BS: Camera battery door broken

Subject: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 08:12 AM

The battery door has broken on my Olympus SP-560 UZ, which I have temporarily fixed with cellotape. Has anyone used super glue for a such a fix?

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: mandotim
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 09:26 AM

How old is the camera? If it's under warranty, get it replaced. try the manufacturer anyway, they probably sell spares as this is a common fault on most cameras. If the door is plastic, superglue will probably work, but give it 24 hours to harden properly before putting any strain on it (eg closing the door). Failing that , use The Force! (aka gaffa tape; it has a Dark side and a Light side, and it holds the universe together!)
Tim

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 10:30 AM

It depends on whether the door was hinged...or simply pop-out. Super glue can be rather 'permanent'....

If you mean the door has broken into two pieces, it is thin and not even superglue will hold two thin pieces together well.

You 'could' put tape on one side, bend it slightly open and put a dab of glue in the crack, then close it and try a 2nd piece of tape...if there's room for it... on the inside. But as noted, the real fix is to find a replacement.

(I use fancy commercial grade super-glues for my woodworking...including one German made type that IS 'super'.) Still, stress on a thin area is always a problem, as superglue is brittle.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: gnu
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 10:57 AM

What Bill said but use plastic weld like PVC Weld used in plumbing.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 11:04 AM

hmmm... haven't used PVC weld for ages. that usually takes both a hardener and a glue, and might be expensive for one use.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 11:16 AM

I need to check if I took out a Jessops 5 year warranty, I don't think I did as they were being very pushy. Thanks for the answers.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 11:36 AM

buy a new one

SP-560UZ battery cover

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 11:46 AM

Yes I saw that, but I'd wager it's difficult to do the changeover unless I'm very much mistaken.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 12:09 PM

It does say, the camera would need to be dismanteled in order to fit it. I would do it, can't be too difficult. Just make sure you are working in a clean and clear environment. Preferably over a white cotton sheet, so you can see bits that you take off.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: michaelr
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 12:53 PM

Similar thing happened to my HP camera. It's sported a sturdy rubber band ever since.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 12:58 PM

Ah I have some sturdy rubber bands!

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 01:02 PM

I'm the leader of a rubber band ♪♫♫

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: mandotim
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 02:01 PM

From the look of the replacement door, the only dismantling necessary would be to remove one of the bits containing the recess for the hinge pins on the door. Can't be that hard, can it?

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: gnu
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 02:34 PM

Bill... haven't used PVC weld for ages. that usually takes both a hardener and a glue, and might be expensive for one use.

The stuff I use has not hardener and requiers no mixing.

John... I would do it, can't be too difficult.

Ahhh, left yourself open there lad. >;-)

Re dismantling... if I had no exploded view, I would videotape it. I have found the camcorder excellent for such purposes. I even use it to tape things like taking a TV or an air condtioner out of it's packaging upon buying same. If there is anything wrong with it I have the video. You may scoff at that but it sure helped with a replacement air conditioner last summer.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 03:09 PM

I broke the battery door of an Olympus that was still under warranty, and the company was very good about fixing it. I had to mail the camera off to a repair center.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 05:02 PM

Good news, I found the receipt and I seem to have paid for the 5 year warranty.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: gnu
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 05:15 PM

Problem solved.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 11:45 AM

Good news on that warranty!

I had to repair a little Olympus camera some years ago and found this place to order the parts I needed. You do need to disassemble these cameras to fix them, and it is amazing how weak some of these plastic points are. Planned obsolescence comes to mind. There is a lot of pressure on those little door latches. The rubberband is probably as good as any glue-like fix (and less involved to enact).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 04:19 PM

I've never had much luck gluing plastic parts that have any sort of stress on them. They always break again, right at the place where I dig the gluing. It seems that most point-and-shoot cameras have this same weak spot, especially since the trend is to make these cameras smaller and smaller. They're not very pretty, but the rubber bands used on broccoli seem to be the best fix.
I'm glad Bonzo has a warranty to take care of the problem.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: gnu
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 06:28 PM

The rubber bands used on lobster claws would shut yer arsehole tight after a big scoff a corned beef and cabbage.

I'm just sayin... fer comparison, eh? I like to offer wisdom whenever I can.

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Slag
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 07:40 PM

Duct tape (cut to fit)

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 08:40 PM

Yeah, gnu, but don't those lobster elastics smell a little ripe?
Too bad the bands don't come in decorator colors to match the camera, eh?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 07:31 AM

I have a few red ones dropped by our postman, which are very tough.

I ordered a Fuji FinePix HS10 last night - my Christmas present. Can you believe that the Olympus SP-800, also with 30 x optical zoom does not have a view finder, how stupid!

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: MikeL2
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 10:50 AM

hi bonzo



Unfortunately there is a move away from this, especially with compact cameras.

My wife would agree with you whole-heartedly about the need for a viewfinder on a camera.Recently her Sony compact gave up the ghost and we scoured the market for a suitable compact camera with a view-finder.

She ended up disappointed and bought a Panasonic TZ7 which doesn't have a viewfinder but gives her everything else she requires - and more.

I have an old Nikon SLR camera that does have the viewfinder but I invested in a TZ5 some years back. This also doesn't have a view-finder but I have got used to that and I mostly take my Panasonic out with me and leave the Nikon at home.

Strange though that the Olypmus SP-800 doesn't sport a view-finder as it can't be described as a compact camera.

Hope you enjoy the Fuji Finepix - a couple of my friends have them and swear by them.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Camera battery door broken
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 11:28 AM

Funnily enough, I found some superglue and mended the battery door on my SP-560 earlier this afternoon - seems to be holding. I'll still tape it up as a precaution though, and get Jessops to deal with it's replacement under the 5 year warranty.