Sending in GH13 for repair, concerned.

S

sunsurfh2o

Member
The small pivoting braces on the side of the flash busted. I'm running out of my 1 yr warranty period and want to get it fixed it expires, but I'm stressing out that I'll get stuck with a GH1 that can't be modded.

Has anyone had to have their camera warrantied since Panny started putting unhackable firmware on? I concerned that they may load the infamous firmware on mine while they have it in their hands, or replace the unitwith a refurb w/ that firmware.
 
Maybe leave explicit instructions that you do not want another unit and you do not want anything changed but the flash pivot.
 
I just got mine back from service and no changes were made to the camera except for the repairs to the strap holders. I must also tell you that it took over three weeks from dropping it to ship to getting it back.
 
I had already contemplated "explicit instructions" but concerned that it might tip them off to look into why I might require that--paranoid, I know. The service bay probably cares, or knows, little about the hacking community.

3 weeks!? Ouch.
 
HMR said:
I just got mine back from service and no changes were made to the camera except for the repairs to the strap holders. I must also tell you that it took over three weeks from dropping it to ship to getting it back.
Click to expand...

That's actually faster than it used to be...you didn't drop your camera with the strap holder failed did you? Ouch.
 
I've had to send mine in. The strap rivets also broke on mine, and the LCD stopped working, AND whenever I tried to snap a photo it would say "Please turn the camera and off again". BUT, it still recorded video. I'm not sure if the camera was dropped when the rivets broke because I had lent it out and it was when I got it back that all this all happened. Never lending again!

So, I re-flashed the original firmware and sent it in for repair. That was over three weeks ago, it's been at their facility for over two. I hate waiting, I miss my camera so much! Arghhhhh, but hopefully they don't do stupid shiz to my firmware, I will be pissed. Best of luck to all of us.
 
Ben_B said:
That's actually faster than it used to be...you didn't drop your camera with the strap holder failed did you? Ouch.
Click to expand...
I did not drop the camera when the rivet failed but, coincidentally, I did start having lens communication errors right after that and then the camera Shutter locked in the closed position. All functions of the camera seemed normal but the shutter would not open. I tried all the obvious things short of a full reset. Just decided that it was a good time to get the rivets fixed and let them deal with it. I detailed the problems that I had with the camera and the only thing listed on the work order were the rivets. I have not tried the hack yet and my firmware remained the same 1.2
 
sunsurfh2o said:
I had already contemplated "explicit instructions" but concerned that it might tip them off to look into why I might require that--paranoid, I know. The service bay probably cares, or knows, little about the hacking community.

3 weeks!? Ouch.
Click to expand...

Tip them off or not, it's still your property. You paid for it and it's yours. You can modify it however you want to. Put specific instructions for them to repair what needs to be repaired. If they contemplate changing firmware settings, put specific instructions to keep it at 1.2 or whatever it's on at the moment. Make sure that they do not change the firmware settings. Put a warning saying that if they do, you will make them reimburse you with another GH-1 that has the factory firmware that you purchased it with or you will take legal actions, etc. Also, turn your camera on, go to the firmware version screen, and take a picture of that specific screen along with the serial number of your camera; video tape it if you want even more validation. Take photos and make photo-copies of the letter for archival purposes; date it, sign it, and all that mess.

This might seem extreme, but I'm really anal about things like this to make sure that I get my stuff back the way I want it; not the way some corporation wants it. You don't have to tell them why you need it at 1.2, etc. Those are your reasons, not theirs to indulge on. Remember, it's YOUR camera. You bought a camera with a 1.2 firmware, not 1.34. If I ordered a double-cheeseburger, I ordered a cheese-burger; not a double cheese-less hamburger. I love my GH13, but from a personal standpoint, Panasonic can suck it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top