NEX7 battery door opens easily and battery drops out.

<p>More anoyances from Sony NEX7 for collection, if anyone keeps counting them...</p>

<p>While visiting Sony'Center today, with NEX7 and 18200 lens, all around my neck on the original strap, suddenly loud noise and something dropped off me to the floor. The NEX7 battery door was open and the battery was on the floor.</p>

<p>This was witnessed by Sony's personnel in the Center. The battery drop on the floor in a quiet room made a loud shot like noise and everybody noticed that. I could not believe it, but they were not surprised at all, as it seems it was a kown problem to them.</p>

<p>The battery cover door has some initial friction and a detent point where it stops when locked or unlocked.<br>

There is also an internal little lock for the battery, but of very poor quality, and apparently it will get released easily. I was wearing a woolen sweater, and possibly this internal latch could have been easily open, but the door lock from the outside is just bad.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, after only few weeks of intensive camera use, the door detent stop is not longer stiff, and the door lock slider moves freely one way or the other.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Ouch. That's rather annoying. Hopefully they provided you with a temporary and complimentary roll of gaffers tape...</p>

Painter masking tape would be better than gaffer tape, which leaves behind sticky residue. 3M Scotch Blue is what I use - it holds well and is water-resistant.

<p>[[Painter masking tape would be better than gaffer tape, which leaves behind sticky residue.]]<br /> <br /> I've been using gaffers tape for a long time now (mostly on my Holga and Holgaroid cameras). It does not leave behind any sticky residue.</p>

<p>The whole point of gaffer's tape is that it doesn't leave a sticky residue. Film crews can take it up and leave the site (which could be someone's house) just as they found it. Like almost everthing else, there must be stuff sold as gaffer's tape that isn't.</p>

<p>And by the way, Frank, it's terrible that a lovely (and certainly not cheap) camera like the NEX7 has that kind of mechanism for holding the battery. I'd send it to them to fix.</p>

<p>OK you can use gaffer tape but why don't the camera makers pay attention to this matter ... Not just Sony but Olympus and Panasonic in my experience. One can also comment about the closeness of the battery to the storage card and awkwardness of withdrawing unless you have a minute Japanese hand?</p>

<p>Note: I was not advocating using gaffers tape as a permanent solution. Indeed, Sony should repair this for free and the repair should not be a replacement of the part (which would only fail again.)</p>

 

Well, this forum says gaffer tape does leave behind sticky residue, but they mix it up with duct tape. One poster recommends the painter's masking tape. Nashua seems to be one brand of residue-free gaffer tape. 3M Scotch Blue is cheaper. I use it when taking any camera near water.

 

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/365122-best-duct-gaffer-tape-available.html

<p>Duct tape will leave a residue, but gaffer's tape shouldn't.</p>

<p>Bill,<br /> I just conducted a small experiment. I periodically trade out my external backup drives with the one attached to my computer, which sits on my desk. To avoid having the power and connector cables fall on the floor while I trade disks, I keep them taped down with proper gaffers tape. The tape has been stuck on my desk for at least a year, maybe two. Just now, I removed it as a test, and it left no residue. I'll put some of the same tape on again.</p>

<p>I once bought some stuff sold as "gaffer's tape at a hardware store. It stuck much more firmly than gaffers tape, and left a mess of residue when removed. Just get the real stuff. When we had a local Calumet store, I used to buy it there.</p>

<p>BTW, a recently purchased camera, first announced in August of 2011, shouldn't need to be held together with gaffer's tape.</p>

<p>Thank you very much for your help. The tape will do for now.</p>

<p>Another solution is to get the Sony's camera case or rather body holder LCS-EB70, that will always secure the bottom door of the camera. Unfortunately it is expensive, for this little piece of leather-like and nylon material. Similar camera holder (or camera case) for NEX5N is about 5 times less expensive.<br>

Fortunately, 3rd party makers already offer inexpensive solutions.</p>