camera fell in salt water

[Michael Bendixen]

I don't know where this topic fits but I think I'm still in the land of photographers. I have a non-digital canon rebel that fell in the salt water. I took it to the camera shop and they said it was not possible to be fixed, which I expected. Is there anything that I can use it for now at all, maybe sell some part that is not damaged or get some use out of it, or should I just throw it away?

[Jim Sofranko]

What not rinse it thouroughly in fresh water and blow it dry with air as a last resort before throwing it out? Dissasemble it as muchor as little as needed to be able to do the job.

That is, unless someone has a more experienced solution.

[Michael Bendixen]

how much should I take it apart you think. It just seems like there are a lot of internal systems that I will damage if I put it in water again, salt water or not.

Thanks for the help though

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey, I'd sell it anyway on Ebay even though it's broken. People buy stuff for parts - but, you MUST tell the truth of course. I bet someone would pay a couple of bucks to try and fix it.

Murph

[Jim Sofranko]

I remember hearing of motion picture film cameras being dropped in salt water and being flushed out with fresh water and dried out. I think the damage may be more from the salt than from water.

It must be done soon afterward before the salt corrodes, as I recall, and any mechanical parts lubed with the proper oil or grease.

You could sell it but personally I would find it more interesting to try to salvage it myself. Maybe call Canon for advice. If it works you have a great miracle story! If not maybe you can bastardize the focus system as a switch for something else...

[Jeff Donald]

Salt water is very corrosive. But worse is that most newer cameras are very electronic. The water (salt or fresh) fry the electronics. If it somehow survives shorting out, the corrosion will kill it 6 months later. I wouldn't waste any time or effort on it.

[Dan Uneken]

My mobile phone survived a 30 C. wash, rinse and spin! (Nokia)

[Bill Pryor]

A friend of mine washed his cell phone in a Maytag, took it out, used a hair dryer, and it still works. I dropped mine in the toilet (after it was flushed, thankfully), and it died. It sort of worked, but it would dial wrong numbers.

I had a Nikonos underwater 35mm camera that got flooded due to a bad O-ring when I hit a depth of about 90 feet. It was dead. In theory, it PERHAPS could have been saved by soaking it in fresh water and then drying it out thoroughly, but that would have had to have been done almost immediately.

I think you're screwed, but you might give it a try. Dunk it good in the bathtub, open it up and use a hair dryer for awhile (don't get it too hot), then let it set for a couple of days and see what happens. If it works you may be eligible for the Guiness book of world records.

[Michael Bendixen]

Bill, I think you're right. It should have been done immediately, but I was deep in mexico and didn't know that was the best remedy at the time. I just cried instead.

Maybe I'll just take it apart to at least enhance my knowledge of the inner workings of a camera

[John Garcia]

^ heh...you did what i wouldve done.

CRIED! :-(

sorry for your loss...

[Dylan Couper]

My Canon S100 2mp Digital Elph survived a minor dunk in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. I took the battery out, card out, opened it up, let it air out for two days, betteried it up and it worked fine. They were pretty minor dunks though.


Sorry for your loss.

[Greg Boston]

Another thing you should do with a freshly dunked electronic object is to use good old isopropol alcohol commonly referred to as rubbing alcohol. Why? Because alcohol displaces water and will not conduct electricity. One it evaporates, there is no residue. Note though that it is also a de-greaser and so you will have to relubricate any parts that require it.

Salt water will almost immediately start to corrode the internal metal parts. Alcohol will also help remove the corrosion. Use a toothbrush lightly on the circuit boards with generous amounts of alcohol.

This may save your camera, at least it's worth a try if you are going to take it apart anyway.

regards,

[Nick Medrano]

I bet you someone would still buy it. If you look in the Private Classifieds of this forum, you'll see that someone is looking to buy a dead XL1.

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

[Jeff Donald]

Read the first post again, he has a film Canon Rebel, not a XL1.

[Nick Medrano]

I know that, but what I am saying is that someone is looking to buy dead equipment...in this case an XL1.