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03/14/2006 11:36:15 PM · #1 |
Can anyone help me troubleshoot what's going on here?
I have a Sony DSC-V1.
I bought it the first month it came out, May 2003 and have shot about 26,000 pictures with it.
Just this weekend, while I was doing some studio shots the camera started acting funky.
I can frame the shots just fine in the LCD, change settings, etc. The autofocus and whitebalance works just fine.
But once I snap the photo, the file that's written is basically a ghost of the image captured, filled with horizontal bands.
You can see an example of one of these images here:
//www.flickr.com/photos/typetive/112726352/
I've called Sony to work through their troubleshooting and though the fellow on the phone couldn't tell me what was wrong with the camera, he said that fixing it would cost $181.00.
I'm not really willing to pay that much money to fix a camera that I can pretty much buy "less used" for the same price now.
Can anyone at least help me understand what's wrong with my camera?
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03/15/2006 01:10:38 PM · #2 |
Does this sort of erroneous file write look familiar to anyone?
You can see the full sized version here (so you can see how the banding looks):
//static.flickr.com/37/112726352_e2d707c2d9_o.jpg
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03/17/2006 11:00:49 AM · #3 |
Oddly enough it's started working sporadically again.
Does anyone have any clue about the mechanics/electronics behind how a digital camera creates and image and writes it to my memory stick so that I can track down where this problem might be (and determine if I did something to cause this)?
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03/17/2006 11:05:07 AM · #4 |
I can't help you but I am sure someone can...seems a shame that you've posted three times and no one has any advice yet. Did you try a different memory stick just to see if it was the stick and not the camera maybe? No clue. :(
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03/17/2006 11:05:31 AM · #5 |
It looks like a problem in read-out of the sensor, which takes place by row. The fact that it's sporadically working again points toward a mechanical failure in the camera electronics. Perhaps a failed solder joint, either within a component or between a component and a circuit board. A connector problem is also a possibility, as is an on-chip failure.
These failures can be temperature sensitive, for example you may find that the camera works if cold, but not when warm.
Bottom line, it looks like the cam will need service :-(
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03/17/2006 01:43:00 PM · #6 |
Thanks Lauriel - I did try three different memory sticks, including the silly 32mb one that came with the camera that I never use. I went through the troubleshooting with Sony and we did all sorts of things, including resetting the camera twice and draining any remaining charge ... changing batteries. I did everything but whack it like I used to when the TV's horizontal hold stopped working.
Kirbic - I think I agree that it's some sort of circuit issue since it's started working again. Of course I'm not one to depend on it and the cost of repairing it seems a bit steep compared to its current value. (And I previously damaged the threads on the adapter ring so I can't use my telephoto lens any longer.)
While I have exposed it to some variations in temp (as varied as they can get it SoCal ... which is all above freezing and below 120F), I'm pretty sure the thing that has ultimately done it in is the fact that I take it out nearly every weekend for whalewatching trips. While it doesn't get wet, I'm sure the salt air has hastened any corrosion.
The good news is that the camera served me well these past 26,000 shots and I made enough money from licensing some of my food pictures taken with this camera to buy a Nikon D50 ...
So, after it arrives, I am planning on digging through these forums and photos for lots of help on how to make the most of my new hardware. I still may pick up a "pocket camera" to make sure I don't miss out on day-to-day opportunities.
Thanks!
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