CANON camera shot

[steamin10]

OK, it looks like I have 2 Canon Digital Power Shot A75 Cameras that have gone on the blink.

With new batteries, and a 1.6 Mem card, they fire up, but the dispay will not give an image, and if fired, will not record an image. One of the cameras came to life briefly for a few minutes, because of repeated pushing of the display button, on the rear, cycling though the 3 available settings, but has done nothing since. Both cameras seem to have lost the ability to see, or display images on the viewscreen..

Thye had been stored or set by the computer. Is it possible the gauss field has damaged the memory in the camera? These cameras are manufactured around 04-05, and are now heavily discounted, so a new In-Box is only about $60.

I have just inherited another camera, that I don't have the programming for. My GF just bought a store sample Olympas, and I now have access to her old Olympas that is similar in case design to the Canons. ( She bought me a 35 film at a resale shop too, that is a quite nice Sureshot.)

I guess it boils down to , does anybody know of recalls or failure history of these a75 canon cameras, or a way to fix, repair, jumpstart, the units? it seems a factory refurbish would be out of the question given comparative costs.

[PeteH]

Dunno about that particular Canon but there was an acknowledged memory/programming failure in the "Digital Elph" series of about that vintage. After a little fencing, Canon fixed ours free of charge.

Google "canon recalls" and see what you come up with. No guarantees, but you might get lucky.

[steamin10]

Thanks pete. Idid not think of that, as I am not a camera junky.

Still waiting for service on my 2 Ford recalls.

[PeteH]

Dave, you might even check Consumer Reports magazine for recalls... those often are safety-related, but IIRC, they covered the Canon recall too.

[spro]

Steamers
This is to get back to a hypothetic you mentioned in posting. I don't own a Canon so went by it- However- almost the same thing has doomed my Kodak DX3600 since shortly after it was docked atop my pc and within a foot of 2 monitors. Yeh in retrospect it shouldn't be there- let's go on to the similarities-. The camera will charge then use it once or twice and goes into a fault, lo bat. Replace bats, super charge workin great -2 shots, outagas. I'm thinking some minor internal battery for storage is bad (and it may be) Although the field concept does make sense. We all knew as kids if you put a battery against a magnet it would "suck it dry". Then we learned it would affect the electron path by ..well.. the field would decay the imbalance of anode and cathode and electrons would fly off into space or whatever, wait now that I think of it some got rather hot. (thinking back 40+ years ago) So anyway the field effect might make perfect sense in that this invisible wave is diminishing a critical part within the camera while it's being charged.

[steamin10]

Spro, big buzz. Not what is here.

The rear view screen works clearly, and gives the called up displays, with clear icons and all that. What it will not do, is give me a lens to display image, or any image recall or record. So it looks like Both Cameras have the same fault of not being able to process through the lens. That sounds like a defective processing chip. That is why I think the monitor may have wiped a ROM chip, so it cannot process. (best guess). Or maybe the collecter behind the lens has failed. What is peculiar, is that both cameras failed about the same time, with the same fault. So it would appear the cameras were subjected to the same conditions, or even operator error, to bring about the fault.

We use rechargable batteries that are removed from the camera, Duracell, and Energizers.

[spro]

I think your onto something. I was sort of right also some little component was damaged the same way. You might specify that those bats are Ni or not just regular batteries. When the fault occurs it doesn't seem to matter what they are for the process is defeated. Now then I don't mean to confuse my problem with yours. I'll deal with this separately.
In the Canon have you success with sites recently like even a yahoo canon site? Worth a check. I'm gettin older or something because confronted by some chip that's thats got 168 legs, well i'm not doing it. That size isn't in your camera but it whatever. It just gets more complicated. Heck I was working in watches when I was a kid with little steady fingers. Messed one up. That was it for making mistakes. Worked on a few more and never would know i was in there.
In the ways chips are floated in it's nearly impossible to retrieve them but heck, what do I know? I'm just some fart. What was done ;severe the old at the end of vertical leg and not burn the miniscule ckt traces by trying to remove it. Then marry the new chip over the old legs. Of course heat shielding is big time consideration and esd =ESD bigtime. But then wgaff .

[steamin10]

Have posted to Canon for E-support, and a recall has been in effect for certain cameras for sensor failure. Mine is listed as one of the affected.

I am waiting for a reply from customer service.

We shall see.

[PeteH]

Good on ya, Dave !!!!

It took them about a week to send me the shipping information (and I think even a free shipping label), then less than a month to return the camera. And yes, it was our original camera, with all the nicks and dings. (Well, it was the original shell, anyway)

They must have fixed it: It's worked just fine since March 2008.

[steamin10]

Ya it may look bad, since it is two cameras affected. But the soecond failed onlyabout 3 weeks after te first..

SHhh! I am wiating for te reply.

[steamin10]

Well, I am disappointed. Canon did not renig on their promise.

WHAT! Yep, they sent a prepaid ups label that was printed out on the puter (before the crash) and I blindly mailed it off. Just yesterday, both cameras came back, with official notes about no bateries, mem cards and the like, no accessories. BUT, get this, they found the picture distroted and serviced the cameras and made minor adjustments, FREE of charge. and there was a disclaimer about further service should it arise, I might be billed.

Bottom line. No sweat, no tears, no arguments. Put in the cards and batteries, and they work as good as new.

If they last at all, there will be a big thank you to the Camera Gods, and Canon.

THE happy ending.

[PeteH]

Great news, Dave... that's one for OUR side!!!