A couple of days ago I shared on facebook an image showing a broken X-T1. Well, this time it’s not mine (in case you missed it, here is the story of how I broke my X-E2). The only similarty to my X-T1 is the missing sync terminal cover.
This time the broken X-series camera is the one of Chris Conaway (check out his Flickr), an X-shooter from Thailand. Here is how he broke it and his experience with the Fuji Service.
Fuji Bangkok Satisfied Customer by Chris
Hi
I’d like to tell a small story of how Fuji repaired my completely smashed X-T1 .
My X-T1 fell of a motorbike travelling at high speed, I wasn’t wearing my wrist strap 🙁 It has my beloved 35mm lens on too !!
Once I picked up the carnage the camera was dead, no signs of survival. Body was in ok shape but the insides must have gone, only the LCD was shattered, but after removing the lens the rear element dropped out ! and the glass over the sensor was smashed, shutter was hanging down and the EVF was dead, no power to the camera.
I took it to Fuji and they said Labor was free but I had to pay for the parts. I had the camera for almost 1 year (I brought it last March). I was dreading a huge bill and Fuji did say they will tell me how much it would cost and I could decide if I wanted to repair the bod, the lens or both.
They came back to me a few weeks later after the holidays and said the body would cost 500gbp and the lens 300gbp. Well, I can buy the lens for almost a little bit more new so i just said to them to repair the body.
A few days later I had a call saying the repair had been finished! “Wow that’s fast”, I thought. How could they repair and test all is working 100% in that short time, maybe they just gave me a new camera !! 🙂
I had to wait for payday until I could go pick up the camera. I got to Fuji repair center and handed me the bubbled wrapped camera, the lens was attached to it and they had given me the old broken parts back too, which I thought was cool, Well, I don’t know for sure but it looks like they gave me a new camera and just replaced my old battery flap with the serial number on, or the whole base. The camera looks like new and I even got the new clicky buttons, latest firmware was installed and everything was default on first turn on, change the date etc !!
Result………….. they even fixed my lens !
24 Responses
That is a nice story.
On another note, Panasonic is rumoured to be releasing a new camera with a new sensor in a few months at NAB 2015, which will have 16 EV of dynamic range and clean files up to ISO 12,000, which for M43 would suggest that the new sensor will be the organic sensor. If so, that is great news for Fuji, as it would suggest that the long-awaited X-Pro 2 would be very worthwhile – it will likely come with the organic sensor too, and would have even greater dynamic range and ISO performance, due to the larger sensor. This makes sense, as Fuji said that they were waiting for a breakthrough in technology to release it.
If so, the Fuji and Panasonic cameras could have better image quality than that from the newest FF Sony sensors ~ 16 EV of dynamic range surpasses that of the D810.
If so, the X-Pro 2 is going to be a fantastic camera, and will be far from a disappointment ~ much better than an incremental improvement over the X-Pro 1. Lets hope this turns out to be true.
Such great dynamic range and ISO performance with Fuji’s high-quality and well designed lenses, and very nicely designed camera bodies, will be a fantastic combination. Late 2015/early 2016 is looking to be a great time for photographers.
5 words excuse, 222 words organic sensor talk. Obsessed much with gear?
As if IQ or DR were the most common limitation in people’s photography today.
Having a bad morning, Csaba?
Just seemed funny. I don’t get this obsession with sensors and stuff. I love technology of course, and who doesn’t want better quality tools? But this? Nice story, so lets talk about organic sensors. Lol 🙂
Meanwhile, on a carpenter’s forum, some other dude is probably obsessing out loud with the rumored new Estwing ultra hammer. Drooling over Husky hammer’s specs, promising to switch if Estwing doesn’t release a new ultra hammer by summer… ))
In fairness, the Husky hammer is such a breakthrough you can’t really drive a nail straight without it. If you do your average building tasks any hammer can suffice, but for, say, a wedding wooden terrace my clients demand straight nails.
It is amazing how many miserable people are on forums these days. It is almost like people are rotting away from stress. It is kind of sad ~ it seems people aren’t enjoying life very much anymore…
So are you going to post this under every new rumor until the X-Pro2 is released? Might get boring rather quickly.
Just hope that Fuji pays you well for doing such a boring job…
You are nuts, and way off. Actually, I am a Fuji and Sigma user, and was a Canon user before that. I have no ties to any company. It would be exciting if they have developed the organic sensor, as that is the only area where I would like to see improvement in the next generation of cameras.
Boring? Really? I can’t see it being more boring than your dog shit comments.
Okay, I’m nuts then. Prefer being nuts than posting irrelevant stuff under random stories.
I never said your comment in itself was boring by the way, just if you posted it once a day for the next year it would become boring quickly. I would be absolutely excited if they created that organic sensor so I could snatch an X-T1 for close to nothing because everyone thinks they will finally take world-class pictures if they upgrade.
my X – pro 1 is still great, and i have been getting very nice photos out of it. however, when i finally upgrade, i will be very happy with, and will take advantage of, the increase in dynamic range.
You take photos? Link or never happened 😀
this comment is out of topic, you made the same comment in the previous post (out of topic again). Please keep the discussion related to the articles.
I’m confident we will have other opportunities to discuss the organic sensor thing, so save your comment for that day 😉
Good for you!
When they fixed my light leak, I asked them to fix my spongy buttons as well. But no, they didnt want to acknowledge the issue.
That’s a good thing they have done. However I am really frustrated with mine. I am stuck with an X-T1 with mushy buttons. You see, I pre-ordered the X-T1 as soon as it was announced and with that I got the early batch, light leak and mushy buttons. I sent the camera in for repair to Fuji. When it came back the light leak was fixed but nothing about the d-pad, there was a big difference between that one and the one in the X-E2, but they told me it was basically like that.
Then I started to see that the problem was solved in newer models or production batch, and I never put attention to it, until now. The thing is that I just bought a second X-T1, in fact I got a couple of days ago, it was then when I realized how big the difference it was with the first X-T1. The difference with the newer is day and night, these buttons do-click, these are right and sweet to use, with the older one I really need to press down almost with the tip of the nail to make it them work. I never noticed the difference until I got the second one. So I called to Fuji USA yesterday, explained everything, and they told me plain simple that there is no solution for it. That if I send in there is nothing to be done to the camera, they’ll replace with the same d-pad. That there is no official fix yet.
So I don’t really know what it takes or how much can cost to them to fix it, but there is a fix, because my second X-T1 is perfect. I don’t really understand why the kaizen company is not stepping up to the plate and solve the situation for once for the early adopters. I have invested heavily in the system and ditched my Nikon for good, so I feel aggravated to know that I am basically carrying a defective camera. I’ll keep supporting Fuji, but next time they announce something they can wait for my order quietly… it will just come once I am sure there are no glitches… But of course others do, and they probably give a dam of my rant…
Fuji Canada is doing the button fix for $75 labour (supposedly, the true cost of labour is higher). Some countries are doing it for free. I keep hearing Fuji USA that there’s no solution but that’s obviously not true.
Inconsistent service levels is one of Fuji’s biggest problem when it comes to post sales support.
I know, the rep even told me that he know in some places they are replacing it for around $80. I really wouldn’t mind to pay, even if I think is not fair. I asked the rep what else I can do? He told me to go the Fuji Global website and contact Fuji Japan. He advised that they won’t respond.. But that often they read messages… That looks messed up to me, they should just assume the problem and fix it for once
+1. They also addressed the light leak but did not do anything with regards to the d-pad buttons. It is a shame because nowadays I hardly reach for the Fuji anymore and one of the main reasons is those mushy buttons. They ruin an otherwise excellent camera.
Last October I too dropped my x-T1 and my nearly new 18-135mm, in my case down a flight of stairs. The camera was still working but the lens had a jammed zoom and wouldn’t autofocus. I switched to my 18-55 and finished the job.
I sent them off to Fuji UK to get the camera checked out and the lens repaired. About £80 for the camera – I suspect it was an alignment check/service. The lens was quoted at £350ish and when they came back a few days later the lens had actually been replaced. Impressive as the 18-135 was pretty new at the time and had not long been ex-stock at most dealers.
I was very pleased with the Fuji service even if they do not offer a premium “professional” service (yet?). The initial steps to get a quote was a bit longer than I would have hoped as I needed it to get insurance approval but it was quick once Fuji were given the go ahead.
Nice story from Fujifilm Thailand, but not for Fujifilm Malaysia. I got my free gift (XE2 half case) after 8 months i bought my XE-2, the service is really poor for Fujifilm Malaysia, even the distributors complain about their price is not fixed, and the marketing event doesn’t really make people wanna buy fujifilm camera, i admit that the fujifilm products are good, but if the service is bad, no one going to buy the product
Hi, I’m a Fuji user from Bangkok and I can also vouch for the service quality of Fujifilm service center here.
In warranty, usually they are hassle free, but if not in warranty, they charge reasonable cost.
This is one of the reasons they’re winning the market here. (#1 selling mirrorless camera, as of 2014)
Gosh, I’m a bit surprised about what I’m seeing here on the pictures… how does it feel very light and delicate – I would even dare to say “cheap”. I expected the X-T1 would have – like a DSLR – a sturdy alu/magnesium alloy casted body frame (something you might expect in this price category) but these are only metal cover-parts fitted together with tiny little screws. Seen some Fuji’s lenses that are almost FF alike in size & weight… is this really a premium concept that can survive a demanding reporter mission in the middle of nowhere? Also the electronic parts feel to be small and limited, the sensor-PCB must be the biggest assembly in this camera. Something I’ve always feared a bit with Fuji is that at the end we’re buying beautifully designed but in fact compact camera material.
I had the same feeling. In fact my X-E1 is really light and I suppose most of it is empty… (but I never open a premium DSLR then…)
Mmm. I once dropped a Canon 24-105 L lens 0.5m onto a hard floor and the front cell popped out and lens would not zoom. That front cell was held in by 3-4 tiny screws through a thin plastic ring. It needed a new front cell as a result.
My X-T1 survived a 10ft fall and a couple of bounces down the stairs and was still usable; lens wasn’t but I have had Canon and Sigma lenses fail with less impact. Seems tough enough to me. Even with that sort of drop I would not really expect any camera to be usable even my Canon 1Ds or 1D, might hope though.