A Brief Tale About My Idea of a Good Time. AKA POS Camera Repair

[Guzzi Gal]

Most of you are accomplished wrenchers/fixers/tech-nerds and might find this tale a bit pedestrian for your tastes.  I, however, am only a "light tinkerer" with zero knowledge but a taste for new learning "adventures".

In 2012 we purchased a somewhat expensive, upgraded point and shoot (POS) Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V camera.  A year and a half later it was dropped on our tile floor, fracturing the display thereby rendering unusable (no viewfinder). It languished in a drawer until last spring when I ordered a cheap used display on Ebay, and performed a swap.  At the time I thought the camera wasn't powering up because the battery had crapped out.  Upon replacing said battery I discovered that wasn't the case and set about finding a used power supply. 

I ended up purchasing a newer "working" parts camera that had minor issues with the telescoping lens mechanism in hopes of combining old and new into one functional unit.  My dreams were dashed when my husband misplaced the tiny screwdriver toolkit I needed to complete the repair. 
 

The day before yesterday, my husband decided that his desk needed to be decluttered (unburied) and become a useful piece of furniture again.  Can you guess what he found?  Yes, the missing toolkit!  So today, I dug into my long awaited project.















VOILA!  After all these years, a working camera ready for the family vacation to Santa Barbara next weekend.

What "way over your head" project have you undertaken and how did it turn out?   

 

[Kiwi_Roy]

I'm too clumsy to undertake something that fine. 

[guzzista]

Way to go! Working on cameras and or other electronic assemblies is far from pedestrian . And on top of that you deserve  a Guzzisti red suspender award for not binning the camera and repairing it with used bits. Cheers

[bobrebos]

Awesome job on the camera!  lets see....one of my latest projects was replacing all the water pipes in the crawl space at my cabin, due to frozen and cracked water pipes.  Wasn't that complicated of a project, but laying in mud while doing it sucked....but I did it.  Pipes are holding the water pressure from the well fine which means no leaks!  Woo Hoo.... now if I can just drain them all correctly next fall so I dont have the same problem next year!  LOL 

Next....replace clutch on my 1991 Ford F150.  Anybody want to volunteer to do that for me???  Haaaaaa

[rodekyll]

What "way over your head" project have you undertaken and how did it turn out?   

You mean besides building my trike from scratch?   

Almost everything.  If I'm not in over my head it's no fun.

[twowings]

I installed the fuel injection set-up, ECM, wiring harness, high-pressure fuel pump, and cylinder head from a '94 Jeep YJ on my '84 CJ-7 4.2L that was carbed...much of it was straightforward but when it came time to remove the old crank pulley and install the correct one for the CPS setup the old bolt broke and I had to extract the remains and re-tap the hole while sweating bullets and hoping I didn't screw up my crankshaft...the whole thing took me two days in my driveway...in December...20 degrees for high temperature...when I cranked it over for the first time it started smoking with a plastic smell but it turned out to be an old wire that was not longer needed laying on the exhaust header...after that heart-stopping moment it ran beautifully for the next 80,000 miles...

You did a good job fixing that camera! Post the pics you take with it...

[KiwiKev]

I replaced the battery in my wife’s watch yesterday. Almost wrecked it by trying to force the wrong sized battery in. I have a card of button cells from the two dollar shop. Worked my way down till I found one that fits.

Would have been a simple job a few years back when my eyesight was better.

Need to pull my iPhone apart and clean both camera lenses but scared I’ll wreck that.


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[fotoguzzi]

Mother board on my Dads Macbook pro.. follow directions from Ifixit.com easy peasy..
also long ago added a second SSD to my MBP by removing the optic drive.. wow I have a super fast mac now, boots in 17 seconds... both jobs intimidating but successful.

[JJ]

My late father was a Master Watchmaker and Jeweler for >50 years...he was good at tinkering with small stuff!

[sidecarnutz]

I'm finding that "how to" videos on You Tube can often be a great resource. Like for servicing my oddball Promaster van. These things are odd enough that even most dealers don't like servicing them.

[pyoungbl]

That camera repair would be too daunting for 99.9% of the population, congratulations for not only taking it on but getting it to work again.  My most recent project was to fab up a wheel chock for my 250cc dual sport.  Oh, I saw some bargain basement versions for $49 but what's the fun in that!

trying to get the basic form and proportions down

just before the wheel is all the way home...and when the linkage is about to raise the rear ramp

now the wheel is fully fwd, the rear ramp is up and the whole mess is locked in place for transport.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Attagirl..   

[Huzo]

Before I read the thread, I thought POS in your post, was for piece of s**t !
Honestly, I actually did..
You seem to think that people are going to undervalue your achievements, but you do that for them.
I reckon you rock !!!
Biker Mum who loves her family and her bike.
What's not to be impressed about ?
BTW..
I have a mental barrier towards learning how to tune my bike on the Guzzi Diag tool thing.
I always feel that at my age I won't live long enough to learn any more than what is required to get myself in the poo.
And even if I do, I won't ride down the road "FEELING" like it's right, (even if it is).
So I'm a bit the same, I underestimate myself  a bit, but it's safer that way.
Guess I'll just have to satisfy myself with a half day ride in the Aussie countryside to engage Roper professionally.
Now aren't I the lucky bastard ?

[Huzo]

That camera repair would be too daunting for 99.9% of the population, congratulations for not only taking it on but getting it to work again.  My most recent project was to fab up a wheel chock for my 250cc dual sport.  Oh, I saw some bargain basement versions for $49 but what's the fun in that!

trying to get the basic form and proportions down

just before the wheel is all the way home...and when the linkage is about to raise the rear ramp

now the wheel is fully fwd, the rear ramp is up and the whole mess is locked in place for transport.

I reckon that looks shit hot !
Nice work, looks like something Canuck 750 or old Jock would have turned out. I don't have the eye for aesthetics like some guys.
(My mate does !)

[Guzzi Gal]

Before I read the thread, I thought POS in your post, was for piece of s**t !
Honestly, I actually did..

I have a mental barrier towards learning how to tune my bike on the Guzzi Diag tool thing.

Now aren't I the lucky bastard?

Click-bait!  Piece of s#!+, point of sale, point and shoot, paint on suit...  My mind went there first too.   I would be terrified to tinker with Anni's software myself.  I figure I'd muck 'er up right good.  And yes, you are a lucky bastard!

My late father was a Master Watchmaker and Jeweler for >50 years...he was good at tinkering with small stuff!

Your dad and I would have gotten along well.  Before I had children, I used to make jewelry, and thought of learning watchmaking.

My most recent project was to fab up a wheel chock for my 250cc dual sport.  Oh, I saw some bargain basement versions for $49 but what's the fun in that!

I gotta learn how to weld (properly).  Was going to take a class with the Hubbs a while back, but we would have had to leave the kids to fend for themselves for almost 6 hours twice a week.  He took the class with my blessing, and I will take it at some later date.

You mean besides building my trike from scratch?   

Almost everything.  If I'm not in over my head it's no fun.

Exactly!

[Two Checks]

Congrats on fixing the POS.
I have been building and repairing them for 30+ years. I still send most off to a repair facility.

[dee g]

I took an old, tired, and neglected '76 BMW R90 and spent the better part of a year tearing it down, fixing and replacing lots of stuff on it.   Rats nest in the airbox. If it held fluid, it leaked. If it was made of rubber, it was cracked. If it had grease on it, the grease was stiff and full of rust. Rust on the chrome. Discoloration on the engine case. It was a mess.  Halfway through I had a near panic attack, thinking I took on more than I could do and that the first person to ride it would probably be killed because I forgot something important.

Slowly, item by item was marked off the to do list. And one day, it was done. I took it for its maiden ride. Discovered that I put the rear drum brake back together incorrectly. Fixed that.  Took it for another ride. It was awesome. Holy crap!  I did it!!! I made this bike rideable again!!!  Stop the self congratulations and pay attention to the road, dumbass. haha

Owner was happy and I got paid!!  And if I never have to ever rebuild another ATE 'swing' caliper, I'll die a happy woman.



 

I'm currently in the middle of the same thing on a 78 BMW R45. Being a Euro only bike, getting bits for it can sometimes be challenging. but its in better shape than the R90 was. 

[Huzo]

Gorgeous !

[Idontwantapickle]

GG, good going on the camera! Like you I would hate to toss it if there was hope.
I do whatever camera and lens repair I can on my dslr Nikons. I just can’t pay 100 bucks (guzzi content) to have dust cleaned out of a lens! Once you learn the secrets of proper disassembly it’s not bad. I found that the hard part is creating a clean enough space to work so as not to make it worse!
Hunter

[Guzzi Gal]

Gorgeous !

Agreed! 

I do whatever camera and lens repair I can on my dslr Nikons. I just can’t pay 100 bucks (guzzi content) to have dust cleaned out of a lens! Once you learn the secrets of proper disassembly it’s not bad.

I don’t even know where my Nikon DSLR is.   Living in the desert makes everything dusty.  Once I start I limit movement, keep the ceiling fan off, and ban the children/dog from the area.

[StuCorpe]

 

[n3303j]

Recumbent Bicycle  (copy of Avatar 2000 c. 1985) All 4130 Reynolds Butted Tubing, aircraft 4130 for the long pieces and 7075 aircraft aluminum for all the non ferrous bits. About 18 months of spare time and still riding it 30+ years later.

PS: Keep him away from your tools!

[LowRyter]

Agreed! 

I don�t even know where my Nicon DSLR is.   Living in the desert makes everything dusty.  Once I start I limit movement, keep the ceiling fan off, ant bad the children/dog from the area.

you might try the Rocket squeegee.  Blow the the dust of the sensor and lens after you do the programmed "buzz" feature in the camera.

[Huzo]

you might try the Rocket squeegee.  Blow the the dust of the sensor and lens after you do the programmed "buzz" feature in the camera.

Looks like the machine Wallace and Gromit went to the moon in !

[Guzzi Gal]

Looks like the machine Wallace and Gromit went to the moon in!

"I do like a bit of gorgonzola."