Warranty repairs

On the 19th March I had a near miss with my housing. Immediately on entering the water I noticed a drop of water run across the LCD viefinder on top of my housing. Needless to say my heart sank ... but I handed the housing back to the boat, and it was held upright until I opened it a couple of minutes later.

When I opened the housing I found several drops of water on the camera's top LCD panel.

The camera was removed and dried and the housing resealed.

On returning to dry land the housing was examined carefully by myself and an (UW photo and electronics nut) friend.

We found no evidence of salt on the inside of the housing and nothing obstructing the rear o-ring.

What we did find was a seriously cracked o-ring around the top LCD panel. The housing is three months old.

but now my problems begin ...

I had two weeks to get it fixed for a job I had taken on. Cutting it fine, but possibe I thought ... apparently not ... my deadline passed before they could even tell me where to send the housing (dealer or factory?).

So now, 18 days later I am still waiting to be able to send it off. I have 17 days until a liveaboard digital shootout trip that I have paid for.

How can I motivate this manufacturer to provide some service?

Leander

just curious which manufacturer is this?

weird just two minutes ago I opened up my email and saw a note from Ikelite informing me that they would test my housing and electronics and if I needed the electronics replaced it would cost $250. In this case I live in the US and I think Ikelite would probably make sure that I got the housing back in time for the trip.

I wish you the best of luck. Since you live in Ausiland, this might be an issue. I would see if they could send you an emergency replacement.

Hi Leander, I am sorry to hear about your flooding. Most manufacturers do take some time to answer. Exceptions are Ikelite and Aquatica, which are very fast to reply, and I heard nothing but good comments about Ikelite's customer service. But, since you are in Australia, I doubt that even Ikelite would service your housing in time. I think they would send you a new housing (they offered to do this with one of my strobes last year), but I know of no other manufacturer that would do this.

In any case, tell us who the manufacturer is, and maybe someone here that has a direct contact with them could help you out. I think that with 17 days to your trip, the only solution is getting a replacement housing either from your manufacturer or dealer.

I hope you get it solved in time.

Luiz

cheers Luiz and Will

The housing is a Subal ND2.

I'm frustrated because at the time I had 5 weeks until my trip!

And every day I don't get a reply is a day wasted. aaaaaargh!!

Leander

On close inspection my ND2 housing I would think that the LCD o-rings would be user servicable.

I would further estimate that the orings would be available from your local o-ring upply company.

Installing them should be no problem - if you get stuck give me a call.

0418 183755

I don't think I have the confidence to tackle that o-ring!

Peter, I've had a look ... how would you even get it out?

Ouch, that o-ring looks horrible!

James

It does look very bad and certainly is a manufacturing defect. If Subal is still unresponsive, I would try your dealer, but call them, don't send e-mails.

Luiz

"Warranty repairs, What would you do?"

I would grab the phone and call the manufacturer if my dealer wouldn't move right away.

Talking to a person is much better than to send any emails...

Cheers

Torben

Ouch, that o-ring looks horrible!

yeah ... and staring at it for the last two weeks hasn't made it look any better!

It does look very bad and certainly is a manufacturing defect. If Subal is still unresponsive, I would try your dealer, but call them, don't send e-mails.

I would grab the phone and call the manufacturer if my dealer wouldn't move right away.

You guys are right ... and I staid up until 3am the day it happenned just to call the dealer direct The delay was in Subals uncertainty as to where it was to be repaired ... US then Austria then Australia then Austria then US ... plus I don't think the dealer was proactive enough to just make it happen

Latest news is I drove to Sydney today and the housing is now on a plane jetting back across the pacific to the US for some new o-rings ... finally ... YAY!

Lndr

Are you sure that is that is an industry std O ring ?

If it is then Subal have come up with a sealing configuration for an O ring that is a bit unusual.

Can someone post a pic from the back ?

If it is a nitrile ring and is new then that cracking must be the result of chemical attack - the only other case where I have seen cracking like that was when an O ring was being used like a rubber band and under stretch - but even that took months to show.

Good luck anyhow - hope you get your housing back in time for the trip.

Paul C

EDIT - I have actually bothered to read some of the posts above - and realise that you have already sent your housing away. So I'll delete what I wrote.

Alex

Order a complete service kit for your housing - all o-rings, any electronic parts (bulkheads, cables, hotshoe connector, etc), snap rings (if used). Add this on your "save a trip" kit, along with tools required to remove o-rings & make repairs. When time is tight you should be able to service the housing yourself. I have a similar kit for my Nexus just in case. Good luck.

I am curious. Assuming that no warranty exists or that a warranty void would be applicable, why don't housing manufacturers provide servicing instruction to all dealers as a mandatory piece to being a dealer? I would love to have a complete class on servicing my own housing, but that type of offering would put places like Backscatter on a much lower margin platform.

Joe

If it is a nitrile ring and is new then that cracking must be the result of chemical attack - the only other case where I have seen cracking like that was when an O ring was being used like a rubber band and under stretch - but even that took months to show.

The cracking does look like tension cracking of the o-ring. Its uniform for the length of the o-ring. The rear o-ring showed the same cracking, though less severe. As for chemicals ... unless its from exposure to seawater or tapwater it hasn't been near anything else!

I've had the housing for a few months ... I'm not sure of its manufacture date.

Its serial number is in the 22,000's ... so you'd think it'd have to be a faulty batch of rings ... manufacturing process should be pretty down-packed by then ???

Order a complete service kit for your housing - all o-rings, any electronic parts (bulkheads, cables, hotshoe connector, etc), snap rings (if used).  Add this on your "save a trip" kit, along with tools required to remove o-rings & make repairs.  When time is tight you should be able to service the housing yourself.  I have a similar kit for my Nexus just in case.  Good luck.

Are service kits something thats widely available? Or do you just need to know to ask for them?

I am curious.  Assuming that no warranty exists or that a warranty void would be applicable, why don't housing manufacturers provide servicing instruction to all dealers as a mandatory piece to being a dealer? I would love to have a complete class on servicing my own housing, but that type of offering would put places like Backscatter on a much lower margin platform.

I agree - I'd love to be able to properly service the housing ... and I know a few other people who would like that too ... esp after having my last housing (film) come back not working multiple times after being "serviced" by my only local service centre. (That's why I bought from OS this time.)

BTW the housing has had a nice 24hr layover in customs ...so keep your fingers crossed for me it makes it in time!