I have a pretty expensive digital camera. One of the pins where the card goes in is bent. The camera repair shop wants several hundred dollars to disassemble the camera to straighten the pin. It seems to me that there ought be a tool such as a very thin screwdriver type of thing with a tiny hole on the end that one could stick down inside to straighten a pin.
I go Radio Shack, etc., asking about such a tool and the usual response is, “Yeah, there oughta be such a thing” but they don’t have it.
I’d just use a thin plastic shim. In fact what I would get is one of these putty knives and trim to needed width. The bevel at the end should be just enough to get between the pins and straighten it.
Get two, they cost like 89 cents each and they work really well for popping open your iPod to reseat the loose connectors.
Not so far as I’m aware. In the past, I’ve successfully used a tiny slotted screwdriver, like the smallest one in the set Radio Shack sells to C-A-R-E-F-U-L-L-Y bend the pin back into shape, but about 1 time in ten the pin would break off. If you’re extremely lucky, when that happens it will be one of the pins that is not used for anything.
If you’re in the Southeast Virginia area, I can take a crack at it. Long as you promise not to punch me in the nose if the pin breaks off. Murphy’s Law applies.
I realise that digitals and film cameras have differences, but “several hundred dollars” sounds rather high for a repair that seems likely to be common. Call or e-mail the distirbutor. When I worked in a camera store (ages ago), some common repairs were listed on a price schedule (subject to inspection, of course.)
Don’t have an actual answer for your OP tho, sorry.
Generous offer! but unfortunately for camera repair considerations I am in SoCal. But I will try that R.S. tool set (I know exactly which one you mean) and try my hand.
The camera shop actually called the company, that said they would have to disassemble it, etc. Came to 225 plus shipping, etc., so I guess that is technically a couple hundred. But the camera was 800 new two years ago, so it is not worth that much today.
Digital cameras (and most consumer electronics) aren’t designed to be repaired. For digital cameras especially, it will cost at least $100-$200 for the authorized repair centers to even look at the camera.
This is one of the rare problems that may be fixable. I’m going to assume you have a Compact Flash memory card? Those pins can bend and there are independent repair shops that might be able to help you. But since you have little to lose trying it yourself, you might as well give it a go.