Dead GF2

melvinbrian

Mu-43 Regular
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Manila, Philippines
Hi everyone,

After a day or two of staying in my camera bag, my GF2 suddenly died. It won't turn on even if my battery is fully charged.

Anyone encountered same issue?
 

corona

Mu-43 Rookie
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
15
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Sorry to hear, that's aweful. I haven't had any such issues with my GF2, and i'ts bounced around in my camera bag quite a lot. Such a solidly built little camera I expect to handle itself well.

It would be worth checking that the battery does indeed have power in it, unless you've tried with a couple of batteries. If you can find a little light globe, LED or something similar and touch it quickly onto the battery terminals (the two outside terminals are power, ignore the middle two) to be sure there's actually juice. Be careful not to short them together though, lithium's don't like that.
This is worth trying even though the charger says it's done, depending on how the charger is designed, it may show charged with a collapsed battery.

Also if you don't have a spare battery to try, stick some tape over the middle two pins on the battery and try it. This is in case that battery's internal meter has got out of whack and tells the camera not to start, see if the camera starts at all then. Mine starts up and then says the battery can't be used, but at least it starts up. (it's fine again once the tape is removed).

Otherwise, have you tried powering up with lens removed, and with sd card removed? It's worth trying anything like that, in case a peripheral is blocking it.

If nothing helps, I don't suppose you've got some warranty... ?

Andrew
 

melvinbrian

Mu-43 Regular
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Manila, Philippines
I tried turning it on without the sd card. But didn't tried without the lens.
I don't have spare battery to try it with.

I'll try the tape thing. Will update you if it's a success.

I only have service waranty. It was purchased via local ebay.

Thanks for the reply.
 

corona

Mu-43 Rookie
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
15
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Yeah, seriously sad.
I'd definitely try to find something to check if there's power in the battery, at least if it's dead it's easy to replace.
A torch globe is possibly the easiest thing to find, with some paperclips or similar to touch terminals to it.
Either that or take the battery into an electronics store and see if the guys there have a multimeter behind the counter and can check the battery for you.

Andrew
 

rimom

New to Mu-43
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
Messages
1
I already left the camera at panasonic service center. Hope it will be fixed soon.
Thanks
did you get a cahnce to fix your camera? i have the same problem ...if it's fixed you know what was wrong with it? i'll try to find a service also but maybe i'll give them a hint before
cheers
 

melvinbrian

Mu-43 Regular
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Manila, Philippines
rimom said:
did you get a cahnce to fix your camera? i have the same problem ...if it's fixed you know what was wrong with it? i'll try to find a service also but maybe i'll give them a hint before
cheers

Hi,

I already sent a message in your inbox regarding my GF2.

Sent from my iPhone using Mu-43 App
 

moccaman

Mu-43 Veteran
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
349
Location
Australia
If you know what the problem was it would be worth posting it in here so others who have or are considering the GF2 know about it. I pulled the plug on purchasing a GX1 off a large Ebay dealer because this is the second report I have read on a forum about cameras with faults on ebay.
 

dodo

New to Mu-43
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
1
Hi everyone, I just joying the blog
I have the same problem with my gf2, I am going to send it to panasonic but it will be great if I can have more info about the issue.
Thanks
 

melvinbrian

Mu-43 Regular
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Manila, Philippines
Sure! Here's Panasonic's diagnosis about my GF2:

Panasonic said my GF2 broke because of one busted IC on its Main Board.
In order to fix it, they need to replace the whole Main Board. Which, i assume, would cause me some money.
They already ordered in their SG branch because they don't have it here in PH.
I am afraid this would took atleast several months to fix. Panasonic said that they don't have GF2 parts yet because it was only released "recently". They already released GF3 yet they don't have the parts for the older GF2. I am so frustrated. By the time they fixed my GF2, maybe a GF5 would have already come out in stores.
 

melvinbrian

Mu-43 Regular
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Manila, Philippines
Hi Guys,

I decided not to push through fixing my GF2 as Panasonic is quoting the Main Board at same price as a second hand GF2 Body.

Though I already have an EPL2. I would still try to have it fix on our local camera service centers. Rather than using it as a paper weight.
 

garfield_cz

Mu-43 Veteran
Joined
Jul 9, 2011
Messages
217
Location
Czech Republic
Real Name
Pavel
Funny think is that here in Czech Republic I got my dead GF2 repaired within one week. Central Panasonic service replaced faulted IC instead of changing whole main board. Seems to me that quality of Panasonic service varies from country to country ;)
 

melvinbrian

Mu-43 Regular
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Manila, Philippines
Funny think is that here in Czech Republic I got my dead GF2 repaired within one week. Central Panasonic service replaced faulted IC instead of changing whole main board. Seems to me that quality of Panasonic service varies from country to country ;)

you're so damn lucky! how much did it cost you? free?
 

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