Help - camera dropped in river!

vtwill

Help needed,
MY Nikon D5000, wasn't properly on its tripod and fell into a river!!
I've put it into the hot press for a few hours but am not hopeful.
Is there anything I can do to save it?

All help appreciated

W

fiacha

also stick it in a bowl of uncooked rice. it'll dry it out quicker. leave it there for a few days before trying to turn it on.


worked for my nieces phone last week.

bullpost

I'd remove the battery while its drying if you havent already done so.

ozymandius

Remove the battery - that's the first thing always. Also lens and SD, etc.

Heebie

It will probably never be the same again. The dirtier the water, the more likely it is that the leftover stuff on the components & PC boards inside the camera, and sensors etc.. will make all kinds of slight differences.
You'll probably be able to use it.. but if you have good home contents cover (and are an amateur) then it's probably covered for replacement...especially if you dropped it in a sink full of dishwater and not a river. =O

TOMP

Was the camera powered on or off when it fell into the river? If it was powered on, your chances are slim

zerohamster

Rice is a good idea, silica gel sachets would be better but rice will help.
As mentioned before remove the battery and if the backup battery is able to be removed do that also.
As it fell in freshwater the camera will stand a much better chance of surviving than in saltwater.
Do not attempt to turn it on to see if its ok as tempting as it is you will short something and most likely cause the damage you are trying to prevent.
Leave for a few days before taking it out as it will take a long time to dry out.

Water damage is not as irreparable as people would think and cameras are designed to protect their circuits from damage with fast acting fuses so if it doesnt work all is not lost.

Buckz

Been there done that, Canon 5D mkI fell into a stream in wicklow (tripod was on loose ground, it slipped and camera and tripod went in...House insurance covered it. The camera still turns on But I have never tried to take a picture with it. The lens has lots of drying marks on the inside, and is destroyed. The battery worked in the replacement camera for about a year, then died.And the memory card. I t had 50 pictures on it and it read when I got home, but never since, and no picture retrieval package worked on it either. Sage advice tells me that the chip could be taken out of the card and placed in a differet card, and then the pictures could be rtrieved, but I can't find someone to do that (open to offers!!)My advice dismantle it as much as possible, and open every door/flap on it. Do not attempt to turn it on for at least a week.check your house insurance, and if covered get a repair estimate from a credible shop, who are under the impression that if they suggested it is write off, they'd get the sale of the replacement. Give the card plenty of time to dry- and when you do attempt to read it, download everything off it in one go...Good luck.mb

Thecageyone

silica gel sachets are great, one more reason to love buying new trainers I always have a few in my camera bag to soak up any moisture that might get in. I imagine you'd want a box of them for this case though!

best of luck, that is such a shame. I have 'almost' dropped a camera a few times because I didn't lock the plate on the tripod [very quick reflexes saved disaster]. Much easier done than it seems.

vtwill

Thanks everyone for the advice.
The camera is now in a box of rice in the hot press and I'm looking for all the house insurance details!! I took the battery and sim card out straight away.
The lens popped off as the camera fell off the tripod, the lens didn't end up in the water. I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing, the lens didn't end up in the water but the full front of the camera was open.

Thanks again for all the help and fingers are crossed that it will work in a week!

pete4130

Be prepared to get anew camera and lose that one. If it does work, it probably won't be for a long time.

I"n saying that I did have a prime lens roll into the canal a few years ago. I fished it out, hot press, onto Nikon Ireland in Meath, shipped it off and the front and rear elements were sealed/watertight so they were fine. Electronics and contacts were fine just chemical cleaning of elements and it was as good as new.

A camera body is very different, more delicate thing indeed. Hopefully the insurance covers it. If it does just resign to camera as being broken.

Six of One

Give it a good hoovering too. Not a hairdrying now, a hoovering! Whilst it's off and then pop it back in the hot press. The longer you leave it in the hot press the better, a few days to a week.

zerohamster

the hoovering wont be such a good idea as the concept sounds.
Im presuming you mean to put the hoover nozzle in the mirror box cavity to suck the water out?

If you do mean that you will be causing some very expensive damage as the mirror poptentially gets sucked off, the shutter blades vibrate themselves to shreds along with possible electrostatic discharge that is built up from the hoover.

Remember to change the rice and also make sure it doesnt fill up the mirror box cavity as that could leave starchy goo on the shutter,mirror, AF sensors at the bottom and viewfinder as well as possibly entering the camera through cracks.

Also during the middle of the week leave the camera on a windowsill with the mirrorbox facing the sunlight as this will help prevent fungus growing in the mirror box, not much but it will help(UV kills fungus).
It would also be a good idea to cover the mirror over with white paper or card of the same shape if it gets hot as you dont want to melt the silicone glue holding it in.

Good luck!

Six of One

Sorry! Didn't think of the damage the hoover could cause, it has always been the old reliable when I have dropped my mobile in water!

zerohamster

A hoover is a good idea for water damaged electronics like phones etc... that dont have delicate moving parts but unfortunately for cameras it will do more damage then good :S