Think I messed up my camera,

[shortylickens]

I have a Sony F-717 which has captured an ungodly number of excellent photos for me over the years. Recently got a 2 GB stick to replace the 128 MB that was too damn small and too damn slow.

Took some pics over a few weeks and was very happy with it. Set the camera aside and never got back to it. Having too much fun with a new camcorder. Suspect I left the lens cap off the still camera for almost a month.

When I finally got back to it I noticed some horrible purple streaking that hadnt been there before. See below:
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/DSC00308.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/DSC00309.JPG

The first is inside my house looking out the window, second is standing on back patio looking at a dumpster. No matter what lighting I use or what mode I take pics in, they are all horrid. I think I let too much light go in for too long with the camera turned off and I ruined it.

Am not too cheap to buy something new but I really like my camera and am used to its functions. I also spent a fair amount of money and want to keep using it.

Am I screwed? I checked with Sony and they dont seem to be much help, I cant find any way to recover from damage like this.
Assuming I did something terribly wrong can anyone tell me exactly what this phenomenon is and why it happens?

 

[Zenmervolt]

I looked through Google, and this seems to be a common problem with the F717. So much so that it was recalled in October of 2005. http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1128703521.html

Unfortunately, the time limit on the recall expired on October 2nd of 2007. I say you should at least attempt to see if Sony will honor the warranty, but you may be out of luck.

ZV

 

[shortylickens]

Well thats just fucking lovely.
2 weeks after the recall my camera breaks. I thought it was a careless action on my part from almost a month prior to its demise.

Thanks for the tip. Was under the impression that the 707 was the one with issues. I will look into it some more. If I cant get it fixed I'll go with the low-end Digital Rebel.
Having worked with Canons and Nikons for years in the semiconductor industry I feel like I can trust their names a little more than Sony.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Well thats just fucking lovely.
2 weeks after the recall my camera breaks. I thought it was a careless action on my part from almost a month prior to its demise.

Thanks for the tip. Was under the impression that the 707 was the one with issues. I will look into it some more. If I cant get it fixed I'll go with the low-end Digital Rebel.
Having worked with Canons and Nikons for years in the semiconductor industry I feel like I can trust their names a little more than Sony.

Sony makes all the sensors for Nikon DSLRs. Sony also makes the sensors in the vast majority of Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Fuji point-and-shoot cameras. Sony also makes arguably the best professional video equipment available. Beta and DigiBeta are still staples of newsrooms across the country. Hell, even U-Matic is still in use some places.

While it's true that in this case Sony's sensor was the weak point, given the volume of the market that belongs to Sony, even this recall is a relatively minor portion of their total production volume.

Canon and Nikon both make excellent cameras and there's nothing I can say against them. However, Sony's reliability is quite good; it's not as though they turn out crap.

ZV

 

[shortylickens]

I spent most of today and yesterday reading camera articles and leanred that sony sensors are found in many nikons but it looks like all the high end canons use sensors made by canon. I'll probably be getting the $500 digital rebel (the regular XT I believe). I could also settle for a crappy little wallet camera, but I learned a long time ago that all other factors aside, a 5 centimeter lens lets in much more light and takes better pics than a 1 centimeter lens. I dont think I could stand using a small camera at this point. Eventually it would make me mad.

Spent a few hours at the mall and Best Buy handling some cameras and decided I dont feel like shelling out 3 grand, but 500 or less is good for me. Now I just go online and get what I want for the price I want.

 

[soydios]

Sony makes the sensor, but Nikon makes a lot of the circuitry powering it. Same with the other companies.
All of Canon's sensors are made in-house, and they seem to be on-par with Sony's. Nikon makes some interesting sensors in-house, like the D2H's and D3's. Fuji has some special ones that are useful for UV/IR photography or wedding photography (increased dynamic range, especially at the high end, to capture more highlight detail in a wedding dress).

 

[gsellis]

Submit the query through the link anyway. Sony may give you alternative for repair even if it is expired.

/repaired a VX2100 video camera with the same issue.

 

[fr]

I had a F717 with the same problem. Turnaround time was about 10 days. They did a good job.

 

[Cienja]

I found this topic because I too have the same problem with my DSC-F717 (plus I have several hundreds of $$ in lenses for it). I did some research and ended up calling Sony (1-866-703-7669) even though the recall was over in October '07.

I found that Sony has extended the recall to September '08! Woohoo!

So, if you have a problem with your DSC-F717 (the CCD problem), then you can still get it fixed. Hell, Sony even sent me a UPS label so I don't even pay shipping.

Update: I just received my F717 back from Sony. It's like brand new again! woohoo!

 

[Netopia]

I just had the same sort of experience. My F717 sensor died about six months ago, and I've been agonizing over whether to get a new camera, or get the one I love (the F717) repaired. I finally decided to just get a used one on ebay. I was outbid on my first attempt, but then decided that I should find out how much it would actually cost to repair mine before spending money on a used one. A couple google searches later, and I was on Sony's support page filling out the form to have mine repaired FOR FREE! Unbelievable!

Joe