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Battery Tabs broken!
2 years ago just before I got my HVX200 in May of 06′ I remember reading a post about someone traveling with his camera over seas and when he got there the battery tabs were broken off. When I got my camera I was very careful with the battery and never traveled or packed it up with the battery attached.
Today I went to clean my camera (I have not cleaned it in months) and looked at the tabs and the top 2 were broken and the bottom 2 bent!!! I know this has been a problem with the camera and I remember Jan mentioning that it was going to be a part of the future cameras upgrades.
I am sending in my camera for a different zooming problem. It has been a great work horse shooting 2 to 3 commercials a week for the last 2 years.
My questions is, are the tab covered in a repair since many people have had this problem? Also when it comes back with the new tabs will they be upgraded to the new improved version, if there is one yet?
It is sad that after 2 years of babying the battery on and off I have broken tabs?
Any info would be great.
-Lars
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12 Replies
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You’re likely out of warranty period by now. That said it’s a really cheap and easy repair AFAIK as just one piece of plastic has to be replaced. So even if they don’t do it for free it’s not going to be bad. You can always tape the battery in place in the meantime, but that’s not reliable and adds an unwanted ghetto-fab look to the camera’s hind quarters.
Noah
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[Noah Kadner] “but that’s not reliable and adds an unwanted ghetto-fab look to the camera’s hind quarters. “
Hey now, some people like ghetto-fab hind quarters.
This happened to us and we got it fixed. It was covered under warranty. It’s best to get it fixed now rather than show up on a shoot and have it busted. Ever since the fix, it’s been golden.
Jeremy
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I found this post and the guy bought the part and it was $110.
he did it him self and has photos. I will not do it my self and he mentioned something about $400 to get it fixed.Are the new plates going to be the new improved ones or am I going to get the same breakable back plate?
-Lars
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What post?
They replaced the whole backside of my camera when I did it. It definitely wasn’t the same design.
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So the new one is strong then? Sorry I meant Tabs not posts. What did it cost you to have it fixed?
-Lars
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The new one is great. It was covered under warranty as I mentioned before so it was F-R-E-E.
Me likey.
[Lars Wikstrom] “Sorry I meant Tabs not posts”
You said that you found a post?
[Lars Wikstrom] “I found this post and the guy bought the part and it was $110”
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I meant this post that was back in July of 06.
https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/193/860844
Since I have had my camera for 2 years now I guess warranty will not be covered. That is kind of a bummer since I new of the problem and I took really good care of my camera. Now that they are finally broken I might have to pay for this. I would have been better off breaking them when I got the camera so it could have been fixed under warranty.
This should be an upgrade for the camera that needs no warranty since it is a defective part. I am surprised with all the problems people have had with it there has not been a class action lawsuit against Panasonic, yet. My Ford Focus is out of warranty and I still get things in the mail that they need to replace of fix because it can cause problems. I would hope the same is for the camera. I will contact Panny and see what they say.
-Lars
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Before you assume anything, why don’t you call Panasonic and ask them about it. That post that you pointed to is TWO years old almost, we were just discovering the problem and frankly I have not heard of a customer that was going to be billed except the gray market camera. I would think as long as your camera is in the country of origin you will find Panasonic to be very helpful.
The fix seems to be a permanent fix as the plate is more reinforced.
Best,
Jan
Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, HPX500, HVX200, DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems -
Thanks Jan, That post that I mentioned from 2 years ago was the post that I remember because that is when I knew it was a problem. After that post I have been very careful when putting the camera on and off.
I plan to drop it off a a dealer in LA next week. I bought it at Able Cine in LA and I know it was not grey market with the price I paid for it.
Thanks for the heads up.
-Lars
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Lars,
I have had the same problem with broken battery tabs. Do you by any chance know the part number that needs to be replaced?
-Arturo
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