Sapphire Replacement

Every now and then, somebody will shatter the sapphire window on their camera head rendering it useless for the time being. With most brands, a replacement can be tracked down and purchased.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with Ridgid cameras. They do not offer just the sapphire itself. They require you to send in your broken camera head so that it can be replaced with a refurbished head for a fee of around $1000 or more. Wow!

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Ridgid Seesnake Self-Leveling Head with a shattered sapphire window.
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Impact also chipped the focus lens behind the sapphire window.

Luckily, the chip on the focus lens was not in the line of site and no moisture was found inside the actual camera.

Ridgid sapphires have a beveled edge, which I assume are laser cut, and are seated within an annular snap-fit housing that is almost impossible to pry apart without destroying it. A custom shaped sapphire window with a beveled edge was created and inserted.

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Frontal view of the inserted custom sapphire replacement.
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Angled view of the inserted custom sapphire replacement.
The completed repair.

The completed repair looked great and the video was crystal clear and unobstructed. If you find yourself in the same predicament, give us a call with any questions on how we may help you.