Spilled soda on my dad's camera—help!

[amyrillis]

Sorry if this thread is in the wrong section. Mods, feel free to move it.

My camera is a Sony Cybershot DSC-p8 (yeah, I know it's old, but my dad can't afford to buy a new one, so I really need to fix this one if at all possible). The camera will turn on, but any pictures I take come out solid black. This is what happened:

I put a cup of Sierra Mist in my purse, forgetting my dad's camera was in there. A minute later I took out the cup, and it was leaking from the bottom. I cleaned off the outside of the camera the best I could, but after a while I could see condensation on the inside of the screen. When I got home, I removed the battery and submerged the camera in rice to absorb the moisture. A week later (today), I took the camera out and there was no longer condensation in the screen. I turned it on to see if it would work, and I thought I was in luck at first.... But the screen is black with a smudged appearance, unless I view pictures that I took before the incident, which show up just fine. The menu screen also shows up. I tried taking a few pictures and importing them to my laptop, but they were just black, like the screen.

So I'm guessing the screen works, but something else in the camera was damaged so I can't take pictures. That would explain why nothing shows up except for pictures already taken. What part of the camera do you think is damaged? Is there anything else I can do to fix it? Take it apart and clean the inside, maybe? I'm just afraid if I take it apart I won't be able to put it together.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Toast.

 

[Tony S]

Not good news. It could be damage to the circuits from the citric acid in the pop. But most likely a nice coating of sugar inside, with even worse news being it might start to mold. Electronics and moisture don't play well together, in this case I'm not sure there was any saving it once the pop was in the camera.

Sorry, hope dad is understanding.

 

[amyrillis]

I know it's probably a lost cause at this point, but I feel like there must be *some*thing I can do as a last-ditch effort...

 

[MLeeK]

Take it to a camera repair shop. That's your last resort... It's going to be expensive.

 

[Tony S]

It will be less expensive to get a newer camera than to have it repaired. Some of the current entry level point and shoots have better image quality than this 8 year old model for less money than it would cost to repair (probaly less than the Sony cost new).

Just did a look on Amazon and this camera can be bought used for only $30.00
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Cyber-shot-Digital-Camera-Optical/dp/B00008LUN6

 

[amyrillis]

Ooooh, good news! I found the same camera on ebay, and since it's such an old model and it's pre-owned, it's only $18! I knew it would be cheap since it's such an old camera, but I never though I could get it THAT cheap. I could totally buy it to replace the other one, and my dad would be none the wiser.

I'll still tell him the truth in a month or so.... But it's hard to get mad over something retroactively. So I'm saved.

 

[manaheim]

Glad to hear, but why would you even put a cup of soda in your purse anyway?????

 

[amyrillis]

LOL..... I was sneaking it into a movie theater. I didn't want to have to throw it away and waste it. There was a lid on it, but unfortunately the bottom sprung a leak somehow.