Resurrecting cameras since 1971

Q: I dropped my camera/lens in water/fluid. What should I do?

#1: Do NOT turn it on. Immediately remove the battery - any current going through the equipment after water damage may cause a short. Bring it in for service as quickly as possible after water contact has occurred.

#2: If it was salt water - rinsing it with fresh water will not help, if anything it will make it worse. However, we have seen some success with placing equipment in a bag of rice to draw some of the moisture out. But this still means it will need cleaning.

#3: Again, timing is everything - get it to a repair facility as soon as possible - the longer you wait, the more time you're giving corrosion to kick in and eat all of the electrical components.

Remember, even if it seems to be working after water damage, corrosion can sometimes cause problems over time. It is always best to bring it in so one of our tech's can clean it out. 

Q: My camera won’t power on! I’ve tried charging my rechargeable’s as well as replacing them with regular batteries and I still get nothing!

Rechargeable batteries will die over time, sometimes in less than a year. If the battery has died, charging it will no longer work.

New batteries are sometimes already dead when purchased. It is rare, but some stores buy batteries in bulk and over time these batteries will die even if not being used. If you can, please be sure to test the batteries before purchasing them. 

Heavy duty/Industrial batteries are not to be used in digital cameras. The voltage in these batteries is not regulated. It could cause your camera to act weird or potentially damage your circuit boards. Once the circuit board is damaged it could make any repair uneconomical.

Certain brands of cameras are very picky about what types of batteries are put in. If you’re still having problems please refer to our Repair Estimates for approximate pricing for repairs. 

Q: Every time I take a picture I notice a few small black dots (mostly when I’m shooting at the sky). I’ve tried cleaning off the front of my lens and the dots are still there. 

The typical cause for spots on pictures is dust or dirt 

that has made its way back to the Imaging Sensor. 

The sensor has an electrical charge that attracts 

particles and ends up showing on your pictures. 

Unfortunately a dirty sensor is sometimes inevitable, 

but there are ways to help prevent it. Try not to change 

lenses in windy, dusty environments. Remove the 

battery while storing the camera to discharge the 

sensor. Never leave the camera body uncovered, use a 

lens or body cap to keep the particles from entering. If  

you’re using a camera bag for storage, check to make sure

the inside of the bag is not made of fibrous material, and 

keep your camera clean.

Dirty sensors will happen eventually, no matter how 

careful you are. Do not let these precautions affect your 

shooting. Remember to have fun!

*Please Note: Forster’s Camera Service does not recommend cleaning the sensor yourself, if you scratch or damage the sensor it will have to be replaced by the manufactureer. Forster’s Camera Service offers DSLR sensor cleanings for $39.00. Sensor cleanings on  compact digital cameras vary with make and model. 

Q: While on vacation in Cancun my camera stopped working. The lens is just stuck out and it won’t go back in. I have turned my camera on and off, switched out the battery and the lens won’t move. Any suggestions?

Lens jams occur frequently during sandy vacations. Grains of sand work themselves into the lens and jam the gears, not allowing the lens to move freely in its assembly. A general service – cleaning, lube and adjustment – will be needed in order to remove the sand and unjam the gears. Please refer to our Repair Estimates for approximate pricing on repairs. 

Q: My DSLR will no longer read my card. It gives me a “CF card error” or “format error”. I’ve tried using multiple cards to see if the problem was the card and none of them work. What am I doing wrong?

The CF card port has small pins that contact the memory card. Sometimes these pins get bent and will not allow the camera to read the card. Pins can get bent if the card is inserted the wrong way, at an angle or with too much force. If a broken pin contacts the circuit board it is possible that it may short out the camera causing it to no longer turn on. The pins must either be re-set or replaced. Repair prices vary depending on the make and model. Please refer to our Repair Estimates for approximate pricing on repairs.

Q: I accidentally deleted the pictures from my memory card. Can I get them back?

We have software that most of the time can recover lost files from memory cards. Although we cannot guarantee any specific files, the software will pull any available files from the memory card and we will then burn them to a disc for you. The charge for this service is $29.95+tax. If the amount of files recovered exceeds one disc capacity, each additional disc would be $4.95. We recommend bringing in your own flash drive as most full cards require more than one disc for a transfer.

Q: My computer will not read my memory card, so I cannot download any of the pictures. What should I do?

Sometimes memory cards can become defective, and you will no longer be able to access the data on the cards. However, we have been successful at getting some files back using the card recovery software discuss above. Unfortunately, we are not always able to recover files from defective cards. If we are not able to access the card there is no charge for the service.

Here we have listed answers for questions we hear from customers on a regular basis. Although it is difficult to diagnose a problem without seeing the item, sometimes we are able to offer technical information about what could be causing your problem berfore bringing it into our shop. If the problem you are having is not listed here, or if you have nay further questions, please contact our office.

40 West 2950 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84115

801.487.1288