Digital camera got wet

[QC]

I took a wave over the bow yesterday (freshwater) and the only victim appears to be my Kodak DX6490. I got a blow dryer on it pretty quickly (low) and there is no evidence of water now. Absolutely nothing happens when I try to power up. I have been to the Kodak site and the only solution they give under "contact with liquid" is an address to ship it to . . . <br /><br />Am I phooked?

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Digital camera got wet

Not necessarily. It takes a *long* time for the water to leave the inside of the case. Just take the batts out and leave it for a long while. If you want, take it apart to help dry it. Nothing to loose now.

 

[QC]

Re: Digital camera got wet

That has been my experience with other elctronics. Leave 'em and hope. Just getting a little anxious as everything looks dry that I can see. Thanks. I'll try and be patient.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Digital camera got wet

The potentially good part Quietcat is that surface water, likely has very little mineral content in it. That is what kills circuit boards when the wet or dried minerals cause shorting across the connections on the boards.<br /><br />I've spilled beverages on electronics, removed the batts and immediately dunked them in distilled water. Let them thoroughly dry, reinsert the batts and voila! However I wouldn't go to that extent with a camera with lenses and shutters and light sensitive doo dads!

 

[mscher]

Re: Digital camera got wet

Don't waste your time trying to dry it out.<br /><br />digicams are packed with tiny circuit boards,<br />most of which are covered with a mylar sheet<br />making it difficult for trapped water to evaporate.<br /><br />Contact Kodak and see if they will give a free or<br />low cost repair estimate.<br /><br />I had a drenched Sony that was labeled "uneconomical to repair" (by Sony)mainly because I tried to dry it out myself.<br /><br />Since a $400 camera is not really a "throw away"<br />item it might be worth a shot.

 

[Bob in Calif.]

Re: Digital camera got wet

I would suggest rinsing the effected area with club soda. Club soda dries very clean and leaves no residue and then blow dry the camera. <br /><br />I take it you were in fresh water when you got splashed, If so, send all the water back up here, it belongs to us!!!!! <br /><br /> ...Bob in Northern Calif...

 

[QC]

Re: Digital camera got wet

Thanks guys. I see them refurb on Ebay for $235. May just go that way and use my memory, now spare battery etc. I'll wait another day or so, but I think that is porbably the best plan. May send it to Kodak anyway and keep a whole spare if the estimate is decent . . . <br /><br />Bob, The water from Lake Mead definitely does not belong to you water righteous northerners . . . Colorado, Utah and Nevada might have a claim, though. Maybe I could send them a claim . . . hmmmm.

 

[PierBridge]

Re: Digital camera got wet

I dropped my cell phone down my ice fishing hole<br />while talking on it we retrieved it put it on a heat vent over night tried to power it up and it flickered and went dead went to the cell phone store they said no chance to retrieve my cell numbers so I bought another one 3 weeks later still pissed off that all my numbers were gone I tried the phone and it powered up 2 weeks later I lost my new phone and had the old phone reactivated it's been 5 months and all is well.<br /><br />If I were a betting man I would bet that camera will work again it may be a while but I think it will work again.

 

[Bob in Calif.]

Re: Digital camera got wet

Q-Cat...........<br /><br />So send it back to Colorado, that's where I'm from........... <br /><br /> ...Bob in Calif...(now)

 

[QC]

Re: Digital camera got wet

Nah, I'm pretty sure the molecules I got came from Nevada. That darn state always costs me money . . .

 

[Bob in Calif.]

Re: Digital camera got wet

I know, I've bought Harrah's many, many yards of new carpet.......... .....Not to mention all the brain cells I've left there. Reno, Tahoe, Las Vegas, Laughlin...........etc, etc, etc....<br /><br />...Bob in Calif...

 

[Rudderman]

Re: Digital camera got wet

I dropped my two week old ipod into the sink two days ago (full of water) It was totally submerged for about 10 seconds and it was turned on when I dropped it!. I totally dismantled it (found out how to do it on the net) and dried it with a hairdryer on a cold setting. Then I left it overnight in a warm place. I put it together in the morning and it worked perfectly!

 

[levittownnick]

Re: Digital camera got wet

I don't have any experience with wet cameras but I would try packing it with desicant to see if it will dry out. (If you can get your hands on those little packages of desicant, try drying out the desicant by baking them in an oven at low heat. Then I would take the warm desicant packages and pack them next to the camera in a closed box.)<br />Good luck.

 

[QC]

Re: Digital camera got wet

Thanks for the ideas. On the desicant, I have always wondered what would happen if you took say a 55 gallon drum and dumped it into a swimming pool . . .

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Digital camera got wet

That's not a bad idea about the descicant. You can get the stuff pretty cheap in bulk from crafty stores, it's used to rapidly dry flowers. They even come with instructions on how to nuke it to restore it to dry it out so you can use it again.

 

[cc lancer]

Re: Digital camera got wet

If you have a small enough screwdriver, take it apart, and flush with rubbing alcohol, use a "q tip" to scrub the circuits. Then use a hair dryer on air setting to dry it out. Next day install new battery's and see if it works.<br />I have done this to well over a hundred circuit boards to clean them.<br />BUT..when the water got in it and made contact with other components, the camera may be junk. The traces are so small on items like this now it is almost impossible to repair.

 

[keelhauled]

Re: Digital camera got wet

The best placeto dry electronics is on an a/c vent. The air is dehydrated and cold is much better for the components than heat.<br /><br />I've done it with laptops, cell phones and other devices... end users are really hard on hardware!