Contax SL300RT* sleeping beauty

[belgiumreporter]

This is one of my newest aquisitions, a beautifull swivelbody black contax SL300RT* .
It came like new in the box with everything included even the original invoice.
My initial thought was to use it instead of my coolpix 995 because it is smaller, has a better LCD screen and all coolpix adapter lenses would fit.
After unboxing it i immediatly took it for a spin and all worked well until after the battery ran flat. I recharged the battery put it back in the camera and then everything went wrong, the red led on the back started blinking ( according to the manual because something is wrong with the camera, very helpfull to know if your holding a camera that doesn't do anything) I then went through the motions, changed the battery again, tried the ac adpter, changed the sd card, kept the camera warm and dry all to no avail. Can't say how many times i've tried to start the camera up again but nothing seems to work, now i feel just like a little kid who's pet just died, trying to convince himselve the pet's not dead, it is just in deep sleep...:-(((

My question is has anyody ever had a similar experience with a compact camera and had it fixed, because mostly people tend to say compacts cannot be repaired or aren't worth te be repaired, just buy another one. The bad news on the buy another one theme is i've only managed to source another SL 300 but the asking price is somewhat over 700 € !!!! no way Hosé  on that for me.
On another note, does contax/ kyocera still even exist? the warranty card is with the camera ( but is after all this time void) and would this be a possible lead to have it repaired???

Any tips on trying things myselve without having to use a sledge hammer???






Two of the very few pictures i was aible to shoot with it:

[paulhofseth]

Strange device.

Last I heard of Contax was when Kyocera announced when they would cease maintaining its latest incarnation, but kept the rights to the name, preventing Zeiss from reviving it.

I expect that either Kyocera (or Zeiss) will sue if they can find the anonymous makers of this one, or that they and Zeiss suddenly have become so hard up that they have sold their rights. (It would be interesting to see when, if ever, the Contax name will revert to Zeiss ownership.)

p.

[Stephen]

Kyocera Finecam SL300R is the same camera, bar the lens, so one of those might provide parts, which are usually sub asseblies on cable plugs.
But with a dead Digital it must be power, and the battery chamber is the first suspect, it may seem clean etc, but the lead soldered on to the contacts inside may have come adrift. If any corrosion occuts it can seem cleaned out, but may leave acids that attack the leads internally, so If you ca get it apart, then have a look at the battery area , and the leads internally.
Also check all the flat cables are firmly in the sockets, pull apart and push in, it should clean them and contact is restored.
Kyocera seem to exist, but not producing, the Finecam SL300R came from 2004.
Stephen.

[paulhofseth]

Kyocera remains a leading producer of ceramic & hightech materials. Their past compact digital efforts labelled "Contax" was new to me.This website constantly contains surprises.

(With the "as new" in post#1 I assumed this to be a recent product -while Kyoceras ancient Contax website is quite clear on their ceasing production years ago.)

p.

[belgiumreporter]

Hey guys, thanks for your input so far.
@ Steven, the faulty battery lead seems a very plausible explenation, however the camera seems to be cast out of one piece, i can't find any screws or hinges or other things that would suggest the camera can be taken apart, gues i'll have to put it under the micrescope to find any "opening" clues;

@paulhofset, because of English not being my first language, in my post i could have raised the suspicion that this is a recent (new) camera, wich it is not. Steven is correct in pointing out it is a 2004 made camera. ( a well preserved one though)

[paulhofseth]

No, no, your English is perfectly clear - Vous est en Belgique, et vous parlais Francais? or possibly Flemish oder Plattdeutsch which is readable from German and Scandinavian languages with much guessing-.

I just read too fast "as new" was absolutely correct, indicating something like "speckless", not "produced today".

p.