Massive photo frustration (not OT, has to do with quilt photos)

This is the sort of thing I was referring to about a post about a sewing machine that needed repair, and I said that the company that makes it considers some things out of warranty as disposable. The reason is that they don't have to stock replacement parts and that forces you to buy another camera/sewing machine/whatever. If you have been around long enough you remember that there was always a fix/it guy somewhere in the neighborhood, who you took the toaster/radio/ whatever to, who could fix most anything, and charge you a minimal amount to do so. Also, the company that made the thing in the first place, had a parts warehouse inventory, that was capable of sustaining those repairs. Not so nowadays, what with, just in time parts manufacturing, so that they don't have to maintain parts inventory. They will maintain those inventories as long as those warranties are in force, but after that, it's so long sucker, see you at the checkout counter, and would you like an extended warranty for that replacement camera/toaster/whatever. Welcome to the off shore world of manufacturing, where you are only as good as your warranty.

John

It won't help with your current camera issue, but you can purchase a disposable camera so you can at least take the pictures of the quilt before it gets sent off tomorrow. I feel your pain with camera equipment, my DH dropped my daughter's camera in October when he was taking Halloween pix of my DGS. It was an expensive camera we had given to her the year before so I did more than gasp! But it still functions, thank goodness. But your DH is right. If it is not fixable, let it go. If you do replace it, either do not let your son use it or insist on him using an around the neck strap.

Get the disposable!

Alice "Do what you like, like what you do"

These things are all computerized and there's not much to repair on a lot of electronic stuff so you toss it and start over :( No wonder our landfills are running over. We bought a small, relatively inexpensive, stereo last summer at Target. The CD player quit working -- at first only intermittently -- shortly after Target's 90 day return period was up. It's still under warranty, but we'd have to send it to the company. It will cost more to box it up and send it that it would to replace it. Meanwhile, we've been listening to the radio. It does have a USB port, so I've copied a few CDs to a small flash drive and are using that for recorded music. I've ordered a bigger flash drive and will fill that with music from the CDs when we get that and take our time shopping for the next stereo. We definitely want one with a CD changer that holds at least 3 CDs, preferably 5 or 6. We had a little Sony system that we liked; it was about 10 years old and I think the CD changer finally wore out.

Julia in MN

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Sunny wrote:

Sunny....ask your friends if they have a digital !!...So many people do these days... and they could load the pic on their computer and email it to you...or perhaps load it directly to yours...Good luck !...I too have a broken very expensive camera with a small disc still inside...for 2 years now....!! Mary

You could use a disposable camera and get a CD of the pictures when you get it developed. Then you could upload those to the computer. I know, not a great solution, but something that might substitute until you cool down and figure out what you are going to do. I'm sure your quilt is wonderful...this is the one that almost drove you crazy, isn't it? Get a cheap camera and take some pictures. They take nice quality photos. At least you would have some record of your hard work. And by the way....thank you....blushing......

We have claimed on things like this on our Home Insurance (DH dropped his telescope). Had to pay an excess, but still cheaper than the whole amount.

Worth a try.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

I completely agree with you, Sunny. That's our mantra it seems now. Throw it away, buy another one! It's crazy and it irritates me. DH is marvelous fixer of small appliances. On some weird level, I love that he keeps doing that for me. My DH had flu too; and gave it to me. I had it much worse what with all the other health problems I have. They told me I should have called the doctor's office and gotten Tamiflu at the first, slightest sign of illness. Did you know they have a test for the flu now? I didn't know that. It *would* be difficult to toss a $250 camera. I don't think I could do it.

Sherry

So sorry your camera is broken. I agree with the others. Get a disposable camera so that you have a way to take photos until you decided what to do.

I've been thinking about this one all day.

Situation #1- The widget costs $250. The widget is top of the line, hot, sexy, cutting edge, engineered with the best and newest in electronic and computer technology. It was manufactured offshore. It has a limited 1 year warrantee. If it breaks within the first year, the company will replace it. If it breaks after that year, it can't/won't be replaced or fixed. It would be cheaper to buy a new one.

Situation #2- This widget is a tried and true older technology. It doesn't do anything much beyond the basics. It was manufactured in the U.S. If it breaks, there are replacement parts still being manufactured. If it breaks, there are service technicians scattered around the country who know how to fix it because it's not too complicated. These technicians had to be trained to fix widgets, and they expect to be able to make money fixing your widget. The company expects to make money on replacement parts. In order to bring you a fixable widget, the company must charge $1000 for it. Then if it breaks, repairs are $250.

Come on folks, which one do you want? I know I love to walk around saying that they don't make things to last like they used to-- and that's true. I'm a quilter in part because I'm attached to the values of making something wonderful from scraps, of not being part of the disposable society. But these old values don't apply to modern day electronics.

They don't make replacement parts because that would be making parts for widgets that are out of date anyway. They don't make replacement parts because, with the incredible variety in widgets and parts, there's too small market for them. They don't train technicians to fix widgets because it's not cost effective. By the time you trained technicians to fix one sort of widget, they'd have the equivalent of engineering degrees, and then a new widget would come out, and they'd need to be trained all over again.

Do you really want to pay 4x more for something that can be fixed because you're nostalgic for the old days?

--Lia

Sunny, I'm so sorry you're in this situation -- which is even worse when you don't feel well. :( I think your idea about using a disposable until you can buy a new camera is the only practical solution, and it's certainly much better than the alternative of having no photo record of what you've made.

Offer the broken one on freecycle as spare parts. Might be somebody out there who is still fixing things! Roberta in D

"Charlotte" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:fpujju$f3a$ snipped-for-privacy@news.netins.net...

go get a disposable camera and take a pic before you send it!!!

I know how you feel about your old camera. I have 2 really nice 35mm sitting in my closet that I would love to get fixed but evidently that isn't done anymore. And DH doesn't understand my desire to have them working cause i have a nice digital camera.

Watch for sales. I've seen passable digital cameras for as little as $99.00.

They will maintain those inventories as long as those warranties are in force, but after that, it's so long sucker, see you at the checkout counter, and would you like an extended warranty for that replacement camera/toaster/whatever. Welcome to the off shore world of manufacturing, where you are only as good as your warranty.

John, we have a place where I live that can fix just about any sewing machine. They have or can get parts. They were able to get parts for my old late 1960s Singer. You have to look and ask around as these places do exist. As for my new $98 Singer, if it needed serious repairs I would just replace it. My NH is another matter. ;^)

And thank God for cheap disposable cameras. I took several on my last trip to NYC and lost one of them on the beach at Rockaway. Had it been my HP digital I would have been heart sick.

I feel your pain with camera equipment, my DH

But do your homework first :-)

Like everything else, with digital cameras, you get what you pay for sometimes. I got an expensive digital camera and it was exactly that -- a cheap camera that took substandard pictures. I read some customer reviews *after* I'd bought it--wish I'd had the sense to research *before* I'd bought the stupid thing. I went back to my Olympus 2020Z, bought in 1999. (Practically an antique now, as digital cameras go)

Sherry

I've got my disposable camera and will take pics this afternoon. Also, my son is going to show me how to take shots with his webcam and put it up on YouTube. I just might have to figure out a song and dance routine to go with my quilt.

As for buying a good new camera, my husband is city editor of our local newspaper. He is really up to date on which digital cameras are good. When you need a camera it's good to be married to somebody who talks to professional photographers for a living. But it will be a while. The one we're looking at is $199, less than the old one but still not in this week's budget.

Thanks for all the commiserating and good advice.

Sunny

Don't forget, you can order your prints on CD...which you can then treat like a picture from your digital camera.

Same here ...the flash doesn't work on my 35 mm...and it would cost a lot to have it repaired. But it does take great pics outdoors and with a lense I have ..great portraitures... not a pricy lens..but something for close ups of gks...it doesn't distort. I've got to get that out again and take some photos !!!..