marco at Panasonic's repair facility in McAllen, TX). My GH2 had a fried main board. They fixed it. They'll quote you one price online (which you have to pay) and then send you an email with a much higher price, which is wrong. Call them and they'll give you the real price - $325. Took a bunch of calls before I finally reached Marco in McAllen, TX, and he was the one who finally told me the system that spits out the repair quote system doesn't have the fixed price option in it, even though he said it should. So to repair the GH2, it's the same price - $325 - regardless of the problem.
Click to expand...


 
Oh man! I'm sorry to hear that PaPa. Thanks for posting, so if the issue arises, I might be smart about it. Chances are, with my given history about things, I'll end up in the same boat.
 
Sorry to hear that PAPA, I hate that sinking feeling you get in your gut when you make a costly mistake, I recently messed up one of my favorite lenses by taking it apart. So I know the feeling all to well. The 325.00 flat rate is good to know
 
Ouch Paps.

Thanks for sharing with us though. I have seen an increase in gh2 breaks and bricks lately...
 
you're gonna hate me but - if the tab breaks off - just put a piece of tape over the gap and you're good to go
 
I dropped my GH1 from a foot high once. I thought no big deal, everything seemed to be working. When I went to take the card out, the top had broken off IN the camera. The broken card still fit and worked fine, but no other card would because it wouldn't seat properly. It took me a couple months of carefully trying to get the bits of plastic unstuck from inside the camera inbetween using it for shoots.

Cheap cards suck.
 
tired said:
you're gonna hate me but - if the tab breaks off - just put a piece of tape over the gap and you're good to go
Click to expand...


Funny enough, i looked it up online shortly after the damage was done and found that solution lol.

Not sure where you heard 325 flat rate, I was quoted 160 estimate plus time and parts.
 
The SD card slots on Panasonic G-series cameras have a potentially lethal design flaw. There is a spring-loaded latch inside the slot that detects the position of the SD card write-protect tab. If the tab breaks off the SD card, the latch inside the slot will get stuck in the groove on the side of the card. The card will not eject and it will be very difficult to pry it out of the slot without permanently damaging the camera. In one case, I was able to disengage the latch by inserting a thin needle inside the slot, next to the edge of the SD card. But since the needle itself could damage the camera, I can't really recommend this technique as anything but a last resort.
 
lpowell said:
The SD card slots on Panasonic G-series cameras have a potentially lethal design flaw. There is a spring-loaded latch inside the slot that detects the position of the SD card write-protect tab. If the tab breaks off the SD card, the latch inside the slot will get stuck in the groove on the side of the card. The card will not eject and it will be very difficult to pry it out of the slot without permanently damaging the camera. In one case, I was able to disengage the latch by inserting a thin needle inside the slot, next to the edge of the SD card. But since the needle itself could damage the camera, I can't really recommend this technique as anything but a last resort.
Click to expand...

Might be a good idea to tape all cards pre-emptively maybe.
 
Alright.

So I got a call two days ago from the store where i brought my camera telling me that it had returned from Panasonic and was ready for me to pick up. They said that they were refunding me the $160 deposit and keeping $30 for the shipping service. The camera was repaired under warranty...

I was incredibly confused because I know that I stupidly damaged the pins inside the SD slot trying to remove something. Not to mention that because it couldn't write or read any cards, that means I was stuck sending it in with the hack...

So, I'm both very happy and incredibly confused. It's now back in my hands, ready to shoot.
 
PaPa said:
Alright.

So, I'm both very happy and incredibly confused. It's now back in my hands, ready to shoot.
Click to expand...


I think as long as it is under warranty and they are getting "paid", they are very forgiving.

I killed the shutter on my wife's Canon 30D and sent it in under warranty. I had dropped the camera and broken the CF card door. I was worried they would blame the bad shutter on the drop and charge me. Instead they fixed the door and anything else that was wrong and sent it back, no charge.

I think the techs know the design weaknesses of the cameras and just want to fix things and keep the customers happy. The admins/etc. might have a different idea, and you might get charged if you asked, but with warranty they are getting "paid" already so it doesn't matter to the techs.

Congrats!!
Michael
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top