Digital Camera Service Advisories & Repair

Light Meter by Lisa K. Berton

I have good news and bad news. First the bad news. Sometimes parts are made for cameras that have a shorter life than expected. Occasionally, cameras may overheat or small pieces like the battery door springs and latches may fall off.

The good news is that when this happens in mass quantity, the manufacturers make good with their customers and service to fix these problems is complimentary.

Here’s an example for you. My mom’s friend’s camera suddenly stopped taking photos. She hadn’t dropped it or spilled anything on it. Her LCD still showed text and photos she had previously taken but it wouldn’t go live. She sent it out for repair via a camera shop and they told her it was sent to Canon per a Service Advisory.

Keep in mind that repairs like these sometimes take longer because there are literally millions of cameras sold and when there’s a service advisory out, a good chunk of them go to a small number of service centers. This causes backup but remember, they are making good on their product even if they are 5 years old which far exceeds the normal warranty.

The best way to find out if your camera’s problem falls under these situations is to check with the manufacturer themselves.

Here’s a list of URLs and phone numbers you can check to see if your camera is on the list.

Canon
U.S. Residents call 1-800-828-4040
Service and Safety Notices

Casio
1-800-435-7732
Support

Fujifilm
1-800-659-3854 x3461
Click on your camera model for up-to-date info

Kodak
1-800-235-6325 (23KODAK), option 12
Search by camera model

Nikon
1-800-645-6678 and select option 1
Service Advisories and Recalls

Olympus
1-888-553-4448
Check for nearby service centers

Panasonic
1-800-211-PANA (7262)
Search for your camera here

Pentax
1-800-877-0155 in the United States
Outside the US

Sony
1-800-222-7669 United States and Canada
International 1-239-768-7669
Enter your camera model here