It happens to all of us at one point or another. Your digital camera’s shine begins to fade; whether it’s the zoom that doesn’t extend all the way or the white balance feature that works only when you tap the upper left hand corner of the camera with a sharp object. When your camera suffers damage or experiences other mechanical problems, you eventually must decide if it is better to repair it or trash it.
Depending on your budget, this may be a difficult decision to make. If you own a high-end DSLR camera, then you are almost always better off repairing your picture-taking tool rather than buying a new one, though there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if your digital camera sustained major water damage or if the interior of the camera is heavily damaged, it may be beyond repair. Conversely, if you own a DSLR, footing the bill for the repairs will help you preserve the investment you made in lenses or accessories that fit your particular model.
Price is a huge factor in deciding whether you should repair a broken camera or simply buy a new one. However, time is also a serious consideration. Repairing a broken camera can help you save time in the long run. In most cases, having your camera fixed by a professional can eliminate the need to complete time-consuming research on new models.
Before deciding whether or not to take your camera in for repairs or forking over money to buy a new one, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is your camera visibly damaged? Does it have obvious broken parts?
2. Does your camera not power up despite having new batteries and/or a reliable power source?
3. Are all of the pictures taken by your camera distorted, regardless of the shooting environment?
4. Does your camera constantly show error messages on the LCD screen?
Once you have your answers you can call your local repair shop and decide if the total amount quoted for the repair is worth it.
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