I was given an Olympus Accura Camera as a gift. It broke after only a short time of usage. The sliding door that covers the lens is malfunctioning. I'm not sure if I still have the manual etc. Is there a guarentee? Where should I go to get it fixed and about how much to get it fixed - is it worth it to get it fixed?

-- Vincent Tangredi (vtangredi@Yahoo.com), May 14, 2000

Answers

If you don't have the manual it's doubtful any warranty would be in effect. Almost any camera dealer will "do" repairs. The "do" means they will send it out. It's rare that you find repair done on site due to the myriad of makes and models.

I had an inexpensive point and shoot (I think it was an Olympus) which had a lens cover that opened and closed like a shutter. I busted it and didn't think it would be worth fixing (I also doubted that the part would be available as it was five years old at least) but my wife loved it's simplicity (and good results) and had it fixed for not a whole lot.

A less windy answer is, take it to any camera shop and ask.

-- bill (this_old_house@pobox.com), May 14, 2000.

Vincent
I've been out of the business for a while - but most dealers will give you a pretty firm price right up front. When I repaired cameras I did it on a flat fee basis. Trying to do "estimates" on all repairs would have been daunting. Instead I averaged the repair prices across a model and added an appropriate profit margin. Only on very rare occasions did I have to go back to a customer and increase the fee.

Des

-- Dan Desjardins (dan.desjardins@avstarnews.com), May 14, 2000.