It happens to everyone at least once. A moment of distraction, a slippery strap, an unexpected bump — and your Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Leica, or Hasselblad hits the ground. The first reaction is panic. The second should be a calm assessment of what actually happened.
Step one: don't turn it on
This is the most important thing most people do wrong. The instinct is to immediately power on the camera to check if it still works. Resist that. If the fall caused any internal damage — a displaced component, a cracked connection, debris near the sensor — turning it on can cause a short circuit and permanently destroy parts that would otherwise be salvageable. Take a breath, flip it over, and look first.
What to check immediately after the fall
Remove the battery and the memory card first. This eliminates any risk of electrical damage from a shorted circuit. Then examine the body carefully. Look for:
- Cracks in the housing or LCD screen
- A lens that won't retract or is visibly misaligned
- Debris inside the lens barrel or around the mount
- A battery door or card slot that no longer closes properly
On interchangeable lens cameras like Canon EOS, Nikon Z, or Sony Alpha — check the mount. A fall with a heavy lens attached often bends or misaligns the bayonet. If anything looks off, do not try to force the lens off — you can damage both the mount and the contacts.
Lens error: the most common consequence of a drop
For compact cameras — Sony Cyber-shot, Canon PowerShot, Fujifilm FinePix — the most typical outcome is a lens error. The retractable lens gets knocked out of alignment and can't complete its extension or retraction cycle. The screen typically shows "Lens Error" or simply goes black.
When the camera won't turn on at all
This is the more serious scenario. Try a different battery if you have one. If a fresh battery also produces nothing, the damage is almost certainly internal and requires professional assessment. For DSLRs and mirrorless cameras — Canon R-series, Nikon Z-series, Sony Alpha, Fujifilm X-series — internal repairs after a drop can run anywhere from $150 to $600+ depending on what broke.
The memory card is usually fine
SD and CFexpress cards are extremely resilient. Even if the camera body is damaged beyond repair, the card inside almost always survives. Before anything else, remove it and back up your photos to a computer. Don't wait — don't leave it in the camera while you figure out the repair situation.
When repair makes sense — and when it doesn't
If your camera is less than two years old and the repair estimate is under 40–50% of its current value, repair is usually worth it. For older bodies — especially entry-level Canon Rebels, older Nikon D3000–D5000 series, or any compact — the repair cost almost always approaches or exceeds what the camera is worth on the used market.
Premium cameras are a different story. A dropped Leica M or Hasselblad X2D with a repairable issue is absolutely worth fixing. For everything in between — get a quote first. Don't assume either way.
Not worth repairing? You don't have to throw it away.
If the repair quote came back higher than the camera's worth, or you simply don't want to deal with it — Buddy Cash buys cameras in any condition across Florida. Broken, dropped, lens error, won't turn on — we'll make you an offer and come pick it up from wherever you are, the same day. No need to drive anywhere or ship anything. Just reach out and we'll take it from there.
