Camera wrecked on honeymoon...decisions!?

Camera wrecked on honeymoon...decisions!?

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Disastrous

Original Poster:

10,079 posts

217 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Hi all,

Hoping somebody has experienced similar before and can help me make up my mind:

Day 1 of our Honeymoon in Bali, and a drybag which was not dry has left my EOS M3 shagged. I've done the battery out, rinse with fresh water and then hairdryer and rice routine but I'm pretty sure it won't be coming back from the dead.

Unfortunately, my backup camera, in the form of my iPhone was in the bag too and is now also destroyed.

Do I:

1). Try and find a camera store here and buy a new body, seeing as I have all my lenses etc?

Or

2). Buy a cheap compact and get a new body from the UK once the insurance pays up?

Or

3). Nothing at all, live without pictures and sort it when I'm home?

I suppose it partially depends how easy it is to get kit here. We're in the north west so pretty far from Kuta/Denpasar, which instinct tells me are the only likely candidates for photo shops...

Any thoughts/experience?

anonymous-user

54 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Disastrous said:
Hi all,

Hoping somebody has experienced similar before and can help me make up my mind:

Day 1 of our Honeymoon in Bali, and a drybag which was not dry has left my EOS M3 shagged. I've done the battery out, rinse with fresh water and then hairdryer and rice routine but I'm pretty sure it won't be coming back from the dead.

Unfortunately, my backup camera, in the form of my iPhone was in the bag too and is now also destroyed.

Do I:

1). Try and find a camera store here and buy a new body, seeing as I have all my lenses etc?

Or

2). Buy a cheap compact and get a new body from the UK once the insurance pays up?

Or

3). Nothing at all, live without pictures and sort it when I'm home?

I suppose it partially depends how easy it is to get kit here. We're in the north west so pretty far from Kuta/Denpasar, which instinct tells me are the only likely candidates for photo shops...

Any thoughts/experience?
Not 3. 1 or two depending on cashflow and willingness to spunk money. Were it me, probably 1, unless 1 made my eyes water. Then recoup some of the cost from insurance once back in England.

AndrewEH1

4,917 posts

153 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Yeah, definitely not option 3!

As above depending on willingness to spend the cash I'd go for option 2 asap then if you can find a proper camera shop upgrade to option 1, you might even be able to sell them your option 2. I'm sure your partner will want to record your honeymoon! (It only happens once right?)

768

13,656 posts

96 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Where are you staying - can you ask someone on the hotel staff to get you a price for a new body, a local might have more idea of how to get one at a reasonable price?

Otherwise cheap compact. I'd want a few pictures even if they're not blown up to put on a wall.

thebraketester

14,218 posts

138 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Opt 1

Disastrous

Original Poster:

10,079 posts

217 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Yeah, your thinking echoes mine. Annoyingly though, we're moving about a bit and won't be near camera shop until the last couple of days.

Good idea to ask the hotel to help. Will ask if they know anyone nearby.

If I buy a new body here though, presumably Canon won't honour any warranty in the UK? I'd rather just get a new one and be done with it, especially since I'm carrying around the glass already but seems pointless to blow the cash on one if I can only get it for the last day or two and have no warranty I guess. Frustrating!


anonymous-user

54 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Have you thought about asking Soovy to help you unload some heavy duty legals on the makers of the wet bag? And the retailer, and anyone who suggested you actually use it?

Sparkyhd

1,792 posts

95 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
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Shouldn't you be worrying about something else on day one of your honeymoon and keeping things wet not dry?

AndrewEH1

4,917 posts

153 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Sparkyhd said:
Shouldn't you be worrying about something else on day one of your honeymoon and keeping things wet not dry?
Why else do you think he needs a new camera so desperately?

pcameron

101 posts

282 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Do you have travel insurance? If so, phone them and see what they say you should do. Do tell them it's your honeymoon, it may help you get more help.

Turn7

23,590 posts

221 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
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Amex card holder ?

Disastrous

Original Poster:

10,079 posts

217 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
Turn7 said:
Amex card holder ?
Sadly not...

Pcameron: good idea I will do that tomorrow!

Sparky: We're all good there thanks wink

Voldemort

6,131 posts

278 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
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No photos is not an option.

I would have thought you could get anything you want in 24 hours if you have an address to have it delivered to.

noell35

3,170 posts

148 months

Sunday 18th September 2016
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4) Get someone in the UK to FedEx you a new Canon body?

rottie102

3,996 posts

184 months

Sunday 18th September 2016
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Just get a GoPro 4 Silver. Diving shops will probably sell it everywhere, so will many other outlets.
You will have it to use when you're back, you won't have to worry about water and the photos you can take with GoPro and some creativity are absolutely amazing.
I would happily photograph a honeymoon in location like this with just a GoPro 4 Silver. Much more than with a cheap compact.
https://www.flickr.com/groups/82632028@N00/pool/

Disastrous

Original Poster:

10,079 posts

217 months

Sunday 18th September 2016
quotequote all
rottie102 said:
Just get a GoPro 4 Silver. Diving shops will probably sell it everywhere, so will many other outlets.
You will have it to use when you're back, you won't have to worry about water and the photos you can take with GoPro and some creativity are absolutely amazing.
I would happily photograph a honeymoon in location like this with just a GoPro 4 Silver. Much more than with a cheap compact.
https://www.flickr.com/groups/82632028@N00/pool/
I've got a Sony AS200 Action Cam so well covered for that side of things - they're fine in bright light but uniformly dreadful in poor light. I took the M for its nice, fast 22mm as it means lots of candlelight, moonlight etc shots are possible and it's frustrating not being able to get anything after dark frown

I think I've found a shop though, so will hopefully get one tomorrow...will keep you posted.

rich888

2,610 posts

199 months

Sunday 18th September 2016
quotequote all
Is there not a local Apple store nearby to you, if so, book yourself into the Genius bar either online or instore, explain your predicament and you may well walk out with a fully restored new iPhone.

A few years ago my lad dropped my iPhone in a glass of water whilst it was charging which didn't do it much good at all, I tried the bag of rice on the radiator trick to no avail, it was pretty dead, so I drove up to the nearest Apple store at the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, and after a brief discussion about the incident they exchanged my totally dead in the water iPhone with a new shiny one for a small exchange of money. Luckily I had made a backup to my laptop which enabled me to transfer nearly everything over, but nowadays with automatic backup to iCloud it's even less painless.

I cannot thank Apple enough for saving my day so it might be worthwhile seeing if there is an Apple store nearby because they do operate worldwide.

Disastrous

Original Poster:

10,079 posts

217 months

Monday 19th September 2016
quotequote all
rich888 said:
Is there not a local Apple store nearby to you, if so, book yourself into the Genius bar either online or instore, explain your predicament and you may well walk out with a fully restored new iPhone.

A few years ago my lad dropped my iPhone in a glass of water whilst it was charging which didn't do it much good at all, I tried the bag of rice on the radiator trick to no avail, it was pretty dead, so I drove up to the nearest Apple store at the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, and after a brief discussion about the incident they exchanged my totally dead in the water iPhone with a new shiny one for a small exchange of money. Luckily I had made a backup to my laptop which enabled me to transfer nearly everything over, but nowadays with automatic backup to iCloud it's even less painless.

I cannot thank Apple enough for saving my day so it might be worthwhile seeing if there is an Apple store nearby because they do operate worldwide.
Good idea! I believe there is one in Seminyak, which is miles away from us but we might be closer later in the holiday so if it's possible, will give that a try.

A local bloke is taking me to a 'camera store' he reckons is near here but it really is the sticks, so will be amazed if they have an M3 body. Hopefully I can get *someyhing* to do the job...

Craikeybaby

10,402 posts

225 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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How did you get on?

Disastrous

Original Poster:

10,079 posts

217 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Just back last night and had completely forgotten to update this!

I got a good result. The camera shop I visited was comically st. Like something out of a film, it had a shelf with three sun-faded boxes from 10-year old Powershots and one 1200D for sale (at an extortionate price).

I almost bought the 1200D as a get-me-through to sell back home but they didn't take cards so the trip was a bust.

The hotel concierge was massively helpful though. I got onto Google and found a camera shop in Denpasar in the South that sold an M3 but we were several hours north in the middle of nowhere outside Ubud by this point. The concierge phoned the shop for me, had a chat and got them to send the camera up in a car the next day. I couldn't believe it. At 5pm, a wee guy turned up with 'last canon in Bali sir!', I handed him over a wad of notes and off he went. And in the meantime, the concierge lent me his actual own Nikon D90 so I didn't miss anything during the day I had to wait.

Top bloke and meant I was able to finish off the rest of the trip with some nice images. Amazed that was possible - I think it's kind of one of those things that can only happen somewhere like that really.

Cheers for all the advice everyone smile