Oops... I was today riding a bicycle in a thunderstorm, and that seems to have broken the Panasonic LX3.
Above you see the last photograph taken with the LX3, number 203,318. It wasn't yet raining much, but soon after a heavy downpour started, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
When I returned home, the LX3 seemed to be normal, but after a while it started acting up. First came the message "please switch the camera off and on again", and after some attempts, there was the message "system error (focus)" on the screen.
The lens does not retract any more, and the camera gets stuck when trying to start it up, always giving one or the other of these error messages.
So, that was the end of the LX3 - a bit less than three years and a bit more than 200,000 photographs. Certainly more than the warranty covers!
And I just bought a new battery for the LX3. In fact, the first charge of the battery was just running out. Not much use for this investment now.
Currently my only camera is the Nokia E7, which I don't like much as a tool for photography.
So, what to do, what to do...
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A moment of profound silence followed.
6 hours ago
15 comments:
Oh dear! But I guess I know what you'll be doing :)
@Andreas: Well, the letters LX5 do appeal...
Sorry to hear about that demise - and the last images from the thunderstorm really are appealing!
You might have a small chance to save it by removing the battery and slowly slowly drying it, probably best in a dry atmosphere and temperatures of not much more than 40°C.
In the meantime you'll by the LX5 and if drying works you still have a backup or bad weather camera.
You have me deepest sympathy and commiseration! Will there be an official, photographically recorded, burial/cremation/official-goodbye to the LX3? I'm sure you'll soon be joining the ranks of LX5 owners like the rest of us.
@Everyone: Thanks for the sympathy!
@Markus: I think there is something physically broken inside the camera, funny clicking and grinding noises when it tries to start up. The thunderstorm and the breaking may have been just coincidental.
@Colin: I'm still rather at loss what to do - a bit like Mma Ramotswe towards her small white van in "Tea Time for the Traditionally Built". Well, I guess I'll get past the demise of the LX3 soon enough.
Wow... well, if it is gone, what a way for it to go... literally, out with a bang.
If it indeed id the rain that caused the LX3 to give up try to put it a box full with cat sand. Not the normal sandy stuff but that made of crystals. It will remove the moisture quickly and maybe you can get the camera to work again. If not the cat will get happy :-)
Good luck!
@The Tinman: Well, it is also whimpering when trying to start up... No luck there.
@Anonymous: It should have dried up already (and there is no fog visible inside the lens), so no hope I'm afraid. And in fact I don't think the LX3 did get too much water, as it was in a pocket. Even though the cloth got wet, I don't think much of it was transferred to the camera.
Hi Juha,
Sorry to hear that your LX3 has died! I have one sitting in the cupboard not being used since i got my LX5.....let me know if you might be interested! ;-)
@Mike: I'll keep this in mind.
Currently, my main option is getting a new LX5, but a working LX3 might be a good spare camera to have.
I had the same thing happen to me on vacation in the Dominican Republic! High temperature and high humidity. Lens refused to retract and camera appeared jammed.
My response was to first charge the battery. By turning it off and on, it eventually retracted and seemed back in service. But it took a few days recovering totally.
I agree with the advice given so far to let it dry out...
Dick
@AubergeBleu: I have been letting it dry, with no luck so far, strange clicking noises coming out of it when I try to start it up. I think it is broken. (Not that I won't try it again tomorrow.)
Hi Juha,
My name is Francisco. I found your blog while looking for a dead LX3 and this is the entry that appeared in my browser.
I know it's been a long time since this post and this may sound strange, but I wonder if you still have the LX3 and would be willing to sell/donate it to try to revive another practically dead LX3 of mine.
My mail is kachoo (at) lycos (.) com
Thanks in advance for your time.
Regards.
@Francisco: Well, maybe we can manage to do something here. Of course, it would be fine if there would be some use of the broken LX3. However, shipping a broken camera across the globe doesn't seem an ecologically sensible thing either. But lets discuss this!
Thank you Juha! Let's talk about it by mail.
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