Flash repair $160

[Gabe]

So I dropped my Speedlite 420EX while loading it on my bike one time, and it started whirring and acting funny after that. Finally sent it off to a local Canon repair center as my usual shop closed down, and I received their estimate today - $160!!! This is a $180 flash, people... so I'm getting it back and selling it on eBay (as is; I'll specify it needs repair, of course) and recoup a little cash from it, and buy me a new one.... or, get me the 550EX... hmmm...

Anyway, just venting a little. Does this sound like an outrageous price or what? Who would blow that much on repairing a used flash when a new one is only $20 more? lol And I can just pick one up at a local shop, instead of having to wait till the repaired one gets sent back.

Note to self: Be more careful when loading the gear onto the bike, lol.

[natatbeach]

that's like trying to reapir my 2 megapixel three years ago...it cost me $100 and it was going to cost 139 to fix it... for $50 bucks more I got a Dimage g500 at 5 megapixels...repairs boggle the mind sometimes...

[MJS]

I had a Sunpak AF4000 with similar problems and repair prices. Got it back, went to my work bench and with a little super glue on a gear and some soldering it works good as new. I don't know what I did, but I did it good.

[mjs1973]

When my Canon Rebel G got wet a year ago, after tipping over our canoe, I had to send it in to get repaired. I think the estimate was around $130 or so. I could have bought a new, upgraded model for not much more than that. It's still sitting in the box I had them ship it back to me in. I wonder if they are really that expensive to fix, or if they price them that way so you just buy something new...

[paulnj]

NIKON and CANON have a minimum cost for repairs..... and you just found out what canon's is ;)

I broke the shoes mount? off my nikon flash and though the job was quite easy and part wasn't too expensive.... $165

That bill was paid by the person who broke it, so I didn't fix it myself for 1/3 the cost ;)

[Axle]

I had one of my lens break on me, the aperature blades came loose, it was an old MC mount lens. When I investigated getting it repaired, the cost was about $200, I could buy a new one for that much. So again I just tossed the lens and waited, trolling ebay and classified ads, ended up getting my Vivitar 85-205mm zoom for $55 cdn. Then just in may the Kiron 70-150mm along with two other lens from $57 cdn.

[another view]

That sounds like a minimum repair charge to me too. That's just how they work - but if it is only the hot shoe mount and you're handy with a soldering iron, you might be able to DIY.

I had a similar story last fall with a lens - I chipped the front element. It wasn't bad, but I didn't want to use it that way either. I kept it around for a backup when I had some jobs booked because it worked. It was worth about $180 used in good condition, and the repair would cost $180. I finally decided to sell it on ebay because I was tired of looking at it. Got $95 for it.

[Sebastian]

I snapped my shoe mount off my old Nikon flash, a piece of plastic, $160 to fix.

[paulnj]

HEY! I paid $5 more than you... but my repair was 5 days from sending it out to receiving it back ;)