StanMac Loc: Tennessee

The internal battery in my Sony A55V is dead. Sony tells me that Precision Camera is the authorized repair service for Sony cameras. Precision Camera’s automated repair inquiry feature (enter your camera model and it will display a repair charge) tells me repair on the A55 will be well over $300. I can’t get anyone to answer at Precision Camera when I call and choose “repair service” in the IVRU. I want to ask if just replacing the internal battery is the same as a full blown mechanical or other functional repair but no one answers the repair service phone.

Three questions to my UHH buds: Have you ever had to replace the internal battery in your digital camera? What did it cost? Who did the replacement?

This camera was given to me by a friend who is along in age and didn’t want to carry that much weight around while traveling and who apparently isn’t concerned about the date information for his photos. Since I have some nice Minolta A-mount lenses (and no working A-mount Minolta film cameras) it was a fortuitous gift. I have found that I really like the camera and the images it produces. I’m willing to invest some cash to get the cameras clock working again, but not willing to pay significantly more than the camera is worth.

Another thought - why don’t manufacturers make the internal battery a user replaceable feature?

Stan

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

It probably went bad because it sat for so long without batteries in it?
The user batteries keep the internal charged.

I keep batteries in our three cameras just for that, and check them monthly.
My wife hasn't used her camera in years. The internal battery is probably still good because when I take the batteries out to check them, the camera does not loose the date.

Repairing yours is up to you. How much does the camera mean to you.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I have not ever replaced an internal battery ir supercap, but I did buy a donor body for a comparable camera of a different makerto accomplish a different repair. Some top-end pro models provide for replacement of these batteries through a door or access port in the body. I was able to see that in my camera, the battery is located internally, in an opportune spot near the main circuit board, deeply internal to the camera. Replacement requires near complete disassembly of the camera. When that happens, reassembly usually requires replacement of all adhesive-attached grip material and sometimes other small parts. It is a time-consuming process .

Based on what I was told by my local camera repair tech, it would not surprise me to learn that the battery is not replaceable as a separate component. It is likely that the entire circuit board on which the battery is installed must be replaced. This would also increase the cost.

ricardo00

Personally, I would not spend that much to change the internal battery on a camera worth less than that amount (assuming the used prices I saw reflect your camera). If you can use it without changing the internal battery, why not use it without the internal battery? My experience with trying to have older camera gear fixed is that often something else breaks shortly after one thing is fixed.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

OR - just reset the time with each change of the user changeable battery.

Isn't the internal battery basically for "keep alive" during battery replacement?

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

It may also maintain custom configuration settings.

Ollieboy

Look for another repair shop. Rick Riggins repairs cameras and he is a UH member. He will probably beat their price as I find them expensive.

MJPerini

The internal battery on many cameras IS user replaceable, but not all, and some use capacitor storage which draws a small charge from the main battery. Sometimes Capacitors can be 'reformed' by charging & cycling.
See if you can google those things for your specific camera. It is possible that the cap is a soldered part. But always look for the easy way first. If your camera can be mains powered (sometimes with an extra cord from the battery charger and sometimes with a dummy battery) try leaving it plugged in an on to see if you can reform the cap.
Lastly if you have a good local camera shop, someone there may know how to help.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Possibly, but I would hope they are stored in flash memory.
"Time" has an oscillator and requires power to run it.

BebuLamar

Yes but there is a problem. A bad battery would keep drawing power from the main battery but never got charged and thus it would drain the main battery. If you keep the main battery out when not in use then you would still lose the time (which to me no big deal I don't think I ever check the time and date on my pictures any way).
Yes so I do not remove the main battery when I put the camera away because I am afraid that it would ruin the internal battery (which in itself isn't that expensive but it would cost a lot to replace).

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Here’s a link to a forum discussion in dpreview.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/42316239

One suggestion was to bypass the date and time screen?

Here’s a tear down from petapixel….

https://petapixel.com/2011/04/19/disassembled-sony-a55-examined-and-explained/

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Possibly. I won't discount it.
Depends...
Unless one knows the characteristics of the internal battery and circuitry,
it would merely be a supposition.
If there is charge limiting circuitry, it may or may not be noticeable.
Only the manufacturer knows for sure.....

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Midwestcamerarepair.com or midwestcamera.com

Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

[quote=47greyfox]Here’s a link to a forum discussion in dpreview.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/42316239

THIS ONE IS AN EYE OPENER! READ DOWN IN "FLAT VIEW" AND YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWER.
I have several SONY cameras so am interested in this. If it happened to me I would seek the next higher "A" mount camera model, used from a reputable source.

a6k Loc: Detroit & Sanibel

An expensive work around would be to buy a new alpha Sony and a LA-EA5 adapter for the lenses. Much better pics and comparible lens performance and ability to use e series lenses too. If you do this make sure the body supports that adapter.