I’ve had two items malfunction on me recently.
I have a Canon S2 IS camera, and was surprised to be presented with a black screen upon powerup. So far, this happens intermittently, but the discussion available via search indicates that soon it will only show a black screen and record completely black images. The problem is well-known for this piece of gear and relates to the failure of a connection between the sensor and the rest of the electronics.
I also have a Samsung SC-D353 mini-DV camcorder, and was unpleasantly surprised to discover that its fold-out LCD screen now only displays white when deployed completely. I can see that there is an image displayed at just the angle where the LCD screen activates, but any further angle causes it to switch to just a white screen. I suspect a connector failure here, too.
I guess I’ll be finding out just what sort of support is available from the manufacturers in each case. Other people have reported receiving free repair of the S2 IS camera sensor problem from Canon even though the gear has been out of official warranty periods. Both of my problem items are likewise out of warranty.
CafePress Shop
June 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Wesley,
We recently sent a Cannon Point and shoot back for a similar issue way after any factory warranty and they fixed it no charge, and pretty quick.
I also just sent a pretty much brand new Nikon D300 back for a repair but that was under warranty. Most any interaction I’ve had with Nikon and Canon seems to be on the good side. I can not vouch for Samsung.
September 11th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
My Samsung sc d353 has just encountered the exact same problem mentioned above (faulty LCD screen - just turns white when opened, but play back is visible through the eye-piece). Just wondering if you had had any updates on procedures that might be successful without having to rely on the good will of the company (vid cam out of warrantee, but used only twice before). Any DIY solutions?
Thanks
September 11th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I have not attempted disassembly of the Samsung. Back in the days of mechanical cameras and lens shutters, I had fair luck with DIY. Things get lots harder with electronic consumer products, which often are made in a highly non-modular fashion; cheap to assemble, but a real bugbear to try to fix. Mostly, I think that they have gotten into a model where “service” consists of accepting an RMA and sending out a replacement unit. At the Samsung price-point, the hourly cost of an electronics technician likely doesn’t fit with trying to diagnose and repair individual problems. Certainly the $165 service price I was quoted suggests that there is no examination of the unit I’d be sending in; I only paid $205 retail for it to begin with.
So I’ve just been using it with the EVF and wishing I had budget to spare to buy another camcorder. I can’t really afford to completely lose video capability if I botch a DIY fix job, so I don’t plan on opening it up to try.