Camera???????????????

I bought the COOLPIX L6 Digital Camera more than a year ago. Though, I hurt it at least twice. First, I dropped it on cement while walking down steps. It worked alright after that just with terrible quality. Then I banged it against the door. When I turn it on now, it says “Lens error.”
I would really like to have my camera repaired but most liable replaced. I’m pretty sure I’m not eligible for the replacement warranty I received when I bought it because it’s been more than a year and I caused the hurt. I’m hesitant about filling out the Nikon Service Web Form without knowing more about service and repairs.
1. Am I eligible to have my camera replaced even if I caused the hurt?
2. If so, is it possible for me to have ONLY my CAMERA replaced? Everything else in the box is impeccably fine.
2. Do I have to go to the original store I bought my camera from to solve this conundrum?
3. Can I replace a camera through shipping?
4. About how much and how long would it take to do this?

Answer by j_acuff
1) Yes… you can always buy a new one. No… if you’re asking if you are eligible to get it replaced/repaired for free.

2) Yes… but it will cost you. You might be better off finding it on eBay without all the accessories or see if KEH, B&H, Adorama, or any of the other camera stores that sell used equipment have it in stock.

2 again) No… unless your extended warranty covers accidental damange. If it does and you are still under warranty, be glad it does and take it back to the store with the receipt as most stores try to hassel you when really trying to use your extended warranty.

3) Yeah, you can ship them your camera and pay to get it repaired/replaced.

4) Usually the terms will specify a time frame. For a consumer product, that time frame is doubtless 4-8 weeks.

Add your own answer in the comments!

My small miracle makers and toolkit – #365/365
nikon digital camera repair

Image by PJMixer
I’m pleased to say my 365 in-camera project is done – a year’s worth of mostly unedited daily photographs. As time went on, I found for myself writing a lot more about the content and the technical photographic elements too. In fact, my 365incamera blog has be converted into a relatively accurate journal of my day-to-day life and nearly replaced my personal blog. Although I’ve completed what I set out to do, I’m not going to quit taking shots on a daily basis. Though, I feel that having completed a year, I can relax the rules a small. I’m leaving the 365inCamera set and group and continuing with a new set called Daily Photo. I’m going to keep the 365incamera blog, but perhaps change the name.

For the final shot, I had thought of shooting a family likeness, or a self-likeness, but my test shots weren’t that different from other shots in the set, so I thought I’d assemble all my equipment. I could have squeezed for myself into the shot, but I was already working in a very tight space and the backdrop and mirror were rather limiting.

My Nikon D80 is in the centre of the shot (on a Ultrapod mini tripod) with the newly repaired/adjusted Nikon 18-200mm VR lens. Really, I have to make a correction already, as the camera is really a gift I bought my wife a few being ago. Just last month, she officially gave me half the camera, so it’s safe to say it’s our camera. Thanks darling for letting me take this camera with me nearly everywhere I went over the last year.

Top left are the other Nikon lenses I used, the 50mm 1.8, my wife’s ancient 700-300mm G zoom and the kit 18-55mm VR, with a few lens hoods to their left. Over the year I did borrow a few lenses from a friend and they helped complete the project and add some image variety. Those lenses were the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye, the 105mm Micro and the Sigma 10-20mm. Centre is my Manfrotto monopod (a gift from my brother) and to the right is my ancient Black’s tripod. Below the tripod is my Nikon SB-600 Speedlight with a diffuser and Aurora reflector. The point-and-shoot cameras are our original digital camera, the Canon Powershot A620 and the newer Fuji Finepix F200EXR. And let’s no forgot my Blackberry – it came in handy a few times. On the left is my Zeikos battery grip and its AA battery holder. Behind my Blackberry are my Zeikoz close-up filters. Under the Canon are my new Cokin ND Grad filters with one of the filters attached with the holder on 18-55mm. Other bits and pieces include: my lens pen cleaner; a Rocket Air blower; battery charger with an extra battery (Zeikos); filter adapter rings; lens cap (which came in handy on lots of occasions to angle the camera up for a unplanned remote shutter release shot); my Nikon remote control; A small LiteDisc reflector; and lastly my Moo business cards (can’t leave home without those). The shot took me a very long time to set up. Lighting could have been better, but I’m pretty pleased with the shot.

So what have I learnt from the project ? I’ll have to write a more comprehensive list at some point (without it becoming a book), but for now, here are a few things I learnt:

The D80 in-camera settings can produce very excellent JPG images. Often, it seemed to preserve and breed colour better than I could produce from RAW file (note that most of the time I shoot in JPG normal and RAW). Now this may be because I’m still not an expert on RAW post-production, but if I spend a small time tweaking the image optimization settings or use a vivid or vivid+ setting on dull weather days, I find I often prefer those images over my work from the RAW file. My normal (custom) settings (Nikon D80 shooting menu – optimize image) are: +1 image sharpening; +1 tone compensation; IIIa color mode; auto saturation and O hue adjustment. When I’m shooting with sparkle; I change tone compensation to 0 "normal". I leave white balance (WB) set to auto most of the time and often make a -1EV WB adjustment to add a small warmth. WB setting is usually the setting I forget, but in most situations, auto does a excellent job. On some occasions I noticed that some colours, especially red would be blown out in the RAW version, but the JPG seems to retain the colour better, this may be due to the in-camera noise reduction (NR). Similar in high ISO situations (above 800), the in-camera NR worked well, but after working with the RAW version, the final image looked too grainy. Again, this is liable because my RAW post-processing skills are not the greatest. Nearly all the shots in the project were JPG, but these observations were made as I worked with RAW versions of other shots from the same event. So I’ll liable continue to shoot in both JPG and RAW, by the RAW when I need to recover blown out areas (e.g. sky or facial), right WB or process tough lighting shoots in batch.

I shot a lot of black & white and was quite pleased with the in-camera B&W setting. I used similar custom settings as in colour mode, and experimented a small with the B&W filters. I found that choosing a filter effect other than red was preferable for portraits.

I nearly always use gap priority mode, center focus mode with full matrix set alight metering. Auto-focus mode set to auto (AF-A) most of the time, but ready to switch to AF-C for moving subject (sports, etc) and AF-S to if auto mode isn’t reading my brain !

I always carry an extra battery and my lens pen cleaner. The pop-up sparkle is ok on the D80, but the SB-600 Speedlight produces much more natural illumination, especially for interior shots. I nearly always have a diffuser attached and on occasion use a defector to make better catchlights in the eye. I don’t always carry the SB-600 with me, but it’s nice to have the pop-up as a back-up when needed.

My 18-200mm VR lens is on the camera most of the time with the 50mm (nifty fifty) stepping in when striving for better portraits, in low set alight concert settings and for shallow depth-of-field artistic shots. I place the close-up filters to use quite a few times and because they are 52mm filters, used them on the 50mm and the 18-55mm fit lens. I also used a Hoya polarizer filter (cirpl tag, gone from the shot) quite often, especially for insightful effects and landscapes. I only recently bought the Cokin ND Grad filters so haven’t shot a lot with them yet. They are a small awkward to use, but having different diameter adapters and a variety of filters provides a lot of flexibility.

Of course the largest lesson I learnt was to always take your camera with you. Take shots often and don’t be shy approaching situations and people. If you’re just beginning with taking shots of strangers or people on the street, musicians, street performers and people gathered for an event are much simpler subjects.

#365 in my 365inCamera project – www.flickr.com/groups/1285323@N21/pool and Project 365.

If you’re wondering everywhere photos 361-364 are, I just found there were 4 duplicate numbered ancient shots, so I renumbered those to fill in the gap.

I do equine and landscape photography mainly but moving into the more of human models. I now have a Sony a 300 that needs a small repair and its gonna cost me the price of a new camera. With that, I am looking at a Canon or a Nikon. As much as I like my Sony, its given me lots of distress and I wanna try something new. Know, I just need opinions and comments on the following cameras:

-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera, Extra 75-300mm Lens
-Nikon D3100 14.2-MP Digital SLR Camera Black and Nikon 55-200mm Lens
-Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1MP DSLR Camera Black and Extra 75-300mm Zoom Lens
-Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera, and 75-300mm Zoom Lens
-Canon EOS Rebel XS 10.1MP DSLR Camera Black and Extra 75-300mm Zoom Lens
-Nikon 12.3MP D5000 Digital SLR Camera with Lens, Extra 55-200mm Lens

Answer by Jeroen Wijnands
Canon’s 75-300 has a terrible reputation. I like the d3100.

Answer by Kevin K
Look at the D90. It has the built in autofocus motor. It’s the same sensor as the D5000, but with a few more features, motor, CLS and doubtless some other minor ones.

Since the D7000 just came out, the D90 will be dropping in price.

Answer by Jess
I have a Canon EOS Rebel T1i, and I have been pretty pleased with it, but I reckon that you should check out the Nikon D5000. I’ve heard that it’s a really excellent camera.

Answer by Secular
You will doubtless want to look at the D90 or 60D instead.

Also, you seem to have an interest in the longer focal lengths. I would look into the 70-200mm f/2.8 instead of the toy lenses you have listed. Very excellent image quality.

Answer by Brian Ramsey
If you have a lots of Sony and or Minolta lens buy another Sony, Cameras are like all electronics gadgets, they die eventually. Otherwise I would go with a Nikon D3100.

Professional Photographer for 10,000 seconds.

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