Dropped my camera in the river! (Page 3): Soak it in a large bag of rice for a couple of days - Make sure it's covered good - May be helpful - May not

cwilliams31 Loc: Salisbury, North Carolina

Soak it in a large bag of rice for a couple of days -
Make sure it's covered good -
May be helpful - May not - Worth trying ....

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

Sorry for your loss. I have had many Sony camera's the last few years. Water is not their best situation
I took one about a few years ago to Mexico new and first day condensation was in the camera. Put it in
a drawer and it was alright. Most of my Sony's now are water repellent somewhat. Driving rain could
be a problem. A new camera is what you need. Never saw a recovery from submersion.
Good luck.

Chuy Loc: OUT OF TOWN

See my post "D7000 takes a swim" I NOW always keep the strap around my neck, even when hooking up to the tripod. Lessons can be expensive.

thewags Loc: Phoenix

You say you bought it online. With credit card? If so, most of my credit cards extend the warranty by one year. Just a thought.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

MNgpsy68 wrote:

I tripped on a stone while wading through a shallow river and my Sony HX400v camera went in the water for just a second, but it was enough to make it quit. I have taken it to 2 camera stores and was told that it would cost too much to look at it or to try to fix it. I am posting here to see if anybody has any better solutions than buying a new camera. I love this camera for hiking and taking nature shots. I hate to just throw it away.

1. Send it to Bob in Tempe, AZ. It should dry out pretty quick there.

2. "...better solution than buying a new camera...", take up a new hobby.

3. Assuming they even try repairs for water damage, see if Sony will repair it. Most manufactures have fixed rate repairs (via model) as do some shops.

4. Look for a similar used camera or refurbished one.

5. Next time you buy a camera think about a sports or all-weather water sealed model.

6. Listen to Neil Young's "Down By The River" and forget about the camera.

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

Had a canoeing accident. Lost camera. Best excuse in the world to get a newer, better camera. GAS justification!

rcdovala

I don't know how long ago you purchased this camera but if you bought it with a credit card you may want to check to see if your credit card provides any kind of coverage. Many do.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

MNgpsy68 wrote:

Thanks everybody for your responses. Sadly, I did try to turn it on shortly afterward....so, as one person posted, the electronics are probably toast. I did try drying it for several days. There is a tiny red light that blinks when I put a battery in, but that is all. I have always taken the extended warranty plans on "my other cameras". I bought this one online so I didn't. Wouldn't you know it, this is the one I wrecked!!! Oh well, live and learn.

An extended warranty would not have protected you here. There are some coverages that will cover if you drop or otherwise break a camera - but they are very pricey...

hpucker99 Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

MNgpsy68 wrote:

I tripped on a stone while wading through a shallow river and my Sony HX400v camera went in the water for just a second, but it was enough to make it quit. I have taken it to 2 camera stores and was told that it would cost too much to look at it or to try to fix it. I am posting here to see if anybody has any better solutions than buying a new camera. I love this camera for hiking and taking nature shots. I hate to just throw it away.

A friend dropped my Canon S95 in a river when we were hiking the Chilkoot Pass trail a few years ago. I removed the battery and SD card and opened the camera as much as I could. Tried drying it in the sun, but it wouldn’t come on. Took it home and put it on a shelf and forgot about it for a few months. One day, I decided to try it out, put a battery in it and it started up.

Papa j Loc: Cary NC

rmalarz wrote:

Sorry to read this. Soaked cameras are usually totaled. Depending on how long ago this happened, you might be able to save it by purchasing a large bag of rice and put the camera in there. It may take a few days, but the rice will absorb a good deal of moisture. Remove battery, cards, etc.
--Bob

maybe

veezee Loc: CT

For future, there are many waterproof products you can use to carry your camera, some of which even will allow you to take pictures while protecting your camera. Some products will only protect from rain, some from a quick dunking only. There are even products that will float should you drop the camera in the water. I had a pouch for an SLR that inflated so it floated; saved the camera on a canoe trip, but of course I wasn't taking pictures at the time!

LestheK

Had the same problem in the snow with my Nikon. Hopefully you took the battery out. Try cleaning the battery terminals. If the camera has dried out and the terminals are clean you may get lucky. I put my camera in the toaster oven under warm to help it dry. Then I took it to the range and used it for target practice. No, really, you may get lucky the electronics may or may not have been fried.

ramblinmen Loc: Manassas, VA

I would recommend using rice as a last resort for a desicant as it leaves an invasive powder that can get into everything. If you call ahead to make sure they have it ... find a boating supply store (like West Marine) that carries commercial grade bags of silica desicant. We use two such bags when sealing our boat (shrink wrap) every winter. The larger particles will be less invasive and the bags can be opened and sifted to remove the fine dust then rebagged in a ziplock.
The responders that indicate your camera is most likely a "lost cause" are correct, the water can transfer the battery's electrical current across delicate electronics and short them out.
Look on eBay or Amazon for a working replacement camera of the same or similar type to the one that took the bath.
Sorry for your loss.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

I can relate to you what happened to me and you may want to at least try it. I had a 600$ transceiver(2-way radio) in the car and spilled a full cup of hot coffee with cream and sugar on it. The radio was on and was a very complex electronic device.
It was dead anyway so I opened it and poured warm water through to clean all the coffee and debris out. Then poured a bottle of alcohol through it. Set it aside for a few days in a warm, dry window and put it back together.
That was 12 years a go and it still works perfectly.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

MNgpsy68 wrote:

I tripped on a stone while wading through a shallow river and my Sony HX400v camera went in the water for just a second, but it was enough to make it quit. I have taken it to 2 camera stores and was told that it would cost too much to look at it or to try to fix it. I am posting here to see if anybody has any better solutions than buying a new camera. I love this camera for hiking and taking nature shots. I hate to just throw it away.

About the only thing you might have done to save it was to immediately pull the battery, memory card, lens, and open all covers and dry it off best you can and then put it in rice for a week or two. You might have gotten it to work but now that so much time has gone by I doubt there's anything you can do.